ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What strategies do you use that are related to your “moral purpose”? How do these contribute to your overall leadership?Moral purpose is really about knowing what you are doing and knowing why you are doing it. It is who you are and should be reflected by your actions. "Moral purpose cannot just be stated, it must be accompanied by strategies for realizing it, and those strategies are the leadership actions that energize people to pursue a desired goal" (Fullan, 2007). The reason this can be hard is that sometimes your moral purpose does not align with others then you have to "contend with reconciling the diverse interests and goals of different groups" (Fullan, 2007). In thinking more about moral purpose this week I came across the idea of making sure that as a leader you take care of yourself. Saibel (2016) talks about how leaders have stressful jobs and it can take a toll. If we fail to take care of ourselves then how can we help others? I think for me this can be the hardest part. I want to see my students succeed and if they need help I want to help them. Over the past couple of years I have set more strict guidelines. I offer extra help after school 3 days a week and now take one day off. Before I offered 4 days of after school help. I also put a time limit so that I have time to do my own workout. I believe this helps keep me in a better state of mind so that my brain is ready for the challenges that the day will provide. A lot of what I read about leaders this week focused on how leaders need to be able to connect people. They don't need the answer but they need to know how to listen and connect thoughts. "Leaders matter less for the ideas that they possess and more for their ability to connect ideas (sometimes controversial) and people across their organizations. By attending to our human need to create, connect, and play, leaders assure that great ideas can evolve from young seedlings into robust, self-supporting ecosystems" (Saibel, 2016). So this helps us meet our own needs which can help us feel less burnt out. Finally I read about how incorporating the culture of your surroudings can add value and commitment to your leadership. Others will trust you and it will help you evolve as a leader. "Being aware and responsive and listening to your school community in ways that ensure all members of the community feel that who they are -- all facets of their identities -- are welcome and safe is something that requires constant work" (Lehman, 2016). When the community feels heard they will reach out and they will feel welcome to step inside the school building. This is really important in villages and something I believe my school is working on. I feel like my leadership is about doing the right thing in my mind. I feel very driven by my own moral purpose. I want to do right by my students. Sometimes this means I need to take a step back to assess. I need to process what is going on and in turn sometimes this means changes to my own teaching philosophy. Sources:
Fullan, Michael. Leading in a Culture of Change (1). Somerset, US: Jossey-Bass, 2007. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 6 March 2017. Lehmann, C. (2016, October 19). How Leaders Can Improve Their Schools' Cultural Competence. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/article/improving-our-cultural-competence-chris-lehmann Saibel, E. (2016, January 29). Cultivating a New Leadership Archetype. Retrieved March 10, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cultivating-a-new-leadership-archetype-eric-saibel
10 Comments
Natalie
3/11/2017 07:20:16 am
I enjoyed reading your blog about reminding all of us to take care of ourselves. I didn't realize how important that was when I first started teaching. I gave 150%+! and after 3 years I was thinking about finding another career. I think one day a parent reminded me that it's just a job. For some reason I felt hurt, it felt like more than just a job to me. But, I realized I had to take a few steps back and create those boundaries/guidelines as well. That was extremely hard but I'm thankful because I was happier for it. Over time, I learned to not take everything home with me. I read that people become teachers because they want to make a positive impact on student's lives. I think we also need to learn how to take better care of ourselves so we are able to do that effectively.
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Sara Lucas
3/12/2017 10:25:16 pm
I used to not take anything home because I didn't pay for internet. Now because of these classes I pay for internet so I don't live at the school. I still don't take a lot home though because it was a habit of mine not to for my first 3 years of teaching.
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3/11/2017 12:34:40 pm
It’s interesting to see that some people think of a leader as someone who is authoritative, aggressive, and can motivate people, but there is a type of leader that is called servant leader. I see myself as one of these types. A servant leader is one who “serves” first. It seems this type of leader would be natural extension of a teacher. At least I think teachers “serve” first before anything else. They can motivate by the example the set and their actions. People do not need to be aggressive to lead. It’s too bad the servant leader doesn’t get the same type of acceptance as more aggressive ones. You are right about taking care of yourself. That is really important and I’m glad you mention it.
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Sara Lucas
3/12/2017 10:26:29 pm
There is definitely an image or stereotype of a leader that pops into my head that is similar to what you mention. Not every leader has to be strict and aggressive. Leaders can also be leaders just for the example they set. I am glad you point this out.
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Tristan
3/11/2017 12:47:05 pm
I think taking care of ourselves is one of the most important parts of being a leader because if we don't, how can we help others? I try and set time aside each day for me, but it's sometimes with work, school, and family to make time for yourself. I offer after school help too and sometimes it's so easy to want to cancel because the kids that are there are required to show up for some type of behavioral/educational paperwork. They come and it's like pulling teeth to get them to do anything and I often think what am I getting out of this?! I have to remember to show them through offering time that they in fact matter to me. I have started outlining my weeks though and putting on the calendar what homework has to be done on what days and that has helped because I can usually find one night where I can take a breather.
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Sara Lucas
3/12/2017 10:27:32 pm
Sounds exactly like me. I think you start to learn to take some time after your first few years.
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Jim
3/12/2017 10:43:01 am
I wholeheartedly agree with you that in order to help others (be a leader) you must take care of yourself first. I struggle with this constantly. So much so, that it has landed me in the hospital twice. I'm getting better at it, but still struggle with balancing what's best for me, and giving of myself and time.
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Sara Lucas
3/12/2017 10:29:02 pm
Oh no the hospital!!! I hope I never go that far. But I think it is just a true testament for the teachers, like you, who are in it for the kids. We kill ourselves for them because we became teachers to help students not for the paycheck.
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Sarah K
3/12/2017 09:12:29 pm
I think that taking care of ourselves is so easy to overlook sometimes! I have recently starting working out again and noticed such an improvement in my energy level and how I feel. It can be so easy to give everything we have, but we need to make sure we don't give everything all the time. I'm glad you focused on this for this week. I also like your last sentence about changing your own teaching philosophy when it's needed. This is my seventh year of teaching and throughout those seven years I feel like my philosophy has changed quite a bit. It is so important to realize that you can change your philosophy, and that you should at least reflect on what you are doing to make sure it really is what is best for students. You have given me so much to think about this week!
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Sara Lucas
3/12/2017 10:30:25 pm
I change up my class constantly because I find a new idea. This is my 5th year. I wonder if there will ever be a time where we aren't changing things up??
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