LEADERSHIP COACHING: BE A MERCHANT OF HOPE
Last fall I was observing a PLC meeting where a teacher made the following comment, “There ain’t no fixing him. I’ve spoken to him countless times and he just doesn’t care. I think we need to move on and spend our time and energy on kids who actually care.” My purpose for sharing this is not to be critical of this particular teacher. In fact, in my experience working in schools today it is not uncommon to hear such comments shared, but just in a different manner. Admittedly, I would have been more judgmental of this teacher in my earlier days. However, experience has taught me that even the best teachers when working with challenging students can find themselves saying and doing things that are out of character. No one is immune, especially when we grow tired and find ourselves frustrated that we can’t reach a student. It’s in these moments where we have to remain positive and believe that we can still make a difference. We just can’t quit. Being a Merchant of Hope (4th Core Principle of Culturize) requires us to believe that all students (and staff) want to be great and it’s our responsibility to create an environment where they feel connected, confident and capable so they can experience success. No one deserves to be labeled a failure, lazy, or not caring. We are all one experience away from losing our way and losing hope, but we are also one experience away from changing a life for the better and inspiring others to greatness. The next time a student puts his/her head on the desk, refuses to do work, is disrespectful or swears at you, instead of taking it personally and getting angry or frustrated, do your best to hear these words instead - “Help me!” It will change your perspective and serve as a reminder that no matter how hard students try to convince you they don’t care if they pass or fail, no child truly wants to be a failure. They’ve lost hope and it’s our job to help them find it again.
Each week I share 1 Reflection, 2 Ideas, and 1 Resource for you to consider that I hope will encourage you to explore new and better practices in your daily work. My aspirations are to support you and others in developing your skills and shifting your thinking so you will invest in your own development and maybe, just maybe I can inspire you to want to live your excellence so you can bring your best self to school every day!
Live your excellence…
Jimmy
Be a Merchant of Hope: 121
1 REFLECTION
He looked me in the eyes and said, “Clint, you are not a problem. You are a drummer.” Never forget that a single moment in time can change a person’s life forever. Be a Merchant of Hope.
2 IDEAS
One of the most challenging supervisory positions any educator can hold is that of lunchroom supervisor. Trying to maintain order in a room with hundreds of students with downtime has the potential to be disastrous on many levels. But what if we were to look at lunch time as an opportunity where kids could showcase their talents and the cafeteria serve as a large extended learning space? I recall spending time in my office with a young man who was new to our school and struggling to fit in and keep up with his coursework. The more we chatted the more he opened up about his passion for his artwork. He shared his YouTube channel with me and I could hardly believe what I saw. Elias had a talent for spray paint art; I mean Las Vegas Blvd. street talent. The more I watched and asked questions the more excited he became. I wondered how many of our students and staff knew about this young man’s talent and more importantly, what we could do to highlight his gift to a larger group of students. We discussed having him showcase his skills at the end of the year talent show, but that was months away. Then it hit us. Let’s have show us his magical gift during lunch time.
I still recall the energy that day. We had announced to 400 plus students that we had a special presentation in store for them once they were finished eating. We had set up a tarp and roped off a section in our our courtyard for his equipment and materials. When the time came we announced his name and gave him a big introduction and warm welcome. It didn’t take long for curiosity to set in and for kids to start gathering (of course, the media presence didn’t hurt). Needless to say, he didn’t let us down. In fifteen short minutes, he spray painted a beautiful picture of our school, planetarium dome and all, then lifted it over his head like he had just crossed the finish line in victory and let out the biggest smile as the kids cheered him on. Two days later, accompanied by his parents, he stopped by to thank us, his smile still as wide as it had been that day at lunch. His parents also beamed with pride as they thanked us for making their child feel like a part of the school. My eyes became watery as his dad told us they were thinking about moving because his son didn’t feel like he belonged at our school. And then Elias reached over and gave us a signed painting which still hangs in the school today. Since then, dozens of students have been given the opportunity to showcase their talents and programs such as visual arts, jazz band, robotics, show choir, drum line, engineering, speech/debate, and STEM to name just a few. How can you use the lunch period to give students an opportunity to leave their legacy and be a part of something great?
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People often share with me their concerns regarding athletics getting much of the attention in schools today, with facilities, resources, staffing and recognition being heavily favored in their direction. I often remind others that we should never apologize for having great athletic programs, but rather do everything we can to elevate every other non-athletic program to the same level. One way of doing this is to either showcase a program on its own to a coordinated large audience ( think lunch time from above) or blend a non-athletic program with an athletic event for a performance in order to be more intentional in bringing more visibility and recognition to other programs. One of my favorite events during my tenure was hosting an art show during a basketball game against our cross town rivals, ensuring an audience numbering in the thousands. Showcasing K-12 artwork from across the district at such an event was one way to remind others that we were a culture that celebrated all kids and all talents. Even more inspiring was seeing the reaction of our guests and then allowing them to vote on their favorite pieces of work. Those students whose work was selected were given a monetary scholarship for allowing us to display their work around the school. The opportunities are unlimited when we shift our mindset and remind ourselves that when we are intentional with our efforts to celebrate our students and staff, great things can happen not only for them, but it can give hope to an entire community.
1 RESOURCE
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