July 6, 2013

Expecting Answers.....

I have been doing the administration gig for 10 years now and my understanding of the role and its expectations have evolved over the years.  I have greatly enjoyed and embraced the role, yeah it has its challenges and there are definitely some days that I would rather be back in the classroom, but for the most part it is a great job and I love the day to day interactions with students, staff, parents and the community.  One of the things that has evolved for me is the expectation that I have all the answers to the plethora of questions I receive.  The funny thing is, the expectation from myself is what has evolved, not necessarily the expectation from others.  When I first started in administration, I believed I needed to have all the answers.  I worked hard & read voraciously to learn all I could.  Sometimes this ended in foolish decisions that revealed my inexperience, but thankfully, more often than not, I was able to make sound decisions and pass along good advice.
This shouldn't be a surprise, the idea is that when you are the building leader, you have the answers to the questions parents, students and staff have.  What I have discovered, and maybe it is a recent change due to the incredible rate of change in education right now, is that I often do not have the answers, or I am aware that the previous answer to that question is evolving.

This is one of the many reasons I stay "connected" as an educator.  By attending workshops, conferences, #edcamps, reading blogs, and staying active on Twitter, I have been able to check in and learn from educators all over the world.  Thanks to these Social Media tools, I have been able to ask questions of the authors of the many professional books I read or listen to when attending conferences.  So now that I have access to these many well informed, well researched, well written, and experienced educators and authors, am I expected to keep all of their knowledge in my head?  Do we expect our teachers to remember everything they have heard and read? Do we expect them to get it right the first time?  Do we expect that of our students? Unfortunately sometimes I do think some people expect that of our students, but I know I don't.  I have heard a great many people share how we are now in the information age, and that the amount of information available has grown exponentially in just the last decade and the rate keeps increasing.  There is an ever increasing amount of information, strategies for teaching, brain research and technology tools to improve all we do.  So, why is it I see people talking about it being okay that principals don't have all the answers, but teachers keep coming in and asking for the answers and wanting it now (or even preferably yesterday).  Is there a double standard?  I don't think so.  I'm not looking to point fingers at teachers, they are under incredible scrutiny at this time, and many feel like all of the initiatives to improve education are being crammed down their throat and they have been given no time (and very little financial support) to learn about them.  The common approach I see and hear about has been, "implement this now so we are ahead of the game, and if we make a mistake.....we still have another year to fix it."

I'm not looking to make excuses, we definitely have things we need to change in our schools. We all needed to raise our standards.  But this also means we have much to learn, and if that is the case, then we need time to learn it.  We are in a bit of a Research & Development stage right now in education, and that is a good thing.  Some of the research on best practice has never gone out of date, but there are new ways and tools to implement those strategies with now.  I know that idea doesn't exactly jive with the current hysterical call for accountability and the push for easy to use & implement standardized test scores, but we have to find a way to avoid the fear those political tools create, and get focused on student learning which means teacher learning must come first.  We have to stop expecting everyone to know the answers, and we have to start connecting with each other and learning from each other, including learning from each others mistakes.
The only way to do this is to connect, share, ask questions, try something new and share how it goes. Then.....repeat the process.  Put yourself out there, and give it a try.  Don't be afraid to fail, don't expect someone to have all the answers, and we won't expect it of you.  Share your experiences, and let's all grow together.

14 comments:

  1. Tom,
    Nice job my friend! Really enjoyed reading this post because it brought up so many important and timely points. We don't need to have all the answers - all we need to have is the willingness to support each other, whether through our virtual connections or our face to face PLN, in our goal to discover the answers - TOGETHER! This is a difficult time in education but one thing cannot change - our passion to learn and grow each day - we must always be looking for the answers to help us enhance our craft and evolve for the sake of our kids!
    Tony

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    1. Thanks Tony! Our conversations and sharing has lead to a great deal of learning for me. So glad to have you in my PLN and benefit from the sharing we do here and on twitter. Can't wait to come out and meet you in August!!

      Tom

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  2. This touches on our conversation earlier today. In my head I know that I can't/won't always have all of the answers, but I still feel an incredible amount of pressure to have them nonetheless. It might be pressure that I am putting on myself, rather than from those around me, but either way, it is there. I agree that sources such as Twitter and blogs give us access to more information- which is a huge blessing. I think you did a great job communicating just how much the role of principal/lead learner gas evolved over recent years. Well done!

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  3. Great piece, Tom. You are right that the expectations are that we still must have the right answers. In the information age it is our responsibility to teach teachers and other educators how to navigate through the vast volumes of information. By providing these opportunities, we change our culture from finding the right answer to asking the right question. That in essence is what the primary responsibility of the principal should be.

    Great and timely thoughts. Thank you for sharing

    John

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  4. Great post, Tom. There is an ever increasing pressure that educators must have all the answers at the drop of a hat. In today's world, it is more important to know where to look for answers - colleagues, books, internet, Twitter - than it is to know all the answers. There is power in our networks and we must not be afraid to tell others "I don't know but I know who does ..." or "I don't have that answer but will find out for you."

    The power of collaboration will guide us on our path to knowing where to turn to increase our knowledge and find the answers.

    Thanks for sharing your great post!

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  5. Thanks John & Matt!! I truly appreciate the feedback from a couple of amazing educators such as your selves. Wholeheartedly agree that we need to get focused on the right questions and learning how to navigate the tools available to develop the right answers. I know we all feel in a rush to get "there", but the truth is "there" is a journey and not a destination. This map keeps changing and adding scenic stops along our path. But if we all work together, we will discover more quickly the shortcuts that didn't work, the dead ends, and the hotspots that we should all visit along the way. Thanks for adding so much to my learning journey!!

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  6. I absolutely loved this! As a developing leader, I think that one of the most important traits that separates me from my peers is that I am connected to amazing leaders like you. Understanding that I am not perfect & that I do not have all of the answers is key. I can admit it, learn it & push forward. I thank you so much for your inspiration.

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  7. Thank you so much for this post. It's one I will come back to again and again when next year's journey begins.

    Yes, there is an incredible amount of pressure on teachers and administrators, but I think it's nothing compared to the pressure being put on our students. So any pressure I feel from outside sources is nothing compared to the pressure I put on myself to be better and better for my kids.

    The more we can all collaborate, commiserate and communicate, the better equipped we are for our students. I don't expect any of my education leaders to have all the answers, but I do expect them to listen and for me to believe they have my back because of our shared goal. I certainly get that from you and the other leaders in my PLN and thank you.

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  8. Thanks for sharing your insight. It's difficult to switch it up from seeking answers to asking better questions. I want the principals and people in higher positions to give me the answers when I need them.

    Also, thanks for pointing out in the response to the comment above what I am a true believer in. I'm trying to connect and even starting to blog a bit, so I can avoid shortcuts that don't work, steer clear of the dead ends, but use my valuable time enjoying and sharing the hotspots. Thank you again for taking the time and giving me interesting things to think about. Love being challenged!

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    1. I would love to read some of your blog posts. I'm sure you have much to share. I saw it was a while since your last post. Take the plunge and share with us. It doesn't have to be long or contains tons of references, just share your thoughts and reflections. As my wife likes to say, First we get started, then we get better.

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  9. Tom,

    Right on the money! I often fall prey to the idea that I must know all the answers, however, it's posts like this that remind me that this is and has to be a collaborative profession. Nobody can do it all by himself/herself. The most skilled surgeons still consult with one another on what's the "best practice"! Why wouldn't educators do the same? Keep up the great work pal!

    Thanks for posting,
    Cory

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  10. After a 33 year career in the classroom, I work with a (nonprofit) group of educators to help get decision-making and problem solving "best practices" to school leaders and kids. We focus on proven strategies that help administrators (and kids) ask the right questions. It is so true that you should not have all the answers...I think administrators often "jump" to answers just to have one! Meaningful collaboration and transparency are key! Check out our leadership blog at http://blog.tregoed.org/. The same questions can be used by students to foster critical thinking (my blog for teachers is at http://scan-werecriticaltothinking.blogspot.com/).

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  11. Well said, Tom. More answers come from conversation than anywhere else for me. If we only choose to converse at a specific time and place and in a specific manner we lose out on "stumbling upon" answers that happen when we are constantly connected to great people trying amazing things in their schools..that is why Twitter is so important to growing our schools. Really enjoyed the post!

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  12. I'm so with Leah...it must be a first year thing...hoping year two is less answer-demanding!

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