#30DaysofLearning Day 4 - Why Am I Still Asking Why?

I was supposed to write last night, but man I was exhausted.  This has been a particularly taxing week for me.  Being a Principal is a tough job, folks.  It drains you.  You are always wanting to do what's right for young people.  And you want to do what's right for their families, and for your teachers, and for your support staff, and for your larger District and School System colleagues, and the list goes on...

Yesterday, I was thinking about why certain issues were being observed.  "Why?" is an important question to ask. It can be used to guide a vision and provide a frame for your work, a connection to your core values that drives you forward in the toughest of times. 

Yesterday, though, I found "Why?" to be a distraction.  I needed to start finding out who was ready to change so that young people could have the safe learning space they needed to become their best person.  I started asking other questions:

• Who is ready for change?  (build a tribe, both students and staff)
• Who already has ideas about how things can be better?  (brainstorm, with students and staff)
• What do you think could be a good first step for immediate improvement?  (guess what goes here?  that's right, as students and staff)

It's one thing to see an area that needs some growth and/or improvement.  But we are not in this work alone.  We need the help and support of those we lead on staff, and the help and support of those we lead in learning. 

We are in this together, friends. 

All voices to the table. 
All ideas on the board. 
All possibilities to be considered.