Changing Assumptions

In your journal, either reflect on how this went if you tried it OR... write about which assumption might be the most difficult for people in your context to tackle.

As it is summer, I was not able to complete the activity with my colleagues.  I imagine most of my peers are in the same boat.  In looking through the Framework of Assumptions, however, I think that the most difficult for my colleagues would be:

All teachers are potential leaders <------> Some teachers are potential leaders

In my context, there is a lot of tension right now about leadership roles.  In the past 48 months all of the leadership positions have been affected in one way or another.  We hired a new director, switched from 3 assistant principals to one principal and two assistant principals, and we are moving from traditional team leader positions to Learning Community Leaders who will have leadership and coaching responsibilities built into our workday.  

With all this change have come many conversations around leadership.  When the LCL positions were announced, there were several people who were concerned that we were "limiting teacher leadership opportunities."  This clearly echoes the belief that only some teachers are leaders - and those people are chosen  by administration.

The reality of the school is very different from the perception of many.  Teachers at our school lead in far more ways than in past schools I've taught at.  Teachers at our school are  coaching, are on committees, chair committees, lead workshops and trainings, present at conferences, lead faculty meetings, and more. But for many, if it doesn't say "leader" after their title, they don't consider it teacher leadership.

It seems like it would be a simple shift for people to realize that they really are being leaders.  Surely all you would have to do is point out what people are doing and they will see it.  But it has been my experience that people's perceptions are much harder to change than that.  I think what people are viewing as leadership is when someone is perceived to be "on the inside" or "in the know".  The distance perceived between leaders and teachers is sort of an "us and them" mentality similar to workers and bosses in union situations.  This is not a good mental place for a school to be in, and I hope that part of my position will lead to a change in the perception, at least in my small corner of the school.