Discovering the Obvious - Communication as a foundation for strong relationships

The last two weeks have been a whirlwind for me as I am beginning to settle into the role of principal.  One of best experiences so far has been this past week as I have hosted three "New Principal Meet & Greet" sessions with staff.  During these sessions, the teachers have been the leaders, they determined the direction of our conversation, they found their voice, and were empowered to share with me the critical information I need to effectively lead.  They shared their excitement, their past frustrations, and their concerns going forward.  I believe that one of the outcomes from these meetings will an understanding I truly do want our teachers to have a voice.

The idea of giving students a voice in education is a great idea that is gaining traction in our schools today.  So, why isn't that we hear just as much clamor about 'Teacher Voice'?  Teachers are where the rubber meets the road and it is imperative to make sure there is a place at the table for the teacher voice as we navigate the changing landscape of education.  One of my core values, and one of my biggest goals this year, is to build strong relationships with students, teachers, and stakeholders founded on honest & authentic communication.  Nothing is revolutionary about student voice, nothing is revolutionary about stakeholder voice, but far too often we don't consider the teacher voice.  

I am realizing the older I get, the less I know (my wife would probably agree @AlisaFavinger).  The longer I work in education, the more I realize that I don't have the answers to our challenges or our innovations.  This week, the teacher conversations that I have been part of proved that point time and again.  I was amazed to witness the  evolution of our teachers voice in our meet & greet sessions.  What started as nervous apprehension quickly grew into open expression of concern and then morphed into expression of their ideas.  Time & again I was impressed with the thought they have given to the challenges they spoke of and to the questions they posed to me.  Our teachers are one of our greatest resources in finding solutions in our schools.  If we want to build a culture in our schools where everyone feels valued, then we must begin with a foundation of communication and value all the perspectives offered. 

Last night, I came across a video on Facebook by deception artist Rick Lax who produces magic & optical illusion videos.  The video was a take on our current political dichotomy encouraging us to listen to both sides. It is a great video regardless of your political affiliation and can be viewed here: https://www.facebook.com/DeceptionExpert/videos/577521325763058/  The challenge at the end of video urges us to look beyond ourselves for the information we need to move forward.  It was a great reminder of a quote I have seen credited to George Patton, 'If everyone is thinking alike, then someone isn't thinking'.  As a leader I have responsibility to ensure our teachers are empowered to share their thoughts, and especially if those thoughts are different than mine.