Leadership and Development Trainer
In any entity, culture starts at the top and permeates the entire organization. As an administrator, your leadership, your enthusiasm, and your commitment to personal positivity can create a culture that students and staff want to be a part of and a school climate that people enjoy coming to. But it doesn’t just happen – it needs to be intentional. That’s where you come in.
Stop chopping and sharpen the ax.
In his book, A Place Called School, John Goodlad said that kids may not remember what they were taught, but they will remember how they were treated. With that in mind, it is our purpose here to encourage you to include motivational programs in your staff development scheme. Teaching is a tough job. It’s hard work and can be emotionally draining. That is why it is so important for you as an educational leader to do something every day to nourish that precious mind of yours and to encourage your staff to do the same. Provide them with tools to inspire themselves every day. Soon those daily doses of inspiration manifest themselves in a high degree of motivation and enthusiasm. It is not rocket science to conclude that an inspired and motivated teacher creates an inspired and motivated classroom, and an inspired and motivated classroom enhances academic success.
Don’t be too busy
Businesses, sales organizations, non-profit entities, and many times educational entities all tout the importance of positive attitudes and “people skills,” but when asked how they are training them, they say that they are too busy right now.
“We’re getting a new software program.”
“We’re hiring some new employees in the next six months.”
“We’re waiting until after the holidays.”
“We need to focus on raising our test scores.”
There are a lot of reasons for not setting aside time for “motivational” programming. But there is also a good reason for doing so. It will increase your chances for success in raising test scores and success in all other academic endeavors.
Good Wolf -Bad Wolf
A little girl queried, “Daddy, sometimes I have positive thoughts going through my mind and at other times my thoughts are so negative. Why is that?” The father explained, “Well, on one shoulder you have a good wolf who is giving you positive ideas, and on the other shoulder is a bad wolf who is feeding you all sorts of the negative stuff. They constantly fight with each other.” The little girl asked, “Which one is going to win?” The father replied, “It all depends on which one you feed.”
Make sure that your leadership is feeding the good wolves of your administrative team and staff. Make sure you’re scheduling time for inspirational staff development programming. Inspire your administrators to inspire your staff to inspire your students. Start the year with a motivational kickoff. Schedule a mid-year battery charger. End the year on a high note that encourages maximum enjoyment of the summer leisure. And remember to recharge your own battery as you reflect on the success of the past year and anticipate an exciting and rewarding 2024-2025.
You are a leader, and you deserve to feel good about yourself. Have a great summer.
Denny Smith is a former teacher and coach, motivational speaker, and author committed to making our schools and communities safe and welcoming for all people. Excerpts from his latest books, Emotional Intelligence 101 and Coaches Make the Difference,” can be previewed at http://www.dennysmith.com
