Who am I as a leader?

As a teacher, I am a leader. I lead children as they discover an education that hopefully is engaging, inspiring, and teaches them new information and skills that they are passionate about. I do not see a leader as someone who, in the stereotypical version, stands before a group tells them what to do and then oversees their progress. Pointing out mistakes and seldom acknowledging success. I have seen the model in the past, mostly in businesses I have worked in, thankfully not school and I want no part in it.

When I had the opportunity to be a "boss," early in my career, I was quite nervous. I was the director of a well established arts organization, with a staff to hire, curriculum to write, a budget to balance, parents to please and children to educate. I really wanted to lead my staff in a way that supported their work with kids, (its hard, the pay is not much, and the parents are..well..high maintenance). I needed to lead them well, become someone they could depend on, when they had question, problems, and I needed to have the answers or the ability to get the answers they needed quickly. I tried to show them that I was always prepared, so they would trust me, people don't like a disorganized leader. I would check-in on their classroom, what are they teaching, are they following curriculum, if not why? Perhaps they had a good idea that I needed to hear, as to why they changed a lesson. If so, a one-on-one meeting was a good way to help that person feel valued and acknowledged that I really wanted to hear what they had to say. They were all smart and qualified people, if they weren't it's my fault, I hired them! I would try to give personal but not "fake" feedback. People can tell when you are just saying something nice a mile away, find something authentic that they are doing well and complement them on it, they'll do more of it. I also tried to be a place to "vent," better to me in my office than in-font of a parent or a kid. We are all human, we have bad days. Get it out! I found that my best moments as "boss/leader" were small acts of kindness, (bringing a teacher a cup of coffee, just because) and extreme organization when it came to student enrollment, teacher rosters, and curriculum. I was more confident as a leader when I felt organized and in control, then I could be there to support my colleagues.

I loved my position as director and held it for three years, up until my pregnancy with my son. It was a wonderful experience and was instrumental in shaping the teacher I am today.