feature story
SHIFTING
our lens
A school leader’s power comes from developing the magic in others. BY MARIA GOODMAN AND MIKE JANATOVICH OAESA PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE PRESENTERS
A
s educational leaders, we can feel it. It is that feeling when we walk into a building and it is empty. There is an echo with each step, and the sound of dripping water in a nearby restroom reverberates throughout the hallways. As we navigate the halls, we realize that we are just in a building. No matter what your physical building may look like, a building alone has no magic. So where does the magic come from? As building leaders, some feel that we need to “work our magic” in order to make all of the wonderful things take place in our schools. As we reflect, we realize it has nothing to do with our personal magic that makes our school magical. It is the magic that the staff and students pump into our empty building that is the catalyst for all great things. THE MAGIC OF THE STUDENTS Students come flooding into the school with smiles on their faces, crisp new clothes, and backpacks filled with all sorts of supplies. It becomes crystal clear that children are excited to step foot into another year filled with learning and growth. However, as building leaders, we quickly refocus our attention once again on the important work of helping our young children discover that learning is all around and not just within the walls of our school building. We create an environment that fosters
30
principal navigator
leadership, responsibility, and personal awareness that learning is in the hands of the child and not just something that happens to them when they enter school. Our students are an integral part of the school puzzle that cannot be complete until they enter the building. They enter the classrooms of our many teachers and into the hands of remarkable adults that comprise our school staff. We help students thrive in our learning environments by providing them a culture of collaboration, rich dialogue, and problem-solving. This space is safe to make mistakes, celebrate progress, and learn by doing. They quickly realize that the staff all around are facilitators of the learning path that the children are designing throughout each passing day and week. THE MAGIC OF THE STAFF While we understand that kids come first and foremost, as leaders we must be focused on the fact that our most valuable resource in education is the staff that works with our kids on a daily basis. These educators inspire, motivate, create, challenge, love, and support our students with each interaction. When we recognize this as leaders, we can shift the magic away from us and onto one of the many treasures in our buildings. The collective magic of a school’s staff is much more powerful
