School Leaders: The Superheroes
Among Us
They are in the school hallways, the classrooms and the teacher's hub. They swoop into our lives and leave us awed and grateful. When there is injustice, they are there. When there are insurmountable challenges, they are there. They are the Superhero leaders among us. They have always existed, but as teachers, we might not always notice them because they don't wear capes and masks. Instead they use the powers they have for the good of the school community.
Teleporting
A super-empowered school leader has the ability to teleport so that she can be in multiple places at once. I know that it is often impossible to find any time in the day to complete the in-office tasks. This makes it unrealistic to be out in the classrooms, but time needs to be built in. I spoke with a director of a charter school in Massachusetts last year. He said that the way he stayed connected was through his set aside morning time. He blocked one hour of time each day to be out in the classrooms. He refused to take meetings at that time, and he made it sacred. There has to be value placed on being visible in multiple places, not only to show staff support, but also as way to keep a grounded handle on the happenings in the school.
As a teacher, I get excited about my projects to the point that they consume me. I want to talk about them with colleagues and then I get more excited as my students breathe life into them. Students thrive off of feedback and recognition for their work. Teachers feel the same way. No one should feel like they work in isolation or that their students' work goes unrecognized. A large part of our culture at High Tech High depends on staff and students supporting each other. There is too much work to handle alone, and everything is better with more people involved. One thing that keeps us connected is knowing what other teams and grade levels are working on.
Last year, before I began my first project on the Alchemist, Stacey Lopaz, my school director, set up a tuning for me with 3 other teachers. After the project was launched, she was able to come in and sit with some students during a writing lesson. She simply joined in as a member of the class. I know that as a school leader there is a constant demand for time and the pressure to feel connected to all of the classrooms and exhibitions and other events. I felt like my director was involved in my classroom. The true superhero leader makes being in multiple places no matter the demand, look easy. It is with this ease that they are able to keep an entire school feeling connected.
Mind Reading
The super-empowered school leader has a developed skill to be able to decipher actions, vague statements and intonation to actually read minds of students, parents and even other staff members. I am often amazed at the information that comes out of our Dean's office. She functions as not only a disciplinarian, but also as a counselor, the provider of a calm place or a simply a sounding board. Somehow she is able to gauge when someone walks through her door what their needs are going to be. Part of this mind-reading skills involves clearing your own mind as a leader and tuning in completely to someone else to be able to support them in whatever capacity they need at that time.
I have watched our Dean spend an entire day trying to get to the bottom of an incident among students. Recently, a Senior student, had been accused by a fellow classmate of harassing her. They had at some point dated so it wasn't clear what the entire story was. Shani, our Dean, called him in to assess the situation. She stayed with the student in her office for 3 hours. In that time, she knew the right questions to ask to find out what was at the heart of the problem. The student told her that he felt like he put up a light and positive front to everyone at school. In reality he felt like he wasn't living up to anyone's expectations. Often he felt depressed. He admitted he had made negative comments towards his ex-girlfriend, but he also discussed his parents constant fighting at home, and his dad recently coming out of the closet to his mom. He talked about his fears for what would happen after senior year, and he also talked about wanting to change. The change with this Senior after their conversation was immediately noticeable.
Shani usually finds ways to work herself into the minds and hearts of the students so eventually they come clean or simply unload emotions. Sometimes that involves switching questioning tactics mid-conversation or knowing when to stop asking questions and just listen. A superpower school leader is able to mind read a situation with students, parents or other teachers so that she knows the best course to take.
Secret Identity
Part of being an effective super-empowered school leader involves keeping your cool on the surface, even if a crisis just occurred. If you watch Superman, he doesn't panic when Metropolis is attacked. He quickly changes into his secret identity and calmly deals with the crisis. A school leader selflessly works behind the scenes and deals with the uncomfortable and challenging situations for the betterment of the school. They transform into another person, whose difficult work can often go undetected. It often involves dealing with a crisis in a way that does not panic their staff. It definitely involves working long hours, but appearing calm when asked, 'How are things?' A superpower school leader however doesn't ask for recognition, and they often will shrug it off when it is given.
I asked my current director what is one of the most difficult crises that she has had to deal with. She said that one of the hardest parts of her job is having to make and deliver a decision to let a teacher go when they are not a great fit for the school. She said it is hardest when the person is one who has tried to make changes, and is well-intentioned. Delivering this news to a person that you have hung out with socially as well involves putting on a brave mask and having the extremely difficult conversation. However, the situation has to be handled in a way that the staff or students won't panic. Although the situation is extremely taxing for the leader, she knows ultimately that it is in the best interest of the greater school community.
Justice League's Moral Compass
Similar to the outcome of having a secret identity, a superhero lives by a true moral compass that involves always doing what is right for the students. This can often be in direct opposition to what a parent might feel is right for their student. In an extremely difficult situation, it is asking one ultimate question, which is, “What is best for kids?”
This year, our school dealt with a situation in which a student stole an answer key to a math test. When he was caught, he was instantly remorseful. However, the difficult part of the situation is that this student had gotten in trouble for multiple other things all 4 years at High Tech High. He was on behavior contracts as well as academic contracts. He had been given multiple second-chances. When you look at his home life though, a lot of his impulsive decisions made sense. He lived with only his mother who was verbally abusive and an alcoholic. He had been kicked out of the house on different occasions and was sleeping on different people's couches. In the independent meetings with the school leaders and his teachers, we kept coming back to the question of, “What is best for this student and all of the students who know him and his history in class?” The precedent being set had been, this student felt he could get away with anything he wanted. Other classmates were frustrated and had shared that. I felt, more importantly, we were doing a disservice to the student by teaching him that there were no real consequences for all of the violations he had. Together with the school leaders, we worked out a plan to hopefully address what was best for all the students. We decided he would remain a student at High Tech High, but he would do his work off campus. He enrolled in two of his core classes at a community college, works on two of his classes independently, and is required to do an internship at a high needs elementary school. After this decision was made, his mother called and left a very disparaging message for our school director. However, what protected our Director from feeling any guilt was that she knew, using her moral compass, that we made the best decision possible to benefit all students involved.
Not Always Enough
Even superheroes, sometimes want more powers. I asked two school directors if they were able to have only one superpower as a Director what would it be. They both settled on the ability to stop time. Their current days are sent trying to prioritize what they can get accomplished in one day. What often gets pushed aside is the ability to balance in some personal time. As the two school leaders indulged their fantasy, they discussed how they would be able to go to the gym, and be home with their family when the school day was over. Both of these leaders were already superheroes as far as what they take on during the day. However, even the greatest superheroes among us, might still want a little more.
They are in the school hallways, the classrooms and the teacher's hub. They swoop into our lives and leave us awed and grateful. When there is injustice, they are there. When there are insurmountable challenges, they are there. They are the Superhero leaders among us. They have always existed, but as teachers, we might not always notice them because they don't wear capes and masks. Instead they use the powers they have for the good of the school community.
Teleporting
A super-empowered school leader has the ability to teleport so that she can be in multiple places at once. I know that it is often impossible to find any time in the day to complete the in-office tasks. This makes it unrealistic to be out in the classrooms, but time needs to be built in. I spoke with a director of a charter school in Massachusetts last year. He said that the way he stayed connected was through his set aside morning time. He blocked one hour of time each day to be out in the classrooms. He refused to take meetings at that time, and he made it sacred. There has to be value placed on being visible in multiple places, not only to show staff support, but also as way to keep a grounded handle on the happenings in the school.
As a teacher, I get excited about my projects to the point that they consume me. I want to talk about them with colleagues and then I get more excited as my students breathe life into them. Students thrive off of feedback and recognition for their work. Teachers feel the same way. No one should feel like they work in isolation or that their students' work goes unrecognized. A large part of our culture at High Tech High depends on staff and students supporting each other. There is too much work to handle alone, and everything is better with more people involved. One thing that keeps us connected is knowing what other teams and grade levels are working on.
Last year, before I began my first project on the Alchemist, Stacey Lopaz, my school director, set up a tuning for me with 3 other teachers. After the project was launched, she was able to come in and sit with some students during a writing lesson. She simply joined in as a member of the class. I know that as a school leader there is a constant demand for time and the pressure to feel connected to all of the classrooms and exhibitions and other events. I felt like my director was involved in my classroom. The true superhero leader makes being in multiple places no matter the demand, look easy. It is with this ease that they are able to keep an entire school feeling connected.
Mind Reading
The super-empowered school leader has a developed skill to be able to decipher actions, vague statements and intonation to actually read minds of students, parents and even other staff members. I am often amazed at the information that comes out of our Dean's office. She functions as not only a disciplinarian, but also as a counselor, the provider of a calm place or a simply a sounding board. Somehow she is able to gauge when someone walks through her door what their needs are going to be. Part of this mind-reading skills involves clearing your own mind as a leader and tuning in completely to someone else to be able to support them in whatever capacity they need at that time.
I have watched our Dean spend an entire day trying to get to the bottom of an incident among students. Recently, a Senior student, had been accused by a fellow classmate of harassing her. They had at some point dated so it wasn't clear what the entire story was. Shani, our Dean, called him in to assess the situation. She stayed with the student in her office for 3 hours. In that time, she knew the right questions to ask to find out what was at the heart of the problem. The student told her that he felt like he put up a light and positive front to everyone at school. In reality he felt like he wasn't living up to anyone's expectations. Often he felt depressed. He admitted he had made negative comments towards his ex-girlfriend, but he also discussed his parents constant fighting at home, and his dad recently coming out of the closet to his mom. He talked about his fears for what would happen after senior year, and he also talked about wanting to change. The change with this Senior after their conversation was immediately noticeable.
Shani usually finds ways to work herself into the minds and hearts of the students so eventually they come clean or simply unload emotions. Sometimes that involves switching questioning tactics mid-conversation or knowing when to stop asking questions and just listen. A superpower school leader is able to mind read a situation with students, parents or other teachers so that she knows the best course to take.
Secret Identity
Part of being an effective super-empowered school leader involves keeping your cool on the surface, even if a crisis just occurred. If you watch Superman, he doesn't panic when Metropolis is attacked. He quickly changes into his secret identity and calmly deals with the crisis. A school leader selflessly works behind the scenes and deals with the uncomfortable and challenging situations for the betterment of the school. They transform into another person, whose difficult work can often go undetected. It often involves dealing with a crisis in a way that does not panic their staff. It definitely involves working long hours, but appearing calm when asked, 'How are things?' A superpower school leader however doesn't ask for recognition, and they often will shrug it off when it is given.
I asked my current director what is one of the most difficult crises that she has had to deal with. She said that one of the hardest parts of her job is having to make and deliver a decision to let a teacher go when they are not a great fit for the school. She said it is hardest when the person is one who has tried to make changes, and is well-intentioned. Delivering this news to a person that you have hung out with socially as well involves putting on a brave mask and having the extremely difficult conversation. However, the situation has to be handled in a way that the staff or students won't panic. Although the situation is extremely taxing for the leader, she knows ultimately that it is in the best interest of the greater school community.
Justice League's Moral Compass
Similar to the outcome of having a secret identity, a superhero lives by a true moral compass that involves always doing what is right for the students. This can often be in direct opposition to what a parent might feel is right for their student. In an extremely difficult situation, it is asking one ultimate question, which is, “What is best for kids?”
This year, our school dealt with a situation in which a student stole an answer key to a math test. When he was caught, he was instantly remorseful. However, the difficult part of the situation is that this student had gotten in trouble for multiple other things all 4 years at High Tech High. He was on behavior contracts as well as academic contracts. He had been given multiple second-chances. When you look at his home life though, a lot of his impulsive decisions made sense. He lived with only his mother who was verbally abusive and an alcoholic. He had been kicked out of the house on different occasions and was sleeping on different people's couches. In the independent meetings with the school leaders and his teachers, we kept coming back to the question of, “What is best for this student and all of the students who know him and his history in class?” The precedent being set had been, this student felt he could get away with anything he wanted. Other classmates were frustrated and had shared that. I felt, more importantly, we were doing a disservice to the student by teaching him that there were no real consequences for all of the violations he had. Together with the school leaders, we worked out a plan to hopefully address what was best for all the students. We decided he would remain a student at High Tech High, but he would do his work off campus. He enrolled in two of his core classes at a community college, works on two of his classes independently, and is required to do an internship at a high needs elementary school. After this decision was made, his mother called and left a very disparaging message for our school director. However, what protected our Director from feeling any guilt was that she knew, using her moral compass, that we made the best decision possible to benefit all students involved.
Not Always Enough
Even superheroes, sometimes want more powers. I asked two school directors if they were able to have only one superpower as a Director what would it be. They both settled on the ability to stop time. Their current days are sent trying to prioritize what they can get accomplished in one day. What often gets pushed aside is the ability to balance in some personal time. As the two school leaders indulged their fantasy, they discussed how they would be able to go to the gym, and be home with their family when the school day was over. Both of these leaders were already superheroes as far as what they take on during the day. However, even the greatest superheroes among us, might still want a little more.