Are you always able to achieve the goals you set for yourself? Me neither. Its not because of a lack of effort, I don't think, but more a lack of long-term focus.
I was sitting in church and our Youth Pastor was giving the sermon today. It is here that something he said struck me to my very core. He said "When we veer off course by just a few degrees, it doesn't appear to be a big deal in the short term. But as we get further and further away from our goal the distances become greater and greater."
This is something I definitely need to be aware of in my faith, but it also hit me because of my career. While reading Howard Gardner's "Five Minds of the Future" one of the things he mentions is his moral duty to his profession to do the absolute best job he is capable of doing. What I take of him to be meaning is that his ability to perform at a high standard is not just what he expects from others in his field, but also of himself every day.
There are a lot of times we see things happen, whether it is with the students we teach or the peers we work with, we know is not proper in our line of work. 
For some reason we don't pick up one end of the stick because we will then have to carry the other end as well. The problem with that is we have now given that person permission to continue doing what we plainly saw them doing wrong. Is that Okay? Part of integrity is not just what we do when no one is looking, but also what we allow ourselves and others to do when we veer off course. It is not the small changes in angle that lead us away from being Great, I believe it is the lack of course corrections. By holding ourselves and the people around us accountable we get to keep our integrity in tact and continue our quest of moving from Good to Great!
For some reason we don't pick up one end of the stick because we will then have to carry the other end as well. The problem with that is we have now given that person permission to continue doing what we plainly saw them doing wrong. Is that Okay? Part of integrity is not just what we do when no one is looking, but also what we allow ourselves and others to do when we veer off course. It is not the small changes in angle that lead us away from being Great, I believe it is the lack of course corrections. By holding ourselves and the people around us accountable we get to keep our integrity in tact and continue our quest of moving from Good to Great!
10 comments:
@ Ed
Great post. As principals and administrators how can we systematize being able to know when we are off course? Taking criticism no matter how constructive is always difficult. What are effective ways to allow others to guide us to where we need to be.
And then again if the leader can't do this and be open to correction how can we expect it from our teachers and staff?
Ed,
The slip or movement away from the goal can be so subtle that sometimes it's not noticed until some distance is created. Then it becomes the work to get back on goal and stay focused. This defines my life as a teacher, principal, mom and spouse. Thoughtful post...and I will be pondering it this week!
excellent post - lack of "course correction" or rather ability to absorb, refine correction so one can stay on course - leading to further straying from goal - very well said - thanks for making me think!!!
Important reminders....not only for the work we do in the field, but in our ongoing quest to be decent people. I know that I often overlook the mis-steps of others because I am afraid to anger them or to be perceived as sanctimonious in some way. It takes courage to speak up. It also takes courage to ask for guidance and feedback from others. Sometimes, I wonder if courage is what we all need most in the end. Interesting things to consider here. I came this way via Twitter, and I'm glad that I did. Adding to my feed.....
Ed,
As one who has hiked and used a compass a lot, I identify with the concepts very well. Like you, I felt it was important relating to my spiritual life. I also think it is important to daily review my lesson content and presentation style to ensure I am not veering off the course I should be on. Now my challenge will be to help my students understand this concept and apply it to their lives.
I am unsure how to help an administrator understand this concept. IMHO this is either something the administrator already understands or must learn by experience. I've had several administrators who grasped this concept well and used leading questions to guide me and other teachers to help us stay the course.
Thoughtful and fluidly composed. Your words effortlessly worked into my mind to linger as I reflect upon my interactions with others as well as the choices made as to the direction to walk purposefully or at times roam in exploration or perhaps amble along until direction is discerned.
You've made some excellent points. With all the choices each of us makes daily, it is so easy to lose our focus. While Web 2.0 is a useful tool, it also can be a distraction that tempts me to lose my focus. This does not apply just to teachers.
Ed,
This post is a great reminder to stay the course and do the right work. It is easy to ignore the "minor" things, but it is important to remember how they build up and change the direction we move.
Thanks for this post, reading it-and rereading it-helps me get back on the right track.
For the last few years my goal has been to put one foot in front of the other. Not lofty, but professionally that was about all I could muster up because of personal junk. Don't get me wrong, I did some great things, but I just stumbled into them. I didn't set any goals for myself as a teacher.
I feel like this year has been so life-changing for me and I am beginning to set goals for myself. It feels so great. I have always been goal oriented and have fulfilled so many personal goals, but I felt like those needed to take precedence over my professional ones. So now I have goals, grad school, and using my PLN, and reflective teaching, to be an amazing educator. I would love to get the opportunity to speak at conferences, to feel that what I have to say someone would want to hear.
So, Ed, I put my goals here...you are now my witness. I'm ready to reach for them and even higher.
Excellent blog post! I came across this in my search to see what administrators are doing on the Internet, and I am glad to see a proud and eclectic group collaborating online. Keep up the great work, I'll be following along as I go through my Administrative journey...
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