So where do I start? I'm going to try & keep this short...
'I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has been.' - Wayne Gretzky.
I'm not an Ice Hockey fan, but I live by this quote & really try to lead the implementation of new & engaging technology & pedagogy in my own (& my team's) practice. At a personal & faculty level I think & feel like I'm doing an awesome job... & pretty certain my team feels likewise.
But the spanner in the works.... Can you guess it?
As Head Teacher, I'm essentially in middle management & I'm yet to find the perfect balance between leading innovation, improvement & change (where the puck is going to be) VS working with the school's traditional views on things like technology & pedagogy (where the puck used to be).
I get many pats on the back & words of encouraging advice, yet cop a lot of knocks along the way. So what do I do?
My thoughts are to keep doing what I'm doing & try to lead change by rocking the boat just enough to keep it from sinking (whilst zooming through the waves ahead of the pack ; ) ) as I feel this is the most effective means of 'LIICing' (Leading Innovation Improvement & Change).
The main chip from above that I'm often presented with is, "You need to work with the team." To which my response is, " As a team member, I feel it's my role to ensure my team is performing at it's peak, so if there's a better way of doing things, I'll find a way to introduce it to the team & make our team better!"
I'm always pursuing 'exponential perfection', & just like Superman, I can deflect bullets. ; )
E=R
