Day 49I seldom have the courage to stand alone. I recently read an opinion in the New York Times. I uncovered the article after one of my colleagues tweeted it out with a glowing endorsement. I read the article and I immediately disagreed with this colleague (we often have a different take on education issues) and especially, with the article's author.
What did I do? I wrote a blog post on the matter. (see post Opinion, Day 45) What didn't I do? I didn't comment on my colleagues post or even comment on this article in a tweet of my own. Time for a daily dose of metacognition. Why was my response to blog but not to tweet? What is going on in my head? Here are some possible reasons:
I did not have the courage to stand alone in my conviction though. I know that you cannot be an effective educational leader without this willingness to stick out your neck and take a stand regardless of who is standing behind you, if anyone. I am opinionated. I know that others value my opinions. I'd really like to find the courage to share my opinions in a professional way and not get so bogged down by the potential consequences of my share. This is just one example of a time when I did not have the courage to stand alone. I know I can figure out a way to be the dissenting opinion, be heard, be respected, and move on. Perhaps this is one area where some real practice will do me some good!
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Marie McManus BrighamA public school teacher who gets to wonder alongside fourth-graders. Archives
December 2018
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