Doubt Creeping In

Leading in a time of a pandemic is hard! While I don't have any experience leading during this type of crisis, I can call on experiences from my past that help me navigate these uncharted waters. Keeping this in mind, I would be remiss if I didn't mention that I suffer from educational second guessing and doubt on a daily basis. I am constantly questioning myself about whether or not I am doing enough, if I am making appropriate decisions, and if I am meeting the needs of the people I am charged to lead. The doubt creeps in and I then spend hours ruminating on it. In the end, what I am left with is a feeling of exhaustion, worry, and self-doubt in my own abilities.

During this pandemic, I have noticed that I am not the only one who is struggling with this. Every time I am in a virtual meeting (there are a lot), I can see it on people's faces. They are anxious, worried, and sometimes terrified that they aren't living up to other peoples' expectations. In these moments, I strangely don't feel alone because I know that others are going through the same thing and I just want to put my arm around them or give them a fist bump and tell them that we are going to get through this together. It is times like these when I think of the Maya Angelou quote, "At the end of the day, people won't remember what you said or did, they will remember how you made them feel."

Now, more than ever, as educational leaders and as educators, we need to embrace Angelou's words and understand that our relationships with people will get us through this difficult time. Keeping this in mind, there are three things we can do to really help us overcome our self-doubt and give grace to not only ourselves, but the people (adults and students) that we lead.

RELAX! YOU MADE THE TEAM

A few year's back I wrote a blog on the anxiety that annual evaluations sometimes create for teachers. I think it is appropriate in this current situation as well. For those of us who work in a traditional education setting, our worlds were turned upside down in a matter of days and we became virtual teachers pretty much overnight. In talking with teachers, I get the sense from some that they fear losing their job because they aren't "doing virtual learning right." I would argue that NO ONE has virtual learning figured out in an all-encompassing way that is perfect, so the best we can hope for is to do our best and operate from the "Do No Harm" standpoint. 

"RELAX! You Made the Team" is a reference and acknowledgement that people are doing the best that they can with the circumstances they are currently going through. This may look different from one person to the next, but if you are doing your best to keep your lips above the water line during these uncertain times, I think you are doing pretty well.

TRUST

For educational leaders, now more than ever, it is important to trust the professional judgment of your teachers. They are on the front lines of this virtual learning and have a front row seat to the chaos that is unfolding before them. They know which kids are struggling and which kids are dealing with significant issues at home. At this point in time, teachers need even more grace, guidance, and support as they tackle this monumental task of educating kids. Be available for them to vent and share their concerns without passing judgment. They need you to lead.

For teachers, understand that leaders are doing the best that they can. Decisions have to be made and sometimes the "WHY" isn't always there because timeliness of decision making and communication is critical so people are informed. Trust that there is a reason behind the decision and that it was made in good faith even though you may not have the information right away. Good leaders will provide it to you eventually, but it may not be the priority at the given moment. In terms of students, the biggest thing that teachers can do right now for their kids is trust that they are doing the best they can and always err on the side of supporting them through this crisis. OUR STUDENTS NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER! Instead of focusing attention on grading, making sure we cover specific content, or that due dates are being followed, take a GIANT step backward and help our students with their social and emotional skills that will help them develop grit and resiliency. Remember, you already made the team, so you can spend some time doing this.

BREATHE & REFLECT

Typically, this time of year is always stressful because there are a lot of things going on. COVID-19 put a stop to A LOT of this, but for one reason or another, we are all pre-conditioned to continue running on the hamster wheel as if things were normal.  

I hate to break it to you, but we are not in our NORMAL routine, so let's do the unnatural thing and pause, breath, and reflect. There are positives that come out of a crisis if we choose to accept the challenge of looking at the bright side of things. Now is the time to really reflect on your current practices and whether they are effective or not. If we all go back to doing the same things we did before this pandemic without doing some soul searching and reflection, we will have thrown away a perfect opportunity to make meaningful and lasting change.