I came across the quote above by Dr. Marcus Jackson the other day and it really resonated with me because it made me reflect on my day to day presence in the building and the interactions that I have with students and staff. I then began to think about how this not only relates to me, but also to everyone else who works in an organization. Yes, as a principal, I am directly responsible for my building's culture, but that responsibility also falls on the shoulders of others because, after all, there is "no "I" in team." I then began to ponder what schools would be like if everyone took on the mentality that they own a piece of the culture and how their actions impact others on a daily basis. Needless to say, I was in my head pretty deeply at this point, but it was really satisfying to think about all the possibilities that could take place in schools if leaders/adults would just stop for a moment to engage in the reflection process of how they are contributing to a positive workplace culture.
I have made the contention before that schools get it wrong when they focus first on student behavior and accountability, when in fact, the process needs to start with the adults. After all, students model the behaviors of the adults in their lives, so if they are witnessing negativity, badmouthing, complaining, and other behaviors from the adults in their lives, they are bound to mimic them. Obviously, we can't control other people's behaviors, but we can certainly choose how we will behave so that we aren't a contributing factor to behaviors we don't want our students to exhibit. We must understand that we can't expect to hold our students accountable if we as leaders and adults aren't held to the same standards. When I share this thought with people, I often get the response that it's not the same because we are adults and they are students, but I would argue that it is exactly the same.
Case in point, the issue of cell phones and other electronic devices. This is an issue in schools across the country. Students are constantly looking at their phone, have one ear bud in and you don't know if they are listening to you or not, they are creating Tik Tok videos in class, they record others without permission, and they sometimes spread rumors via text or on social media. When these things happen, they can have a major impact on teaching and learning. Schools go to a variety of different lengths to curb cell phone issues and some take extreme measures like THIS school in Missouri. We can preach the value of not having cell phones or other technology out when instruction is going on until we are blue in the face, but until we realize that adults are sometimes doing the exact same thing as the students are, our lectures to kids are going to fall on deaf ears. Take a moment and ask yourself how many times you have checked your phone or smartwatch while you were at school, how many times you were engaging in texts with colleagues when the principal's meeting was extremely boring, or how many times you were checking social media during the staff meeting. This isn't meant to call anyone out, but rather, it's a lesson to check ourselves and our accountability before we try to impose the same on our students. Our kids are wicked smart and they watch us. If we cut corners and get away with things, they are going to do the same and expect the same treatment. Until we all realize that EVERYONE, adults and students, has extenuating circumstances or reasons that contribute to cell phone usage, we aren't going to make any headway with the issue. While the cell phone issue is far more complex than the aforementioned situations, it is one example of how we each play a role in the culture of the building and that the responsibility doesn't fall squarely on the shoulders of one person.
The call to action is simple. Know your role and do your absolute best to live up to it on a daily basis. If you fall short, admit it and work to improve it. Don't try to impose mandates on others that you wouldn't follow yourself or else it comes across as hollow and insincere. We need to embrace our individual roles in our organization and accept that what we model, we become. Don't expect others to get on board with you until you actually try to live out what you preach.
#OwnYourEpic #Connect
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