Problems Solvers & Dreamers

Most school administrators by nature are "problem solvers". On a daily basis, we navigate any number of "problems", ranging from the the predictable, to the extreme. And rather than simply being reactive, we do our best to look ahead, to use our judgement and experience to proactively anticipate and respond to possible challenges or obstacles that might otherwise negatively impact our school communities. It's a necessary and valuable skill set. But at the same time, it's a mindset that's difficult to shake at times.

This past week, I had an opportunity to meet with colleagues to engage in some "big picture" conversations, exploring what the future of education might look like for our students- everything from a redesigned curriculum, to reimagining the physical and digital spaces in which that learning will occur. 

But as we engaged in this dialogue, a pattern began to emerge. One person would propose an idea, and then another would systematically list the possible obstacles and challenges. We struggled to shake that deficit based mindset. And really, it's not surprising, because to some extent this is what we're required to do on a daily basis... We're expected to anticipate and respond to challenges. We are the "problem solvers". But as my friend, principal Rob Laing reminded us, we're also the "blue sky" people, the dreamers. 

I'm not suggesting that we spend our days with our heads in the clouds, oblivious to the very real challenges that impact our school communities. Sometimes our students need to us to be the "problem solvers".

But sometimes they just need us to DREAM BIG...