We are doing a good job at my school, and sometimes sharing ideas for change and betterment makes people angry?
You're pushing us too hard, they think. Why can't you leave things alone, they wonder. They see new ideas as threats to who we are and what we do.
That's not how I see it. I think we're doing a wonderful job at my school--there's so much to be proud of, but as the world changes and evolves and more and better tools and research become available, I believe a natural stream of our daily endeavor needs to include thinking about and strategizing around how we can continually improve.
I see that improvement process as part of the overall job that includes knowing the best ways, implementing plans, assessing, revising and repeating that process again and again with colleagues always with student learning as the main focus.
I guess this process was born in me because as I child I always wanted it different--the way it stood in my life didn't match my ideals and dreams. I was frustrated early on with issues in my personal life and issues in our world. When I read about Anne Frank, I wondered how could we have let that happen, and when I read the death report each day during the Vietnam War, I felt the heavy weight of those lost lives and hungered for a peaceful world. Then as I learned about MLK's struggle, I couldn't imagine how people could ever have laws that segregate us because of our skin color, and when I saw my learning disabled brother struggle tremendously in school I knew it wasn't his fault, but he continually was punished for it.
Many events in my life gave me an early taste and hunger for making things better. So today when I look out at our world I see so much potential and promise, and I know that people can do amazing things when they focus and work together.
Hence, idea systems and streams that continue our growth and make us better should not be seen as a threat, but instead as a normal part of the professional work we do--a little for today and a little for tomorrow, the advice my father gave me most days of my life is a positive path to travel.
