What drives us each day to do what we do? If you are an educator, no matter the role, your passion is children. I've never heard an educator say they got into the profession for the money, never. Educators are drawn to the profession for personal reasons. Either a teacher or some experience at school positively or negatively impacted their lives or someone they love. Ask any educator why they are in the profession, and they will describe a very personal story that made them pivot to be an educator. At the end of that personal journey, we all realize that children are the reason we educate.
That's the North Star.
That's the reason you get up every day and educate students. It is a never-ending journey that can be exhausting and unfortunately, the path to the North Star is blurred with all of the additional tasks and "red tape" in the education profession...but that's for another discussion.
Students are the North Star. Everything that we do is about reaching that North Star. It's what guides us in the decisions that we make, and how we engage with stakeholders. Any decision made without the consideration of the North Star is the wrong decision. The path we take toward the North Star will be different based on a variety of factors that include where students, staff, and stakeholders are along that road. The nature of urban education almost guarantees there will be resistance at almost every single turn on that path to the North Star. School leaders, including principals, assistant principals, deans, teacher leaders, and instructional coaches are already overwhelmed with all of the things that need to be juggled each day and this creates a blurred path but there is a path of least resistance.
What does that mean? That means that school leaders not only need to consistently remind staff about the North Star in words but must put systems in place that honor the work of staff on that path. The demands of the district will ALWAYS be there but as a leader, you decide what you want the staff to focus on. Deciding the how requires school leaders to think about what actions, systems and messaging will be conveyed consistently. When school leaders protect staff from the noise that distracts them from the path of the North Star, the work is honored by all stakeholders...including the district and the work will build momentum.
Follow that North Star my fellow educators!
Dr. D
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