Believe

Have you seen Ted Lasso on Apple TV+? A wonderful show that will make you laugh and bring a tear to your eye. It also contains many leadership thoughts as Coach Lasso works to bring his team together while also dealing with the realities of life. Early in the series, he posts a sign with one word: BELIEVE. The coach offers no speech to accompany the poster. He just wants it to hang in the locker room, leaving the viewer to infer. Does he want his players to BELIEVE in their abilities as a TEAM to win? Does he want his players to BELIEVE in his abilities as a coach? Or does he want his players to BELIEVE in something bigger than themselves? Perhaps the beauty lies in each player inferring their individual meanings of this one word.

As a principal, I worked to inspire my teachers to BELIEVE in their power to make a difference in children’s lives. With so much attention on test scores, I felt like teachers began to feel powerless in this environment. Also, some teachers are bogged down in things beyond their sphere of influence. I believed in my teacher’s power to grow; I believed in my teacher’s power to teach, and I believed in my students’ power to learn (growth mindset). With belief comes expectations. I firmly believe in the power of high expectations. Do you remember hearing about a study in which teachers were told she had “gifted” children in her class? Here is an article from NPR that references this study:

Teachers' Expectations Can Influence How Students Perform

It is imperative that we inspire teachers to BELIEVE in their power to ensure each child achieves at high levels and give them the tools and support they need to do the most important work.

As a human, the word BELIEVE in and of itself speaks to me in two ways: belief in a higher power and belief in myself, which I continuously work on with the help of my belief in a higher power. After working for 38 years in the public school system of which 19 were as a principal and one year at the state level, I choose to BELIEVE in my power to make a difference beyond one school or one system. I feel led, especially after COVID, to reach out and support principals in their work. At times as a principal, I felt isolated and lonely doing this challenging work. I would attend principal’s meetings and think, “I wish we had time to talk and collaborate as principals. I wish I had a trusted thought partner.” Some years I did have that partner based on my colleagues and some years I did not. During those years, I began envisioning the kinds of support I would find helpful. Most of those thoughts have found their way into this website. Please reach out if you have suggestions to improve this website or the supports my company might offer because I BELIEVE in your work and your thoughts matter. It is my pleasure to serve you in this new way.

Seed: BELIEVE in yourself and show your teachers you BELIEVE in them. Seek support when you need it.

Food for Thought: How do you show your teachers you BELIEVE in them and their power to make a difference? How do your teachers show their students they BELIEVE in their abilities to learn at high levels?