Top Ten Lessons after 23 years in Education

1. Take time for your family. As a teacher, I stayed afterschool grading papers and prepping for the next day while my son and daughter were in my room waiting for me to finish. I also brought work home with me. I think about all of the missed opportunities of taking them to the park, library, bowling, etc. because I was either grading assignments or sleeping from exhaustion. Work will always be there, so set boundaries and take time for your family.

2. Everyone Matters. From the support staff to district personnel, acknowledge everyone. I learned the power of a simple smile and saying hello. People remember how you treat them.

3. Collaboration is essential. As I moved from classroom teacher to district coordinator, I learned that collaboration is the key to creating a successful lesson plan, school initiative, or district policy.

4. Build Relationships. As a military wife, I moved every two to three years, so I mastered the art of relationship building. Relationships are the foundation of effective collaboration.

5. Respect different perspectives. I do not always agree with my colleagues, but I have learned to consider their viewpoints when we disagree. This required professional growth as I transitioned from a classroom teacher into school and district leadership positions.

6. Don’t worry about things beyond your control. I have experienced the challenges of working in underperforming schools. Like Janine  from Abbott Elementary, I wanted to fix everything and help everyone. As I moved into leadership positions, I realized my limitations. I had to learn that in order for me to have peace, I could not dwell on issues beyond my control.

7. Self reflection is the key to success. Self-reflection is a key component of a growth mindset. Evaluating your strengths and weaknesses allows you to continuously evolve into the teacher, leader, person you are called to be.

8. Walk the talk. You are only as good as your actions. People are watching you. If you say one thing and do another, you will lose respect and credibility.

9. You will make mistakes. I have perfectionist tendency, so I do not take it lightly when I make a mistake. However, it did not matter if I was a classroom teacher or a district coordinator, I owned my mistakes and learned from them.  Making mistakes, and learning from them, continues to shape me as a person and a leader.

10. Leadership is not a title. Effective leadership is underestimated in education. People with titled positions are not automatically considered leaders. I was fortunate to work with a school leader who had a vision and a mission which set the purpose for his school. Effective leadership is paramount to ensuring that all students receive a high quality education.