Leap Forward.
Author Orrin Woodward once said, “Average leaders raise the bar on themselves; good leaders raise the bar for others; great leaders inspire others to raise their own bar.”
When I first saw this quote, I was reminded of our challenge to elevate our student expectations. The hardest part in challenging all of our students is the transition from doing it all to designing opportunities for the students to be responsible for their own learning.
There are a whole host of fears that gnaw at us when we even think about loosening the reins. What if they miss something important? Will they actually learn the material without me? What if they misunderstand?
I get it. Giving up control can be a scary thing. The good news is that we don’t have to just jump right into the deep end of the pool. We can start small. Jigsaws; think, pair, shares; and turn and talks are easy to employ. If you are uncertain about what these activities are, myself or a neighbor would be happy to help. So, don’t hesitate to ask.
If we truly want all of our students to grow, we are going to have to raise the bar. We cannot keep doing what we have always done and expect something to change.
In the words of Ronda Rousey, “To be the best, you have to constantly be challenging yourself, raising the bar, pushing the limits of what you can do. Don’t stand still, leap forward.”