My Why…

Our district administrative team was at a leadership training today with several districts from MN.  Towards the end the day, We watched Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” video.  It had been a while since I had seen it, but good to reflect upon the vision of our district.

As a homework assignment, we were to reflect on our why.  Why are we in the positions were are in? Why do we come to work everyday? And what is our why (vision) for education?

Below is a few things that drive me. That I believe to my core….

  1. Foster self-directed learners who persevere through difficulties.
  2. Engage learners in authentic tasks to create authentic products for an authentic audience.
  3. Develop student leaders with global and empathetic view of the world who actively act upon problems we face today and tomorrow.
  4. Personalize the education of our children to meet core curriculum as well as their passions and interests.
  5. Create a culture of shared leadership and learning in our organization’s system to provide 1-4 that engages all stakeholders.
A graphic of My Why...

A graphic of My Why…

 

I know this probably sounds like a lot of fluff but this keeps me up at night.  My why keeps me coming to work even when times get tough and it would so much easier to quit. As a tech director, you would think I would focus on technology – and trust me – I do have a passion for tech, but it has taken me years to realize that focus is not about technology – rather focus on those relevant tasks and let technology amplify….

  • Amplify learning
  • Amplify student voice/choice
  • Amplify our students’ opportunities to make a positive impact in our world.

So, what am I missing?  I would love to hear your WHY.

3 Comments
  1. Jen, this is such a great post! I too revisited Sinek’s work before a winter keynote presentation. Being connected to your “why” is critical. I really like #3 “Develop student leaders with global and empathetic view of the world who actively act upon problems we face today and tomorrow.” This part of your “why” really resonated with me as I hope that my own children have opportunities to work/learn alongside Ed’s with similar goals:) Here is a link to my post about my “why” http://thoughtpartners.blogspot.com/2015/01/thinking-about-my-why.html

  2. Brian! Thanks so much for sharing your blog! I really like how you used the full circle and I will try to do the same! Get a bigger picture of who I am and how I try to fulfil my Why.

  3. Great post Jen! So much of what you said parallels 21st Century thinking and learning!! I too plan to watch the video!! Teach’em up!!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *