Don't Miss Story Time

I was really excited to get the opportunity to do the February entry for the Principal's Calendar for the IPA.  The task was to use the School Leaders Paradigm to help fellow administrators to reflect on the leadership attributes in the Paradigm.  If you have yet to look at the Principal's Calendar, you need to.  I have found it to be a helpful resource for those things that are time sensitive and that help you stay connected to what we do.

I picked February for the attribute of "Guiding".  The short description is "Acts as a trusted adviser, drawing from personal experience and expertise to offer guidance and support."  I took this to mean, how can you help others to realize their role of guiding their staff and students.  One good way I have done this is through story telling.  I think this is something we all do but discredit it as a leadership skill.  Guess what, a lot of inspiration comes from storytelling.

I can speak to this personally.  During my undergraduate studies I had a great Civil Rights Law instructor.  He had a great way of telling the story behind a case before we had to learn the stuffy legal stuff.  When we heard the story first, we were invested in the characters and wanted to learn more about the legal process.  I loved this class.  When I began to teach civics and world history, I did this a lot.  I know we have to teach the technical stuff and the names/dates but my teaching effort was more fruitful when I was a good story teller first.  When I began my graduate work at SIUC, I again had great retired administrators that understood the art and power of story telling.  I'm not sure I would have ever been inspired to become a school leader without those experiences.

As a principal, I do not get many chances to be a story teller but I seize those moments when they happen.  One of my favorite times of the year is when I speak to the school news paper on the stories behind censorship in schools and the case law that has shaped their legal rights.  I tell stories when we have talk circles.  I use that opportunity not to read the handbook to them, but to motivate them with tales of students past and how they recover from their circumstances.  They are engaged with he story and even though you don't use names, they connect with that person's situation.  To begin this year, I asked our teachers to tell their stories.  This became a great way to learn more about each other but it inspired us as a group.

I think those that have been moved and inspired by others are easiest to convince that this is a leadership skill.  If you don't feel that this is something you could be good at, just try it once.  People want to hear about relate able experiences when they need help.  This art is everywhere we go and woven into popular culture.  If you're a Star Wars nut like me, you may have noticed that little boy at the end of the movie.  After listening intently to the stories the other children were telling, he went outside to gaze at the stars.  The real nerds were wondering if this kid would be the next Jedi in Rian Johnson's new trilogy, but I saw it for what it was.  A kid with potential, looking to be inspired.  You have lots of these little guys in your schools.  Don't miss story time when the opportunity arises.