Know Your Why: Discover Your WHY, So Your WHAT Makes an Impact
What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.
– Dr. Jane Goodall
INTRO
As a leadership team, it is equally important to be able to articulate the why behind what you are doing; why it is important to do it, and why it is critical in the moment.
OBJECTIVES
- Use this activity with your team to build a common understanding of your motivation for supporting your students and community.
STEP 1
Ask your leadership team to watch the provided 3-minute video. It’s a great one to watch all together if you’re able to. It’s eye-opening, moving, and compelling; we promise you will love it!
STEP 2
Have each person on your team reflect and write down their “why me?”
STEP 3
Work as a group to articulate a shared response to: Why this? Why here? Why now? in relation to your work as educators.
TIPS
Engage different stakeholders to perform this exercise.
Faculty / Staff
- Consider displaying your responses in a prominent location where you regularly meet throughout the year. This can be a shared Google Doc if you are meeting virtually.
Students
- Consider displaying your responses in a prominent location where you regularly meet throughout the year. This can be a shared Google Doc if you are meeting virtually.
Community
- Consider displaying your responses in a prominent location where you regularly meet throughout the year. This can be a shared Google Doc if you are meeting virtually.
About the Author
Dr. Matt Coleman is the CEO of Inflexion, where he leverages his deep-rooted expertise in school systems change to drive impactful educational reform. With a career spanning various roles—from educational assistant to assistant superintendent—Matt’s experience encompasses every level of secondary education.
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