Are You Ready for the Transformation?
Photo by Milad Fakurian on Unsplash
I hit a nerve last week on social media. One of my posts even went viral on LinkedIn, and frankly, I was surprised.
What was the topic?
Teacher salary and reimagining the profession of teaching. LinkedIn is full of teachers transitioning to new careers, and there is even an industry of people helping them do so (which baffles me). Through my posts, I learned many people agree that the profession does need to be redesigned. I also learned that a lot of teachers and former teachers do not believe any sort of transformation is even possible.
With all of the traction and conversations I had, I decided to take the time and complete The Profession Reimagined again myself. While I took a lot of time designing this tool that aligned with my thinking, I completed the project a few weeks ago and took a step back after my intensive creation. Now with a fresh and distanced perspective, I wanted to experience the conversation in full.
What would it prompt in me? What problems would it help me tackle? What ideas would it prompt through the brainstorming?
I actually learned a lot. More than I imagined I would-about myself and about my vision of the profession. When I was reflecting, I became frustrated. Not from the questions themselves, but what they prompted me to realize about the schools I know. And, the steps necessary to initiate change.
An overarching theme for me while I answered the questions became: Schools have to be willing to do this work.
Leaders have to buy-in to the transformation. Teachers have to be willing to shift their mindsets. And the two must collaborate together in order to enact any sustainable improvements.
And while I knew that when I was creating the product, I felt it when I completed the questions and started brainstorming solutions to some of the problems I’ve seen in teaching.
How I answered the questions will be different from others. Of course, teacher leaders and administrators will also have their own responses, and they will highlight different problems based upon their perception of the profession. Our unique perspectives are crucial to understanding the depth of the crisis in teaching.
What is our vision for the profession? What do we want it to be? How do we want it to feel? What expectations do we have? And, where do we want it to lead us in this century?
If we cannot have a target, we’ll continue spinning in circles. And that, my friends, is detrimental to our future.
So, what is your vision for the profession?
If you are ready for the reflection, conversation, and action steps needed for transformation at your school, you can download The Profession Reimagined today.