Something Robin (pink shirt) said today really made me think about my motivations for being a leader. She said something along the lines that she found her main drive to lead stemming from her reactions against the bad examples set by others in positions of leadership. She did not find herself in the position of principal because she wanted to be in the spot with the most control, she simply found herself there because she was always looking for ways to do things better. I think I am very much the same in this respect. Every time I sit in on a lecture, listen to a coach's speech at halftime, or hold a light working on the set of a film, I can't help but make my own little mental notes on just about every little thing the "leader" does. I sit there and think how I might have achieved a better result by taking a different approach or saying things differently.
There are probably a lot of good things about this kind mindset, but possibly equally as many bad. I know I have to watch that I do not become too judgmental about the decisions or strategies of others because there are a thousand different ways to arrive at any goal. I also have to make sure that I do not get stuck in the ego maniacal mindset of "I always know better," because if you are patient and wait until the results are in, you may be surprised at how effective some seemingly idiotic methods are...
I do think that I am at my most creative state when I watch others at work though. It's kind of like the fact that most people are much more creative when there are a certain number of restrictions/limitations placed on them than when when they have too many options (As Damien Rice puts it in The Professor: "too many options may kill a man"). Once an idea is thrown out there, I am really good about building on top of it, or taking it in new interesting directions. I feel that I would be an effective team teacher because of this and because I find that I work well collaboratively (as long as the lines of communication are open). As I said in my last blog on leadership, I am also open to my own ideas be added on to by someone who sees things that I may have overlooked or under-stressed, and it is this submission of pride that will lead to a truly collaborative, creative, effective lesson/strategy.
On a total side note---
Random Idea for a getting to know you exercise: "Write about something you have been successful in." Students will then describe something they do/have done well. The purpose of this little exercise being: 1) to help the teacher get to know more about the students; and 2) help them identify a narrative pattern in the students' memories that the teacher can then try to help the students recreate again to have future success in the classroom.
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