You gotta believe!

A while back, Lou Gerstner was hired as the CEO of IBM. AT that time he was inheriting a company that had once been the most admired enterprise on earth but had slumped to be one of the most troubled.  Gerstner himself was hired, in fact, as a hardheaded, results-driven manager.  His initial plan was to steer the company in a radically more goal oriented-direction.  What he quickly discovered however was that IBM had drifted from its historically anchored values and beliefs. He realized his main job would have to be to restore and revitalize IBM's soul.

Like, IBM, schools and education have drifted from our core beliefs. It's difficult to keep the faith when reform pressures constrict the purpose of education to producing results on standardized tests.  (Taken from Reviving the Soul of Teaching by Terry Deal and Peggy Deal Redman, 2008)

Instead of trying to make schools more data and bottom-line driven, we should be encouraging a return to our core beliefs and hallowed principles of why we became teachers to begin with - "to make a difference for kids."  People first!  "We are emotional beings in a social setting!"

I don't know about you but I'd like to think that making an extraordinary learning environment as an educational leader can also be a lot of fun!

Let me end this post with some wise words from Christina Palmer: "Implications for our group projects are indicative of the delicate balance between embracing technology without losing sight of the human dynamic. How can we remain visionary while maintaining our humanity? Can we facilitate forward thinking and positive change, while simultaneously ensuring that the human element is central to the vision?  It is clear that we must."

What I know for sure is that our future and that of our grandchildren and their grandchildren to a great degree rests in the hands of those current educational leaders who understand this 'delicate' yet critical balance.  Yes, it IS in our hands.