A few years ago a school's doors were opened up to us in Equilibria by a highly proactive, full on, dedicated principal of Southwest Middle and High School in Houston. Her name is Dr. Rosalinda Mercado Garza, a truly unique individual who six years on is now the CEO of our non-profit called E-Colors in Education.
I encourage you to follow her on whichever social media platform suits your communication style and learn more about the remarkable ground-breaking work that is being carried out up and down the country. -Lewis M. Senior (Co-CEO & Founder, Equilibria)
I am focused on the goals set. I am mindful of the words that I deliver. I am ready and willing to work alongside my newest team of educators. Many teachers had been a part of the campus for years. As the school's newly assigned leader, I was ready to be fully present and eager to be a part of the day-to-day interactions found in the classrooms.
It was well into October when I was reminded ever so nicely, "Don't move the coffee pot located down that hallway." What did this mean? Was this new lingo that I wasn't aware of? I soon learned that the statement was not meant to be taken literally. It was a reminder as the new administrator that I was to not to disturb a veteran teacher with new ideas or concepts. "That teacher won't change."
Could it be true? It appeared to be - at first glance. In Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) sessions, the teacher was brief with her statements. Grade level meetings were filled with questions of doubt. Over a couple of months, I reflected on my observations. I wondered, "How can this teacher's viewpoint add value to the team? What drives her commitment to a process or program? How does she hold herself accountable, as well as those around her? What motivates her to continuously learn and improve?"
Over time, which stretched the majority of the fall semester - I continued my visits to the teacher's classroom, listening to her conversations with students. In our one-on-one mutual expectations meeting, I asked her to share more about her background and strategic ways she approached challenging situations. A healthy exchange of ideas occurred. We agreed on best practices to apply in the classroom for the remaining school term. By spring time, there was no coffee pot that I needed to be concerned about moving. Ever so gracefully, as a school leader, I was reminded that the coffee pot and its contents could be shared.
With nearly two decades of experience as an educator, I did not realize then that the approach I took as a novice leader would be the very essence of what would enable our teams of educators and scores of students to experience success year after year. One of the many lessons learned was that in order to obtain meaningful work from colleagues, I needed to embed meaningful ways to develop each team member. Considering the value each person brought to the team became more and more deliberate.
Currently, I collaborate with schools across the United States as the CEO of our nonprofit organization. Our mission remains the same. We are dedicated to delivering valuable, authentic and mindful coaching, as well as personal and professional development to every school across the nation. For me, this mission started when I was given the task to not move the coffee pot.
- Self & Team Awareness
- Shared Vision & Values
- Clarity of Roles & Processes
- Trust
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Commitment
- Accountability
- Learning & Continuous Improvement
There was no real diary where I wrote about my experiences as a school leader. Most occurrences were so vivid that I can recall them without thinking twice about how it all unfolded. I suppose my lack of interest in writing about the daily occurrences was due to my deep involvement in all aspects of the school. Quite frankly, my evenings, while reflective after a long distance run, were filled with sheer exhaustion from each day's events. Writing about my workday was not at the forefront of my to-do list before closing my eyes for the night and starting my day all over again.
It is my hope that the educators, who are currently planning and delivering lessons, developing common formative/summative assessments and desegregating the data gathered from those exams, all the while preparing students to be college and workforce ready will find strength in each other, assume good intent of individuals that come his/her way and take the time to listen to diverse perspectives. May you realize your fullest potential in the coming school year!