In the past two months, many of the school professional development accounts that I work on have come to a close. I’ve left schools, said goodbye to educators, and wished them luck in the closing of the school year. And next month, I will do the same with the third cohort of coaches in the NCDLCN program.
This is a bittersweet time for numerous reasons. I’m proud of how much these educators have grown – and in turn how much their growth is affecting their students. I’ve seen confidence grow, leadership capacity be born, and creativity run rampant. My heart has been so full seeing how hard these people work so that they can create better learning experiences for their kids. It’s been amazing to be a part of this growth – leading these educators to discover more about their own ability to be creative and intentional.
I am so proud of the amazing work I get to be a part of – the way this work impacts so many people across the state. As I leave each of these places and say goodbye to these educators, I am reminded of the importance of sustainability. Sure, there are always evaluations that we collect from participants, which we use to help shape the scope of our work, but how do we know that what we do really empowers these people to carry on, to keep exploring, improving, and growing?
I don’t have all of the answers, but I do have questions that I will be asking myself as I reflect on my work over the past six months:
How do we ensure that when we leave, our work is sustaining?
How do we empower people to continue to learn and grow after we are gone?
How can we help ensure that people can carry on the momentum of the past year?
How do we check for sustainability?
Do we continue to grow these relationships?
While I work primarily with adults, I think the same questions can be asked of our work in classrooms with students.
I want to be sure that I’ve not only empowered and inspired people, but that I’ve set the stage for them to have the confidence to continue to grow, be more intentional in their instructional practice, and lead others to do the same.