September 2018

The July 2018 Education Update’s cover page shouts, “This Year, Lead Like a Designer” and
shares the thoughts and actions of Norma Jeanne Ready, principal of California’s School of
Innovation in the Campbell Union SD. What’s so interesting about this article is that the
principal is leading like a designer; that is, she is carefully orchestrating the shape of the school
as if she is a draftswoman, crafting the plan’s skeleton and leaving much room for the inner
workings and details of the plan to those who will be the implementors. She “embraces a
design-inspired approach to leadership” as she tries to transform teaching and learning in her
school. She is clearly giving voice and choice to her staff and allowing them to learn.
How often have I said that coaches and teachers are the “architects of their own learning”?
And, once the stakeholders take ownership for learning, things change.
As the new year begins, think about the changes that were instituted last year and how you can
capitalize and build on the growth for this year. Think about stepping outside of the box and
creating opportunity out of challenges. Ms. Ready calls that “opportunity seekers” where
problem solving becomes the norm rather than the problem finders. (You know the type… “We
can’t do that because…” instead of “Gee, what if we try it this way?”)
We’ve talked about leading like a pirate with a code of ethics, courage, determination, risk-
taking, and ongoing collaboration. What happens if we talk about being courageous and leading
like a designer and creating a “works in progress” where the canvas is consistently and
intentionally changing to reflect new thinking and new ideas? In fact, how many times do you
think an artist crafts and re-crafts a piece until the canvas “says” just what the artist is trying to
express? The piece may be a result of something experienced, or read, or heard. Regardless,
there is a process that happens with artists that can also be applied to school change… stick
with me on this one!
According to Jessie Oleson Moore’s Art Blog (October 2015), there may be five stages of the
creative process that I believe go beyond the concept of arts and crafts. These stages may not
always be so “organized” and “neat” in thinking about change but rather move around in one’s
head much like when an artist creates that masterpiece… lines may be blurred, shaded, or
distinct with each one eliciting a response that helps create that ultimate shape. Here are the
adapted five stages for you to ponder and see how to implement in your own situation:

1. Inspiration: how do ideas go from the amorphous to the concrete? How does that
   happen?
2. Percolation: what do I need to do to actualize the concept?
3. Preparation: what tools I need to organize, gather, and collect to make this project?
4. Creation: put “it” to paper… what does it look like?
5. Reflection: think about what was promising about what you did? What practice needs to
   be strengthened in preparation for the next artistic cycle?

Regardless of what you are creating, your canvas is not completely blank… build on the successes from
the previous years and re-craft your “piece” until it says what you are hoping to share. If not, go back to
the drawing board and widen your circle of communication so that more voices are heard and more
thoughts are made visible. Sharing different perspectives and inviting others to be creative, really
models the concept that coaching and mentoring are collaborative endeavors designed to bring out the
‘artist’ in all of us. Let those moments as “opportunity seekers” be the enabling conditions that set your
school on the trajectory of schoolwide improvement and increase student engagement.