If you are in education for the right reasons, you are continuously keeping students at the heart of decision-making and are working tirelessly to bring the mission and vision of your organization to fruition. A few years ago, I embraced a formal leadership role. When stepping into that space, it felt important to be the leader I always needed, drawing on lessons from past roles, leading with empathy, a humble confidence, a coaching mindset, and embracing the imperfections I knew would rise to the surface. In the words of my friend Meghan Lawson from her new book Legacy of Learning: Teaching for Lasting Impact, “The world doesn’t need more perfect people or those seeking approval. The world needs rolled-up sleeves and whole hearts.”

Leaving a Legacy Within the Walls

Meghan is right, the heartbeat of education lives inside the walls of schools. Within those walls you can find stories of kids and teachers in the mess of learning. You will watch students, teachers, and staff buzzing about the halls and classrooms igniting discussion, cultivating curiosity, instilling joy, leading with empathetic hearts, building legacies, and smiling through it all even when the work gets hard. And it will. I think you know that.

As a leader, I am always incredibly grateful to walk the halls of school buildings and be invited into classrooms.  It is because I know that the epicenter of those learning spaces will captivate and inspire me to listen and learn with intention and purpose so I can support taking that learning to the next level and cross pollinate those ideas in other learning spaces. For example, the other day a teacher waved me into her classroom to show me how her kindergarten students are embracing writing. “Lauren, remember when we were looking at student work and noticed that my students needed to sketch their beginnings, middles and ends and rehearse their stories to build confidence? Well look at how my writers are sketching their stories and sharing them with friends to build language comprehension. They are using storytelling voices.”

In that moment, I could feel my smile widening and my cheeks starting to hurt from the happiness. My goodness, yes, of course I remember that. But, to see and hear how a teacher capitalized on our precious moments together during a professional learning experience to shift a classroom practice and share it with me in THAT moment was truly priceless.

Sometimes when you are leading in those small moments in time, you can’t clearly recognize the strength of your influence and the impact you have on others. But, somehow the universe finds ways to help you see them. In Legacy of Learning, Lawson says, “as human beings, we are wired for moments. Moments of connection. Moments of joy. Moments of learning and reflection.” Isn’t that why you are here in education?

Pushing a Plan Aside

Another moment that brought me joy this week was leading a professional learning experience to introduce a new resource to teachers. As usual, I was overly prepared for this learning experience. I created a fancy slide deck, handouts, and brought a buffet of snacks (a very important part)! As the professional learning experience unfolded I noticed more than anything, the teachers sitting before me did not really care about my fancy slide deck or thoughtfully crafted hand outs. They wanted to talk, ask questions, share the celebrations of past professional learning experiences, and collaborate with peers.

So, I pushed my device aside, opened the resources in front of us, listened to questions, worries, and walked them through it using the most authentic tools I could think of: human voices, connection, real-time conversation, providing permission to fail , and learning in the process. “Lauren, what if I remember that I forgot to use echo or choral reading when I model this text?” “Well, what’s the worst that can happen?” I responded. You try again tomorrow! But, what is the best thing that happened? You reflected on your experience and ways to make it better. That is what learning and teaching is all about.”

I have never looked at my previous roles as stepping stones as I have progressed in my journey because holding onto that awareness of what it means to me as a teacher, a reading specialist, and an instructional coach has helped me learn how to lead in the mess of learning. It is one of the only ways I can see new things and look through lenses I may not have considered before. It has helped me see that you don’t have to search for the big things to see the good things happen. The small things matter because they add up to the big things. These small, meaningful, deeply human moments build trust, connection, collaboration, and propel the growth of leaders and teachers alike.

Moving Forward

During the creation of Meghan Lawson‘s book, our collaboration took the form of a text exchange, sparking ideas for a blog post titled “Lessons in Leadership.” You can read that HERE. In that exchange, I shared a belief: “There will be small moments, small wins, and small obstacles on the path that can seem like they are not enough to bring a vision to fruition. But they add up to the big things that we truly need to accomplish.” Meghan asked, “Can I share that in my book?” Gratefully, I replied. In that moment, it meant something to her, and little did I realize that this sentiment, captured in our exchange, would find its way into her new book, potentially influencing others.

Have you ever heard teachers say, I know you are so busy, but I just have one question…?

The reality is, great leaders are never too busy to lend an ear to a colleague, a teacher, or anyone sharing what’s important to them. If it matters to them, it matters to kids, and that, in turn, matters to us because we genuinely care about our teachers and our kids. Great leaders will never forget what it’s like to teach and be in the classroom. They will step into the mess of learning because those are the moments that truly matter.

Actionable Ideas to Implement Tomorrow 1. Prioritize Human Connection in Professional Learning: Shift the focus from elaborate presentations to fostering meaningful conversations and collaboration during professional learning experiences. Encourage open dialogue, celebrate successes, and provide a space for teachers to share and reflect on their experiences. 2. Flexibility in Leadership Approach: Recognize the importance of adaptability in leadership. If a meticulously planned approach isn’t resonating with your team, be willing to set aside the original plan. Embrace a more flexible, human-centered approach that values authentic communication, connection, and real-time collaboration. 3. Capture and Celebrate Small Victories: Acknowledge and celebrate the small, meaningful moments that happen in classrooms. Encourage teachers to share their successes and challenges, creating a culture where these moments are valued. By recognizing and appreciating these small victories, leaders contribute to building trust, connection, and collaboration within the educational community.