“To truly support students, everyone in a school building must operate as both leaders and practitioners, seeing all angles of their school’s landscape.” This sentiment was shared by building leader Shayla Ewing in an Education Week article titled, “Principals, You Aren’t the Only Leader in Your School.” Ewing’s insights really hit home for me, reminding me of a vivid encounter that perfectly illustrates this dynamic nature of leadership within a school.

I’ll never forget, years ago as I was walking down the halls of a school building, I ran into my superintendent. This wasn’t uncommon as he was always present and visible in our schools. I can still vividly recall graciously smiling at each other and giving one another the formal greeting, “Good afternoon and how are you doing?” as we passed one another in the hallway. I didn’t think much about this interaction at the moment as I walked back to my reading classroom. Suddenly, I remember hearing my name being called, “Ms. Kaufman, I really appreciate the anchor charts you have hanging on the walls of your classroom.” he said. My internal voice asking the following questions, Wait, should I stop walking now? Is he talking to me? Wait, he was in MY classroom? When? I stopped and slowly turned around. He was waiting right there for me to respond.

Looking a little confused, I could feel myself getting ready to respond. “My classroom?” Lauren, that’s all you have to say? I thought to myself, feeling my cheeks getting hot and the embarrassment sinking in. Although this particular superintendent was a quiet man, you can usually catch him thinking deeply as he walked the halls of the buildings.

Suddenly, he broke his deep thought with a smile. “Yes, I was in your classroom when I was walking through the building a few weeks ago.” Another thought popped into my mind. Wait, he was in my classroom when I wasn’t teaching? “Yes, I learn a lot when I step into our classrooms. I can see that you are explicit in your teaching but tap into the curiosity of your learners. I remember that from another time I saw you present at your building’s family literacy night.” I could feel my cheeks getting redder by the moment. He remembered what I said during my presentation?, I thought to myself again. “Yes, I love learning about what makes my students want to learn,” I replied. After another moment or two he responded, “Okay, I am going to send you a book and when you read it I’d be interested in learning about what you think.”

At that moment, I couldn’t understand that interaction entirely, but now years later as the leader that walks down the halls of seven buildings and reads the walls and listens to students and teachers inside our classrooms, I am always paying attention. I’ll never forget what it meant to reach into my mailbox in the main office about a week later and open the yellow interoffice envelope to find a note that said, “Lauren, I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. Keep tapping into the curiosities of your learners. They will never forget their learning when you do that.” I pulled out the book, Why Are School Buses Always Yellow by John F. Barell. From that moment on, I became enamored with helping students develop higher level thinking skills through inquiry. It was that one interaction that both reaffirmed and strengthened my passion for capitalizing on the curiosity that lives in our classroom spaces.

Learning From Leaders

Recently, I was walking the halls of the high school and couldn’t help but step into an English classroom that I could feel buzzing with learning. It was there that I witnessed the intentional interactions between a teacher and her students. Not only could I feel the learning that was happening in the classroom but I also saw the students deeply engaged, making connections between the literature and their own experiences, energizing the entire room. 

This teacher wasn’t just teaching the classic literature that I could see in the hands of the students and scattered around the desks, but she was bringing in historical context, photographs from the time period and was facilitating meaningful student-led discussion. At that moment, I walked over to the teacher and said, “There are so many interdisciplinary connections that you are bringing to the forefront right now. Not only can you feel the deep learning that has transpired in the past, but your students are bridging that learning with the present. Where will you go next?” The teacher paused, at that moment, I said, “Have you ever thought about having your students generate their own questions to lead the discussion?” She replied, “Hmmm, you’re right, I am usually the one providing the questions for them. 

At the time I was reading the book, The Artisan Teacher: A Field Guide to Skillful Teaching by Mike Rutherford and was motivated by the many accessible ideas he shared for learning and teaching. I paused for a moment and then said, “I am going to send you a book and when you read it I’d be interested in learning about what you think.” 

Moving Forward

As I walked out of the classroom, it dawned on me that I had shared almost the same interaction with that teacher as I did with my former superintendent years ago.

When I took the leap into a formal leadership role, one of the things I worried mostly about was getting too far away from the classroom, the teachers, and the students I serve. After all, true learning lives within the buzzing walls of our classrooms and school ecosystems. The conversations and decisions that are made need to start there.

In the Education Week article I mentioned above, Ewing went on to share, “Leaders who do not invite their teachers up to see the organizational view can never truly grow teacher leadership. And leaders who never spend time in the classroom with teachers can never truly know what is best for students.”

How will you ensure that your leadership practices are deeply rooted in the realities of daily teaching and learning?

Reflecting on this, it’s clear how vital it is for those of us in leadership to maintain a close connection with the classrooms. The walls and interactions in our classrooms tell a story. And as leaders, we can leverage what we see to bring our mission, vision, and priorities to fruition.

Actionable Ideas to Implement Tomorrow

Walk the Halls and Visit Classrooms: Leaders should schedule regular, unannounced visits to various classrooms not just to observe, but to engage with both teachers and students. During these visits, leaders can focus on understanding the methods being employed by teachers and the response from students. Following these visits, leaders should arrange feedback sessions with the teachers, not only to provide their observations but also to discuss what teachers are experiencing. These sessions should be collaborative and designed to exchange ideas that enhance teaching practices. The goal is to make these interactions supportive and constructive, fostering an environment where teachers feel valued and leaders stay informed about the day-to-day learning experiences. Professional Learning Sessions Led by Teachers: Encourage and facilitate opportunities for teachers to lead professional learning workshops based on their strengths and innovative classroom practices. This not only recognizes teachers as experts in their fields but also promotes peer learning and the sharing of best practices within the school. By involving teachers in leading these sessions, leaders can foster a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement. This approach aligns with the principle that all educators in the building are leaders and acknowledges their contributions to the school’s educational landscape.