Why Lead? #SAVMP

George Couros asked this question as part of his School Administrators Virtual Mentor Program, or #SAVMP, which I feel lucky enough to be a part of.  The reason I chose to be in a leadership position was because I feel as though teaching is difficult work.  It takes tremendous patience, determination, creativity, intelligence, and empathy to be a teacher.  On top of that, teachers are being pulled in many different directions lately with the sweeping changes that have come across the board.  In New Jersey over the last year teachers have had to adjust the three enormous changes:

• Become fluent with Common Core State Standards
• Adjust to a new assessment model through which they will be observed
• Deal with the continuing pressures of high-stakes testing

While I understand why these changes were made, and do not disagree with their potential positive impact on student learning, I feel teachers can become overwhelmed by them and not have the time to develop their passion.  

I read a story recently where President Kennedy was in a meeting with Charlie Luce Booth, a political advisor, who had some advice for the President.  He told the President his ideas were too scattered, and he wasn't focused enough on one or two things he was passionate about.  That he couldn't make a real impact and be remembered if did re-focus his energy.  Booth said:  

"A great man is a sentence.  'He preserved the union and freed the slaves ... or He lifted us out of  the Great Depression and helped win a World War'  A great man is a sentence.  What is yours Mr. President?"  

I want to help teachers to find their sentence.  For the last few years I have noticed teachers becoming so overwhelmed by what they must do, that they have a difficult time developing lessons they are passionate about.  Teachers are at their best when they can stand in front of a class excited about the lesson they are about to teach.  Students learn best from an engaging teacher who is completely engulfed in what he or she is teaching.  As a leader, I want to help teachers rediscover their passion and  develop their own sentence about who they are as a teacher.  I feel this will allow the teachers to inspire students to do great work instead of requiring work to be submitted.   Your thoughts?