Breaking the Rules – Be That Person

256px-Bumblebee_Transformer_-_Flickr_-_andrewbasterfield My family laughs at me every time the movie Transformers is on TV. Almost without fail, I jump into the story at the exact same moment…the point of inspiring motivation and life-changing wisdom. Do you see now why they laugh at me? I may be the only person in history who has ever described Transformers as life-changing, but it is.

There is a scene early on when the first Transformer reveals himself as Bumblebee, an alien robot. (And with that, the rest of you start laughing at me as well. A movie about alien robots shares life-changing wisdom?) But when Bumblebee invites the young heroes into his car, leading to unknown adventure and considerable risk, one of the main character hesitates. The other one utters the words that I’ve been saying to myself ever since…

“50 years from now when you’re looking back on your life, don’t you want to say you had the guts to get into the car?”

Life is full of choices, chances to try something new. These opportunities can also be filled with risk. It is not easy to take a leap and jump into something unknown. It is not easy to take a chance and know that you could fail, but nothing amazing was ever achieved without risk.

From our earliest years, we have to make choices about what adventures we will tackle and which ones we will let go. Auditioning for the school play is a risk. Trying out for the football team is a risk. Taking an Advanced Placement course is a risk. But those risks are necessary to create the best possible life.

Say yes!

I am a terrible bowler, but I always have a good time when I play. I am not a runner, but I’ve finished three half-marathons. Stand directly under the frozen, powerful waterfall at Smith Falls on the Niobrara? Every time!

When people are asked about their greatest regret, they almost always list the things they didn’t do. At the end of our lives, it is not what we tried and failed to do that haunts us, it is the times we failed to try.

Embracing this attitude is essential not just for the day-to-day things, but it is key to living the best possible version of your life. Taking risks is necessary in order to find success. Go back and get the degree. Apply for the job that seems beyond your reach. Volunteer to be the one who fills in at a meeting or on a committee.

Every day there is a chance to say yes. “Want to go to lunch?” “I have an extra ticket to the game, want to come?” “We need someone to lead this project, are you interested?” A good meal, a new relationship, a powerful experience might be the result.

Something we learn as we get older is that things will not always work out when we say yes. There is a winner and a loser in all epic battles. We only have one President. We only have one state champion. We only have one gold medalist. But without the risk of failing, we cannot succeed.

“50 years from now when you’re looking back on your life, don’t you want to say you had the guts to get into the car?”

I am a rule follower. I always have been. I was the kid in class with her hand up. I was the one on Safety Patrol in elementary school. I like knowing the rules, and I find comfort in following them. I was never the “ask forgiveness not permission” person.

As a new principal, I shared my non-negotiables with our staff. Rule following was on the list. People need to know the core values of their leader. In education there is safety in having well-defined policies and procedures to follow. A strong instructional model, a guaranteed viable curriculum, and a quality assessment system guide our work. A consistent Code of Conduct and procedures for everything from field trips to facility use provide consistency. Following them ensures equity in opportunities for children. I know that. I believe that.

But more and more lately, I’ve been wanting to break the rules.

We take our greatest leaps when we challenge the status quo. There is power in examining what we are doing…and then changing it when appropriate.

I think I might be ready to rebel. I think I might be ready to take some risks.

As a profession, we’ve been asking questions about what our most successful teachers, administrators and schools are doing. How are they meeting the unique needs of their students? In some cases, they are breaking the rules. In some cases, they are deviating from the standard, prescribed process. And it’s working.

So if that’s the case, where is the line? How do we ensure fair and equal opportunities for all students and still create an environment where people can take the risks necessary to meet the needs of each child?

Discuss openly and honestly

I want our leaders to feel safe in talking about what they are doing. I want to ensure a culture where we can disagree and challenge each other in positive ways.

Listen

I want to get better at listening. I want to go into these conversations without an agenda and be willing to learn.

Share what’s working

I want educators to be collaborative and not competitive. I want our profession to be about finding what works for all kids. I want an educational climate that focuses on sharing, so we all get better.

Trust

I want people to focus less on accountability and more on trust. I will never stop holding myself and others accountable because our work is too important not too, but I want my default to be trust in others’ good intentions.

Risk

And finally, I want to start taking more risks. I want to challenge more. I want to push the boundaries more. I think it will make me better.

Following the rules has worked out pretty well for me. I’m not sure I’m ready to cast them all to the wind and run amok. But with age (and maturity?) comes the recognition that challenging the status quo is a good thing.

I think I might finally be ready to break some rules!

Category: Breaking the Rules

50 Years from Now

I’m Ready to Break Some Rules