What Aren't You Saying?

Recently a press conference video clip of Geno Auriemma, head coach of the University of Connecticut' s women's basketball team, has made a lot of news. (Click play if you haven't seen this) If you don't know Coach Auriemma, all you need to know is that he has coached UConn to eleven NCAA Division I National Championships. No one else has ever done that. Being the coach of the country's premier women's basketball program, he gets to do things his way. He chooses who he wants, when he wants them. Recruiting isn't his problem. He always has the top of the talent pool. His job is to manage that talent. In the clip, he does not talk about how many shots a player makes or their defensive skills. Instead he talks about body language and a player's attitude toward their teammates, even when they are on the bench.

Last week's blog was about teacher leadership and how we have to start by leading in our own classrooms. Beyond our rooms, teacher leaders are most valuable by building others around them and not themselves. That could not be more true today in our era of school accountability. If you can remember back to the beginning of the year when I showed everyone at a faculty meeting how our school report card grade is established, you know that very few classes directly impact that score. Just EOC courses count for growth and proficiency. Everyone else has the responsibility of building strong students in literacy, mathematics, science, critical thinking and career development, not to mention how we all contribute to the overall wellbeing of our students.

March is one of those tough times to be a teacher. We are tired and the kids are tired. It's an easy time to be frustrated. I get that way as well so I can't honestly tell you not to be. What I can ask is that, just like Coach Auriemma says, watch your body language. What are we telling our students and each other by not saying a word? Are we leading in the right direction? I think students and colleagues are particularly keen on seeing this in each other, probably because we spend so much time together. So even if you are not ready to be a vocal teacher leader, try being one that doesn't have to say anything at all.