3 for FREE! 10.13.19
By: Dynamix Llc
Tags: Education

By Lani Aquino

Being vulnerable in a professional environment can be difficult. When that environment is one that has a more collaborative and team-centered way of looking at growth and success, it is a lot easier to let vulnerability be a much-needed stepping stone toward creating positive change. This edition of 3 for FREE! offers a quote, practice, and professional read that can help instructional leaders see the importance of creating a school and district culture where these vulnerabilities that are pivotal to change and growth can occur.

Words to Inspire

“Being vulnerable is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of strength.” –Karamo Brown

Practice to Implement

2 Stars & a Wish — This Dynamix process allows meeting attendees to zero in on both the takeaways and the elements that could use some more exploration in a meeting. At the end of a meeting, everyone is asked to record 2 things that were learned and 1 wish for a topic/area they would like to learn about more/explore further. The star items allow meeting leaders to check for understanding, and the wishes give team members a chance to add some vulnerability and express the need for more practice, coverage, etc. with a particular topic, concept, or initiative. Depending on what has been covered, these could even be anonymous responses. Adding names to the response would allow for some more individualized follow up on areas that need further attention. Using 2 Stars & a Wish as a closing activity gives all group members a chance to reflect on the material and information that was covered.

Professional Perspective

In this ASCD Educational Leadership article, Paul Emerich France shares The Value of Vulnerability. As a classroom teacher committed to providing the best possible educational experiences for his students, he openly reflects on the key role that vulnerability plays in ensuring this. While the article speaks to the need to let new teachers express their vulnerabilities, the overall takeaways are applicable to those at all experience levels inside and outside of the classroom.

The classroom example he shares from early in his career shows how being able to express to his administrator and his team that his expertly planned lesson was effectively bombing was positively impactful. He was able to share this lesson in failure with his students, move forward in planning with his team, and have positive interactions with his administrator about next steps. Without the ability and the environment to express vulnerabilities and be vulnerable, this experience would’ve had a much different outcome.

Making positive strides and gains in the classroom and in overall school and district culture requires the ability of stakeholders to try new things and enter into unchartered territories. These forays out of comfort zones require certain levels of vulnerability and a willingness to experiences failures and learn from them.

Within this culture, it is still necessary to maintain accountability. Allowing people to be vulnerable does not mean that there is a lack of accountability in moving forward. There is still a need for thoughtful planning and alignment of curriculum. Within these boundaries and expectations, there also need to be, “…times when teachers can take calculated risks with their pedagogy and interact with equally vulnerable colleagues to improve their practice.”

France has 3 suggestions for investing in the humanity of educators to foster a positive environment that lets vulnerability be a stepping stone for greatness:

1. Create a Culture of Collective Efficacy- When everyone is working together for a common purpose (student success), an environment is created that allows individuals to take those bigger leaps. The knowledge that the team is backing them can give others the confidence to take on new challenges because the outcome won’t be personally catastrophic if it doesn’t go as planned.

2. Take Courageous and Calculated Risks- and Reflect on Them- Stepping out of the box and taking these risks can’t be a haphazard endeavor. As stated before, the accountability factor is still there, but the careful planning and consideration of big moves can also be encouraged. Once these strides have been taken, the reflection process is imperative to continued improvement and growth.

3. Share Your Identity- Selective vulnerability won’t lead to the powerful changes and growth that come when true vulnerability involving more than just pedagogy exists. When team members humanize themselves, they create an overall environment where others feel they can open up and express their own vulnerabilities. The feeling of belonging goes a long way toward building positive culture.

In closing, France refers to the current Age of Empathy that today’s students are entering. As educators and learning environment creators, it is imperative that students are properly prepared for this new connectedness where empathy and contributing are foundational factors. The ability to be vulnerable should be a practiced component for positively engaging in the current world.

Possessing the comfort to express vulnerability is easier said than done. In a well-designed school and district culture, it will be more likely to occur. This edition of 3 for FREE! offers some inroads for building a culture that allows for vulnerability and its resulting growth and positive change.

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