Week 4 - Revamping the Vision by Creating a Frame
This past year was a train wreck at my place of employment. Morale was non-existent and many people, myself included, had a difficult time keeping our focus (student academic growth) foremost in our minds. We existed in a toxic environment. We were a group of people functioning (well, attempting to function) with no vision. There is a verse in the Bible, Proverbs 28:19, "Where there is no vision, the people will perish." While this verse is speaking specifically about the nation of Israel not allowing God to work in their hearts, I believe that the principle stands true for other instances where vision is necessary. Without a clear direction or purpose, the group will wither and wander. That was us. That was me. Yikes. The chapter on Frameworks for Possibility was comparable to throwing a lifeline to a drowning victim.
I appreciated what Zander had to say about distinguishing what is "on track" versus "off track" for the possibility framework. It is easy to get off track and lose sight, but keeping on track keeps you focused. The word "vision" is an oft-used term these days, but we don't really understand the meaning of the word. A vision can move schools (or any organization) from lethargic and aimless to focused on "possibility."
This chapter has made me realize the importance of pulling myself and my colleagues (and yes, my school) out of our downward spiral. Perhaps setting a true vision will help us do that.
Karen, great choice of words and visuals. I felt exactly the same way this past school year. My work environment was truly toxic. It forced the vision right out of me…and many of the other teachers at my school. It is so easy to join the downward spiral. It is a much harder thing to pull yourself out of it when the environment that you are in seems to feed the toxicity. This book has certainly reminded me to put things into perspective and to change my way of thinking, even in seemingly bleak situations. Once you change your perspective, that vision can become clear again. The demands that are placed on educators to produce factory-like results has a huge effect on morale of everyone involved – administrators, teachers, students, and parents. The pressure is great. If we can light that spark and hold on to our vision, we will make a contribution. If we can keep our perspective on why we went into education in the first place, we can overcome the negativity. Most of the time, this is easier said than done but if we keep reminding ourselves maybe it will just become second nature to us.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that you have been able to catch a bit of the possibility for yourself, your coworkers and work place. It's so hard when the circumstances seem to be completely pitched against us to see that we still have power in our lives and that we do not have to just go through the motions. Hang in there.
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