Finding My Purpose
It’s the New Year. I’ve been on winter break for nine days. And like most vacations I am finding it extremely difficult to turn it off and take a pause from teaching and dedicating myself to my students and my school. But I’m okay with this.
I brought home a stack of books that I wanted to read — or at least start reading.
I started with Think Wrong by John Bielenberg, Mike Burn, Greg Galle, Elizabeth Evitts Dickinson, and Michael Braley. This transformational resource reminded me that the status quo is status awful, and that I need to think wrong, think creatively, and do the hard work that is necessary for my customers — my students and their families.
Their stories are essentially design thinking to the next level, a practice and system I need to develop in my classroom. Think Wrong also helped me better understand my role as an Outlaw and how to handle relationships with other non-Outlaws. I’ve since shared this book with one of my colleagues and I hope it makes the rounds to others in my building.
Next up was The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun. If you haven’t read this life-changing story, please do so immediately. Let me know if you want my copy. I’d be happy to ship it to you. It’s that good!
Adam’s story taught me that finding one’s purpose in life is a journey with twists and turns, potholes, roadblocks, and forks in the road. But no matter what obstacles you face, meet them head on and push valiantly forward. If you want something bad enough, you will make it happen.
The other transformation Promise taught me is that our purposes change, especially when we are leaders. Eight years ago, I helped found Knox Gifted Academy in Chandler, AZ, the first-ever public academically gifted school in Arizona. I knew I was a leader at this school mostly because others told me I was. I’ve never fully embraced this title or the responsibilities that go along with being a leader. But Adam’s story has helped me understand what leading is and what it can be — and what it’s not.
As I reflected on this past year and began to think about the year ahead, I struggled to find my one word to guide me both professionally and personally. But thanks to the Think Wrong Team and Adam Braun, my #onelittleword for 2019 has become crystal clear. And while I may not know exactly what my purpose is, I know that I’m on the journey of a lifetime to uncover, rediscover, redefine it.
