Having spent most of my life in Canada, indoor recess was just a part of life, both as a student and as a member of the faculty. A game that is often played during recess is jenga – the object s to create towers and then players take turns removing a brick at a time without causing the whole thing to collapse.
It is fun to walk through the school during a recess when students in different classrooms are playing Jenga. Depending on their ages, personalities, patience, ability to reason or visualize, each game has different dynamics.
Very rarely does moving quickly or thoughtlessly help the player. By the same token, a tower that was built poorly has little success of staying strong, no matter how thoughtful the players are.
Being an educational leader is very much like facilitating a game of Jenga. The greatest leaders ensure that much thought and enough time is taken before making significant decisions. For Principals just starting out, the best thing you can do is to seek out a mentor who can hop you visualize the outcomes of your decisions long before you make any.
Your main task as a leader is ensuring the community stays strong. At times, the bricks may be moved, added or removed strategically to strengthen the community, and while risk is inherent, it can be mitigated.
Today’s Goal: Lord, help me seek the wisdom of others – particularly those who have proven over time to be closely aligned with you.
