This pandemic has been very draining and demanding for so many of us. One of the things we have faced as school leaders was trying to hold events for the kids that we traditionally have: assemblies, spirit days, informational parent nights, school dances, motivational talks, etc.
Like so many others, the ability to hold these events has presented great challenges in the work that we are trying to do for kids. Over this time, through meetings, conversations, seeing different ways, and having different ideas, we started asking not if we can run a function, but how we can run a function? Not if we have graduation, but how can we have a graduation?
This simple change of mindset, the simple addition of the word, how, really opened my mind to so many different possibilities. If we’ve decided that we’re going to try to do it then let’s collaborate on the how? We can talk about hurdles and all of the things that are going to pop up as potential problems, but not let’s cancel it. Let’s talk about how we are going to get it done. We can always fall back on the virtual option right? Everyone can jump on a Google meet if that’s the last resort, but let’s talk about how?
We can do it outside, spread out, limited capacity, safety precautions, barriers and protective devices, etc. If we ask how we can do it then we can do it and keep that mindset of let’s try to run these nice opportunities for our kids.
This is a picture from the community parade at last year’s graduation for the class of 2020. I love this picture. Look at the expression, the joy, and the enthusiasm that’s there. It was amazing what could be achieved by having these conversations and collaborative meetings. We continuously asked not if we could have a graduation but how we could have a graduation?
It was an amazing process and I’m so grateful to all of the stakeholders who had a hand and voice in making it happen. This parade I believe is here to stay for good, and I’m excited about that! It’s just one example of what can happen if we continue to ask the question, how? Good luck in your planning and preparations with your school or organization as you move forward through the summer. If I can help you in any way, don’t hesitate to reach out @andrewmarotta21 on Twitter.
Keep Rolling everyone! #SurviveThrive
Questions? Comments? Comment on the blog
#LeadershipSparks: A Little Bit A Lot Of The Time
“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy
can totally transform one million realities.”
—Maya Angelou
