In my corner of public education it’s very much the norm to remain inside your comfort zone.  In order to utter anything related to best practices or school improvement, you must have the right title in front of your name.  

Being vulnerable enough to share what’s going on inside your classroom, your grading practices, your instructional techniques, and your engagement strategies is often seen as bragging or gloating.  This attitude that educators must not challenge themselves and certainly not challenge each other doesn’t seem to align with what we’re asking our students to do.  What teacher wouldn’t want a classroom full of students who are vulnerable and eagerly seeking to strengthen their weaknesses, persevere, and learn something new?

I hope this post challenges educators to consider whether or not they are in our out.

• Administrators, what opportunities do you provide your staff to be vulnerable?  What opportunities do you provide those who talk easily in front of others?  What about those educators who are uncomfortable sharing in front of others?  How are you modeling being outside of your comfort zone?  How are you modeling vulnerability?  What challenges do you provide your teachers?  Can you name 3-5 administrators who challenge you and push you to do better for your school?
• Teachers, can you name 3-5 educators who challenge you and push you to do better for your students?  What have you shared with others lately in an attempt to be more vulnerable and step outside your comfort zone?  If your school provides few opportunities to grow, how do you leverage digital connections to learn, share, communicate, and grow?