Only ask for what you would be willing to do yourself
I recently was browsing my Pinterest feed (which my students assure me does not count as social media and that I am very "uncool" for having one) and stumbled across a quote that resonated with me. It was as follows:
Remember the difference between a boss and a leader; a boss says “Go!” – a leader says “Let’s go!” ~E.M. Kelly
When reading this, I was brought back to a moment that helped me change my perspective of my role as a teacher during my second year in the trenches.
We had a local clinician come visit the band hall one afternoon to work with the ensembles. There was great information shared but what was more memorable were the actions that occurred after the rehearsal.
After the last ensemble, we had to clear the band hall so that the color guard could use the space for their class period shortly after. To my surprise, our clinician jumped right in and began helping rack chairs and stands. I mentioned to them that the students would take care of it, and their response was "I wouldn't ask anybody to do something that I wouldn't be willing to do myself".
For me, this was a realization that as the leader of this group of students, I had not always modeled what I was asking others to do. It was a humbling experience and suddenly I began to reflect on my actions with a fine toothcomb. Every day since then, if I am in the room, I always help with tearing down/setting up the chairs and stands for a group.
You may think that doing something like this feels "below your paygrade" but in reality, you are showing that you as a leader are willing to do whatever the group needs at that time to be successful and it will be noticed and reflected in the actions of others. In the days that followed my epiphany, we went from having a handful of students do the work of everyone to everyone pitching in and I do not think this is a coincidence.
I had the wonderful pleasure of being a part of the Boy Scouts of America (now known as the BSA) in my youth and was able to experience things that I would probably never have been exposed to without it. One of my favorite activities during my time with the troop was watercraft.
The most difficult activity was hands down the canoe. In my first few outings, we probably spent more time in the water than on top of it. It takes an incredible amount of teamwork and communication to sustain an effective effort to travel the body of water you are navigating. Let's take a 6-person team for example and their roles (taken from the Kai Ikaika Paddling Club in Portland, OR):
SEAT ONE: Seat 1 sets the pace and the stroke. Seat 1 must maintain a good “feel” for the movement (glide) of the canoe, and adjust the pace accordingly. This means watching the water ahead, and paying attention to the feel of the boat. Seat 1 also changes the rate depending upon the conditions. This seat will often have a paddle 1/4″ to ½” shorter than the back seats.
SEAT TWO: Seat 2 works with Seat 1 in maintaining the timing of the canoe on the opposite side. Seat 2 will mirror Seat 1 in timing and stroke length and should be watching the water with Seat 1 while quietly communicating with them to confirm how the boat feels, stroke rate and length. Seat 1 and 2 should establish short signals such as,”reach” for a longer stroke rate, “up” for increased rate, and others, as needed. If Seat 1 disagrees with a recommendation from seat two, they simply say “NO.”
SEAT THREE: Seat 3 (and 2) calls changes and always be aware of what is happening around the canoe (in order adjust stroke count). There will be times when the count must change – stay on one side to prepare for a turn, start sequences, riding waves, etc.
SEAT FOUR: Seat 4 watches the ama in rough water. Seat 4 also must also pass messages up the boat. Seats 4 and 5 are to power the boat and maintain balance.
SEAT SIX: Seat 5 and Seat 6 must quietly communicate and work together. When the crew shoves off, Seat 6 (also known as the steersperson) is responsible AND liable for the canoe and it’s paddlers. The FIRST responsibility of Seat 6 is crew safety, the second is canoe safety and third is steering and navigation. Seat 6 also keeps the crew in time, focused and motivated. After that, Seat 6 is a paddler.
One (or maybe more) of these roles you can probably relate to your current experiences. Maybe you are the one that keeps the program balanced, sets the pace for others to follow, or simply follows the pace set out. Regardless of your role, each one is vital to team success, and more importantly: No role is above paddling the canoe (even if it is not their priority).
I firmly believe that we have to take this same mindset into the way we interact with our students if we are truly committed to developing the whole child. You do not have to be the person picking up every piece of trash in the band hall, but you should be helping along with everyone else. If you are expecting students to be in their seats five minutes before rehearsal, then you should be at your podium at that time too. Our students are a reflection of us after all. If we are unhappy with the behavior of the program, It may be time to do some self-reflection.
It can be tough to accept and admit our shortcomings but humility is something we have to model as well. We will make mistakes, face situations of disappointment, and have moments of euphoria. Good, bad, or ugly: our students will look to us to see how they should react and learn from the situation, which may be one of the greatest lessons we can teach them.
I hope you have had a wonderful Spring semester and I am wishing you the best of luck on your push to your state evaluation, festival, or whatever goal you and your students are striving towards. If you're not satisfied with how things are progressing, try creating an example of how you want things to be instead. This can help inspire change in the right direction!
Yours in service,
Matt