From time to time I have taken some of Seth Godin’s ideas and have related them to an educational setting. In previous posts, I have written about Alienating the 2%, Thinking of School as an Experience, and the Pleasant Reassurance of New Words.
A recent post, What’s your job? struck me. Teaching, and education in general, is such an interesting profession because there are multiple ways to teach successfully. To realize a common definition of our purpose (just what is the purpose of schooling or education?) and our role (what is an elevator speech for what teachers do?) is almost impossible. Godin writes:
What’s your job?
Not your job title, but your job. What do you do when you’re doing your work? What’s difficult and important about what you do, what change do you make, what do you do that’s hard to live without and worth paying for?
“I change the people who stop at my desk, from visitors to guests.”
“I give my boss confidence.”
“I close sales.”
If your only job is “showing up,” time to raise the stakes.
As a teacher, part of my job was to ensure my History 12 students did REALLY well on the government exam. I also thought my job was to ensure students were interested in pursuing more learning opportunities in English, Law and History after taking the class (hopefully) than before taking it. I also thought part of my job was to add value and create community beyond what students could find in a textbook or on the Internet.
Now, as superintendent, I think my job is to keep us moving in the right direction. And there are so many moving parts — from politics and labour issues to new curriculum and pedagogies. So, part of my current job is to ensure our district is more than a collection of independent contractors who share a common location. It can be challenging and it is always a balancing act — pushing and supporting, giving attention to one area at the expense of another and then readjusting the whole.
It would be interesting, if not challenging, to put a one-sentence reply on “what we do” on an organizational chart. So, back to where I started and “What’s your job?” There are so many different, innovative and fitting ways to do the job. The more superintendents I meet and come to know, the more I am impressed by their approach to leadership and how they have taken ownership of the ‘job’. The person who will follow me will make the job theirs and it will likely look very different from what it is now. Also likely, the people around them will have different approaches and facets to their jobs. Several highly accomplished superintendents in West Vancouver have shown us this through the years.
I think part of what is exciting and can also drive one crazy about education: is there one inclusive and all-encompassing answer to the “What’s Your Job” question?
I am curious to know what others see as their “job”.
cultureofyes.ca 
Chris, I’m a Seth Gidin fan as well and was equally struck by this particular post of his. I like the way you’ve incorporated this understanding of, “What is your job?” Into a reflection of our jobs as educators. There is a powerful moment to be found in moving away from titles and job descriptions and into describing the meaningful everyday role we play in supporting our staffs and students as well as in helping our staff see the many roles they play in their students lives and those of their colleagues.
I show up, make a mess, start a fire or two (metaphorically of course) have a chuckle or two, help people out when they need it, make the odd person go “hmmmm” and head home.
This post has me thinking…I wonder if a school or district’s vision statement could be part of the one sentence “what we do” statement. I’m going to mull on this one today 🙂
There will be someone to follow you? 🙂
I find it hard to think in terms of the word “job” because what I do now is varied and doesn’t fit the expected parameters of a “job”. When I look at the commonalities though, from being a Trustee to being a Mom to being a grad student to being a TA to being a volunteer and so on, I think my job is to contribute understanding. My job is to build understanding. I like that: I’m an architect of knowledge – I contribute ideas, thoughts, comments, suggestions which I hope will help others create platforms and springboards to further accomplishments and achievements. So, my own contribution may be small, but if I can get one other person to look at an issue in a new way or get a group of others to resolve a dilemma, I think that’s a good thing and a valued contribution. It may not pay very well, but there are other rewards!
I love your definition. I build understanding. In a nutshell.
As we ponder what your/our job is, let me add one word – facilitator. As a person who was in your district for four decades, THAT is the word I longed for at the Board Office level. I met my first district superintendent in the district when I was hired. I never saw him again. He seemed nice and undoubtedly had impeccable taste. The next superintendent I met was at a Board meeting when I accompanied three of my students after they had won first, third and fourth in an international essay competition. The leader at the time quipped that we must have won because no one else had entered (There were over 3000 entries from 40 countries…) One superintendent had his schools compete against each other. THAT seemingly good idea cut off sharing between schools in the district for decades. There were superintendents who gave us the technology to do our jobs well or made upgrading our qualifications easy and seamless. There were enlightened educator/leaders who knew the key to a student’s success resided in early detection of problems. THAT was a breakthrough and THAT decision helped thousands and still continues to help. He also knew that in negotiations with teachers Win/Crush was Pyrrhic.There were others who believed statistics explained everything. They don’t but the endless and meaningless meetings about them sapped the vitality of school leaders… Facilitator… For decades I prayed Board officials and principals would be facilitators or at very least be benign. Too often that prayer went unanswered. Facilitator… What can I do to move this along? What do you need to make that a reality? Sometimes a facilitator simply shows up at a classroom door to say thank you for being a big part of our team…
My job is to ensure that the students in my care each day are safe and supported. Moreover, it is my job to see that they are challenged, inspired and recognized for their individuality. This is the job that I share with my staff, and one that I take very seriously.
Hi Chris,
West Vancouver teacher Laura Magrath is taking up this question in a blog she just launched – http://lauramagrath.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/whats-left-to-bring/.
I plan to follow her posts as she reflects on some of the questions she poses in her first post:
What does it mean to think critically? What are the tools am I using to teach critical thinking?
What is metacognition and how am I helping students to think about their thinking?
How am I helping students to formulate their own questions and to think deeply?
In what ways am I teaching ‘web wisdom’? How am I teaching students to use the web to: research, judge, critique, inspire, question, engage?
How am I using community resources and local contexts to make learning more relevant and meaningful?
My job is to inspire a lifelong passion for music – composers, singers, singer/songwriters, instrumentalists, listeners, consumers, dancers, figure skaters, movie/video game creators, comedians. I want them all to have space and time to grow in my classes. To develope their passions, to delve deeply into their souls for creative compositions and stories that move people.
My job is to provoke thinking…
I don’t think of teaching as “my job” – it’s my passion. I could go on for hours about how I feel and why I say this. but I don’t think I need to.
My job is to advocate for students. As the District Principal for Special Services, I have many “duties” to perform and many “protocols” to follow, but it all boils down to the kids. I see my job as ensuring that all students receive a quality education, reach their protential, and leave our system with “dignity, purpose, and options”.
Thanks Kelly – I love the phrasing around wanting all students to leave our system with dignity, purpose and options – it so nicely summarizes what we want for our learners.