PTC - Morning Pearl
A tradition at the Principals' Training Center (PTC) is the morning pearl. While I do not consider myself somebody fully comfortable in the public speaking role, I see delivering the Pearl as being somewhat akin to a rite of passage for PTC participants and so found myself, four years since I first went to Selsden, wearing pearls one Monday morning. As much as the thought of knowing I would be standing in front of staring at almost 100 people could have easily overwhelmed me, I knew it was a safe space due to the culture that we co-create in our class, at our table groups, with elbow partners, our seasonal partners, informal discussions, and more.
The positive energy, kind/supportive words, and general encouragement from our PTC colleagues that come throughout the day when we struggle with new concepts are another hallmark of our days at PTC. The smallest acknowledgement and/or encouragement can have a huge impact and often the one delivering those words may be unaware of the power of their words. With those thoughts in mind, I felt it important to share this activity with colleagues who work in a variety of schools around the world.
I shared that, despite the crazy days, a small image on the wall in my office acts as a gentle reminder to me about the impact our words and actions can have on those within our school community. This is an activity I had previously done with a class of Grade Three students and can be used with students and staff within our school communities.
Step 1 - take a piece of paper.
Step 2 - draw a heart.
Step 3 - colour the heart and make it as beautiful as possible.
Step 4 - take the beautiful image and gently make it into a snowball, pack it tight.
Step 5 - take your paper and make it as flat as you possibly can.
Despite best efforts, it was not possible to make the paper heart as beautiful as it initially was.
My purpose in sharing this activity was to remind all that despite our best intentions, misjudged words and actions can have a huge impact on our relationships and school culture and may have long lasting repercussions.
As we strive to continue to create safe spaces for not just our students, but our whole community, including ourselves, so as to take risks - my pearl for my PTC colleagues to takeaway could be, best expressed in the words of Simon Sinek: “Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about taking care of those in your charge.”