Create Solidarity in Your School Through a Common Goal 

For this blog, you will need a piece of paper and a pen or pencil.

Got it? Great. Let’s get started.

First, imagine the perfect school. Take a moment to really think about it. Walk the halls, observe the people, take notice of what that school is like to be in. Visit the ideal school in your mind for a moment.

Now ask yourself, what are the differences between the perfect school in your mind, and your own school? On the top half of that piece of paper, list those differences. Write them down one by one as you think of them. Take your time.

Got that list? Great. Now we’re going to widdle it down.

Of those things you’ve listed, circle the ones that you and your peers could actually do something about. Which of those items could you make a reality? If it’s even within the realm of possibility, go ahead and circle it.

Now, of those circled items… Which ONE would be the easiest to do?

Do you think you could get a few of your peers together to get started on that idea? Try it out. See if it works. Give it a go and see what happens. Afterward, discuss amongst your peers whether or not you could see yourself doing this sort of thing regularly. If so, you’ve got a group of do-gooders, and that is the most powerful force on the planet. Maybe you can tackle another item on your list next 🙂

I have seen in our PD workshops that a shared goal can unify a school and ignite its culture, even if it’s only a small one to start. We generally have a shared idea of what an ideal school would look like. Some of the specifics of that imagined ideal might vary, but on the whole, we all have the same idea. That shared vision is a powerful tool, and the more you collaborate with others, the closer we all can get to it.