Be You

This week's big event for me was an interview for a principal position. My school district holds an event titled Aspiring Leaders. The event combines activities such as an interview, several role playing activities, and situational problem solving scenarios. This was my second year participating in the event. It is not a professional development opportunity, it is a competitive process the district uses to gather information regarding filing principal vacancies.

This year's event provided me with an important lesson. The lesson is to be yourself. I mentioned that I participated in the event last year. Last year, during the interview process I could have performed better. While answering questions, rather than speaking from the heart, instead I searched for the "perfect" answer. I was nervous, too. Rather than just speaking my mind, I attempted to answer the question almost from a textbook standpoint. The result was likely stiff and impersonal. I was afraid to make a mistake. This year my strategy was to be myself and to trust my instincts. I listened to the question and did my best to respond with what I thought or how I would handle the situation. I did not search for a correct answer, I shared my answer. In a few weeks, I will receive feedback on my performance, so then I will know how I did. However, with the honest approach I am more confident with my interview.

I share this experience because I think it is valuable and translates to life and school. We cannot always worry about finding the textbook answer. We cannot approach challenges in a rigid manner. Be comfortable. Be yourself. Trust your instincts. Find your right answer. Believe in what you have learned from your experiences. You cannot be someone else. You can only focus on being the best version of yourself and for that to happen you need authenticity. You have to put your voice out there. Put your personal touch on your work. This lesson is very transferable to the educational world. Your classroom cannot be generic or cookie-cutter. It needs your spin on it. Your lessons must include your interests, in addition to the interests of your students. Your classroom needs pictures of you outside of school. Your office needs pictures of your family. Students and teammates must know who you are. If you go about your job without inserting your personality, your performance will only be a fraction of what it could be. Whatever you do, make it yours.