An Ode to the Leaders of Learning

Hey, you, Socrates, take one step forward......everyone else, take one step backward. This is a battlefield promotion. You're the Leader! It's not the Superintendent. It's not even the Principal. It's you!

Like Socrates, you, teacher, are your own leader. You are the one and true leader of the learners entrusted to you. You lead your learners. And more:

• you respect them all,
• you take them as they are,
• you encourage them endlessly,
• you never give up on them,
• you affirm them with praise and encouragement,
• you send them back to their task when the product of their work is lacking,
• you elicit from them the answers to questions they never thought they knew,
• you expect their best from them, always,
• you model learning for them by remaining yourself a learner,
• you tell them failures are just another step to knowledge,
• you truly care for them, each and every one.

And at last, when they leave your classroom, you send them on their way with their own fishing poles and toolkits for learning how to learn.

YOU are the leader! A fellow teacher may encourage you. A principal who truly cares about you may have your back.

But no Superintendent has ever led you into your daily battle against ignorance. No superintendent is in your classroom to help those kids who need help right now. No superintendent gives you kudos when it's due or help when you need it most. No Superintendent passes on the culture and the breadth and depth of what we need to know.

Superintendents may be required by law. A teacher is required by students. A teacher is the real and true leader.

Inspirational Quotes on Teaching and Learning

These powerful quotes gathered by Mr. Vincent are worth sharing:

Education & Technology Quotes

View more presentations from Tony Vincent.

The Saturn School Story and Educational Reform

Thanks to Shelly Terrell who interviewed me recently on the Saturn School of Tomorrow and School Reform.

Here's the video: