Quote-A-Day: Day 114

Lack of #experience doesn't mean lack of #ability. #QuoteADay #Day114 #edchat #edu #YouCanDoIt

Here's a bit about me to speak to this point. . .

I taught eighth grade science for ten years and served as a department chair for about half that time.  I greatly enjoyed working in the classroom, so when I left to become our regional science coordinator, the move was bittersweet.  Two years later, I find myself serving as our assistant director of curriculum, working with assistant superintendents from districts in our region.

By all accounts, I'm an educator who has gathered about fifteen years of experience leading and learning.  Yet, from a central office perspective, I'm relatively inexperienced, with only three years "under my belt."

That being said, I'm honored to work for an agency and in a region where experience doesn't equal ability.  My perspective and ideas are considered just as critically as everyone else's, and for that, I am very grateful.

We need to place ourselves in locations where our age, time in a role, or general life experience doesn't label us as being incapable of success (or even worse, truly learning).

If our agencies don't support this type of open thinking, then we need to ask ourselves, "Are we in the right place?"

The fact of the matter is that experience does matter, but not any more than characteristics such as collaborative ability, creativity, critical thinking, grit, and a host of other leading and learning needs.

We need to make sure that we are never blinded by where folks come from and how long they've been there.  That is never the true test of what people are capable of.