Stories we carry #IEedchat #Slowchat

A lot has happened this year.  As the year closes it’s challenging to sum up the events that have happened.  New baby (Emerson), work site (HHS), job (Tech TOSA), and tons more.

One thing that has stood out to me came from an audiobook I listened to on my morning commute not too long ago, Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull.  For those of you that haven’t heard of the book, it’s a history of the development of Pixar as told by its current President, Edwin Catmull.

There’s a metaphor in the book that keeps coming back to me.  It had to do with a handle and a suitcase.  Take a minute and do your own quick read on the excerpt.  To add some context Catmull is talking about his struggle with catch-phrases, and sentence fragment philosophies that lose meaning when the story behind them isn’t present.  He and other leaders in his company push some great core values, but noticed that the actual value in these was getting lost because people were only latching onto the punchline handle and not appreciating the story suitcase that gave it so much value.

The world of education is ever changing, and educators are kings and queens of acronyms, and catchy, quick-fix like methods and programs.  If I’ve learned nothing else as an educator it’s that the programs that stick, the change that takes hold, has a lot more to do with the suitcase and the stories behind the punchline.  The staff and students that I’ve witnessed true growth in didn’t happen because of a magical pill overnight.  It happens when the narrative builds over time, and then is summarized into a package you can carry.

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Reflect:
Look back at the last 10 months. Share some wisdom that stands out to you with the #IEedchat family (tweets/blog posts welcome).

— Inland Empire EdChat (@ieedchat) May 30, 2016

So my nugget for the #IEedchat #Slowchat prompt this week is this:

TOSAs working with staff, teachers working with students, parents working with kids: change takes time, build the narrative, then look for a handle to grab onto and carry the change with you.