Every day may not be good, but there's something good in every day (Alice Morse Earle)

Photo by Laura Chouette on Unsplash

Humans working in serene harmony together towards a common purpose is pretty rare in my experience.

I tend to have blinkers on most of the time (things happen around me all the time about which I'm blithefully unaware), but even at Macleans College I had some tetchy moments with a couple of staff.  

It can't always be smooth sailing, and it's never going to be perfect because when humans rub up against each other there are tensions.

I've come close to it a few times, and it's worth pursuing to an extent, but the emotional intelligence index is not consistently high within any school staff.

That said, a charismatic leader certainly helps.

Colin Prentice's leadership and strong moral compass at Macleans College is the main reason I felt a palpable feeling of esprit d'accor - a spirit of harmony, while I was there.  

As I said, it's pretty rare.

The best listeners listen between the lines (Nina Malkin)

Photo by Aurora K on Unsplash

Here's a few more things needed to be a good listener:

• Some ears
• Eye contact (focus)
• Seek first to understand
• Look and learn (be observant)
• 'Hmmmm', 'Mmmmm' (avoid the temptation to interrupt)

None of that is hard. So why are the majority of people so pathetic at it?

Surround yourself with people who are going to motivate and inspire you (Charles M. Marcus)

Photo by Vladislav Vedenskii
on Unsplash

Back to the brick factory this week.

I use that metaphor from time to time - comparing a school to a brick factory. The idea comes from William Goldman's great book about making movies in Hollywood, Adventures in the Screen Trade.

By using the metaphor (making movies and working in a brick factory), he's able to capture superbly and succinctly the challenges, complexities, unpredictability and chaos involved in making movies.

That has also always seemed a good metaphor for teaching in my opinion.
 

I think the one lesson I have learned is that there is no substitute for paying attention (Diane Sawyer)

 

Photo by Eric Mok on Unsplash

There is a ship and it sails on the sea, loaded deep as deep can be (Bob Dylan and Joan Baez)

Photo by Elina Emurlaeva on Unsplash

I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

That's an apt quote from Jimmy Dean (a country music singer and TV personality). It describes how I feel as I navigate my way in new schools, which all come with their own unique cultures and personalities.

I think it's good advice to school leaders, as well.