Page 14 - LeaderShift 2020: Chapter One -Who Really Needs Another Leadership Book!

LeaderShift 2020 LEADERSHIFT 2020 DEFINED
I still vividly recall my first experiences teaching middle school students. Needless to say, they were simultaneously daunting, frightening, and invigorating times. The challenging nature of those early days was less about the rambunctious young students who demanded learning experiences that were both relevant and meaningful (to them, not me), and more about the system and physical environment in which I had to practice my craft.
Those were the days of the Commodore 64, the Apple 2GS, the 5.25” floppy. Each decorated the shelves of my classroom quite well. I quickly learned that my many years training and preparation for the professional life I had chosen needed to be quickly abandoned or I would never survive - nor would my students intellectually thrive if I did not immediately adjust to their learning needs and demands.
LeaderShift 2020 is about leading out necessary educational change. Not just any change, but the authentic pedagogical change needed if our children are to thrive in a world that’s fundamentally different from the world we lived in when we were students. There’s lots of talk today about the critical need for modern schooling to ensure the “new basics” needed by all students if they are going to survive in the culture of the 21st century. Yet, for the most part, our system continues to reflect the Industrial Age mindset, with a continued emphasis on Jeopardy intelligence that rewards those who can retain the most information for the longest period of time. Remarkably, although
Who Really Needs Another Leadership Book
13