President’s
Perspective
Debbie Atkinson AAEA Board President Elementary Principal
It’s All in Your Perspective Month after month as I ponder what is worth sharing in an article to encourage educational administrators, various ideas slip through my mind as I’m navigating the bumpy road of my daily routine. This year may have provided a few extra bumps along the way. I have hit a few potholes, and went down a side road or two that was washed out at times. This analogy got me thinking about the perspective of my unique journey this year. Webster defines perspective as 1) a mental view and 2) the capacity to view things in their true relations or relative importance. Your perspective is the way you see something. Perspective has a Latin root meaning "look through" or "perceive," and all the meanings of perspective have something to do with looking. We can all see the same exact thing, but our perspectives can be vastly different.
Are we changing our perspective and considering these washed-out roads as chances to build new bridges? Are roadblocks viewed as an opportunity to take roads normally not taken? Are angry parents viewed as an opportunity to bring understanding and create advocates? Could questionable legislative issues be viewed as ways to build relationships with your legislator and educate your community? What if we viewed all of these as challenges and learning opportunities, not problems? It truly is all about perspective. I challenge you to spend some time reflecting on your personal perspective this week. As educational administrators, you will always be called upon to be difference makers. Remember that the sun never actually sets. That is your perspective. Your sunset is someone else’s sunrise.
I want us to think about our own perspectives and how we manage the bumps in our roads. As educational leaders, I doubt a day goes by in which we each are not dealt some type of “issue” to handle. This might be a small bump, a deep pothole, or a complete road washout. Think about your past few days and how you have managed those. As we accumulate years in education, we certainly should be accumulating experience. Are we letting our experience grow us in love? Compassion? Patience? Understanding? Self-control? The art of listening? All of those things translate into maturing our perspective.
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