Strength-Based Leadership: Building a Positive Community of Practice

I'm spoiled. Yep. I admit it! My school is amazing. I love love LOVE the people I work with and for, the district that strives to push me beyond where I thought I could go, parents that would do just about anything for me, and students that light up my day with their creativeness, thinking, and compassion for one another. How in the world did my school become so amazing you ask? Positivity. Community. Strength.

I've always wondered what it would be like to work in a building where the focus was constantly on what was  wrong with instruction, student learning, behavior, and so on. I have to believe that the overall feeling is dread, anguish, and certainly exhaustion. How would that environment change if the focus was strength instead of weakness?

Working in a community of practice that has leadership who is focused on strengths of the people within it, really does make all the difference! As far as I can see, everyone in my building is valued, respected, and celebrated by teacher leaders on a consistent basis. Knowing this, it is clear that the staff at my school has the desire to continue to build on their strengths, learn, and grow as professionals. As evidence of this, all classroom teachers at my school either are working on a Master's degree or have already obtained one! We consistently collaborate as grade level teams sharing what is working in our classrooms so that all students can benefit. The overall moral is high and feeling in the school positive. That affects EVERYONE that steps foot in our building. I am proud of that.