January 13th, 2020

He'd never know it, but the leader I have in mind has made a powerful impact on me as an educator. "I'm on a teacher's contract, I'm not here to evaluate you," is what he'd say each time I'd stutter with trepidation to reflect after he would observe my minilesson. He was the kind of leader who did not need positional authority to influence educators. A true example of a Simon Sinek leader, he could get you to believe what he believed with his sheer exuberance and unequivocal belief that all kids could access the challenging math program set before us to teach. This leader was calm and patient in his questioning with both with students and faculty alike. Eliciting higher order thinking and reflection each time he conferred, adults and children learned in a safe and exciting space with him.

Often he'd lead the minilesson and allow me to both watch and critique the work of the children and of himself. He was honest in his experience, sometimes admitting the result was not his intended outcome. Empathetic and trustworthy, I was not afraid to ask him for help and he became enthused just discussing a difficult problem set or topic. His passion was matched by his competence and I felt he was continually learning himself as he'd show a new technique he learned from another teacher. This willingness to adapt, change, and reteach allowed me to have the freedom to make mistakes, learn from them, and share my experiences with my own students. This coach was a tremendous leader in many ways, but overall helped me refine and shape who I want to be as an educator and coach to our students.