Every day, a favorite in my life is when my entire family makes it back home from work. Stories, smiles, laughter, and the occasional wrestle by the 5- and 6-year-old boys. I admire their attitude over the last two years. Just going with the flow, finding joy in the little things, and I stopped tonight to say, “You are the reason.”
Today we are seeing shifts in demographics, technology, globalization, and ideologies in general, all at the same time. With things evolving so quickly, it's normal to experience anxiety, uncertainty, fear, and even helplessness. Many teachers, administrators, principals, and other school staff don't quite feel equipped to lead in the face of such rapid changes and polarizing social landscapes. It's hard to know where to turn when we're all busy trying to create new norms, policies, and processes in our way as we go. It seems that any energy spent is getting through the day, with limited capacity to address larger, more systemic issues that we see in our schools and communities.
What happens when adults get out of the way and allow students opportunities to lead, speak their truths, and we as adults become the students?
Greatness. The Association of Washington Student Leaders’ mission has been to provide student leadership opportunities that support and increase the social success of all students. This past year, we internally asked ourselves, “How are we living our mission?” It began with the AWSL Student Voice and Advisory Council working alongside us, examining how AWSL can be more effective for students. This group of students worked with AWSP to provide student voice and stories to crucial issues taking place in our schools and the world.
The Association of Washington Student Leaders is a division of the Washington School Principals’ Education Foundation
Sponsored by the Association of Washington School Principals
