In his latest blog posting, Paul McDermott, a superintendent from suburban Chicago, says he has relearned an important lesson about sharing from his experiences at the AASA national conference. He says he will now be looking for opportunities for better sharing in his professional life.

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Sharing is Good

I distinctly remember being taught the lesson to share. I had toys that my sibling wanted. They had something I wanted and so on. My parents intervened and taught that sharing is good. Sharing is not only solution-oriented but is an example of active learning.

Expanding on this topic, this conference has served as a poignant reminder that we, I, need to share. In this conference setting, we may be talking more specifically of sharing ideas, best practices, and success stories. Nonetheless, the practical and necessary lesson learned years ago about interacting with others (and sharing) still holds true.

Both in the general session this morning and in my first breakout session on publishing, they exposed the idea that we have a lot of information to share with our colleagues. Continually seeking out and finding the right avenue and most effective means for this conversation is important for our profession and healthy for our psyche. I think many of us fear that our ideas are unrefined or unworthy, but the truth is that the idea you’re sitting on may be the impetus for transformation in your own district, or the district next door.

My charge now is to keep the conversation going, to empower my team to adopt this philosophy, and to share with those around me.