I wrote in the previous Insightful Educator newsletter about a thought I’ve been having related to why I went into education in the first place
In that newsletter, I wrote that our purpose is typically deeply rooted to our woundedness, that is: that place where our hearts have been broken open
Later that week, I had dinner with two friends and brought up that same topic. One said he understood exactly what I meant and went on to describe the wound that led him into education
The other person felt the word “wound” was too heavy a word and wondered if it might cause more harm than good
I thought about that and decided my second friend was probably right
The word “wound” carries with it a lot of heavy baggage and weight for sure, but the concept I think is still relevant (at least to me):
At some point, to do the work of education requires a piercing of one’s heart in such a way that it breaks open in service to others
Now, this might be true of other professions
Perhaps accountants, mechanics, and advertisers also have a moment that pierced their heart in a way that led them into their fields
But here’s what I’m pretty convinced of having served in education for thirty years:
I think it is all but impossible to choose the field of education without having experienced a woundedness or piercing of one’s heart in some way
(I did have another educator friend tell me that she knew some teachers who didn’t seem to operate from a piercing of their heart, but my response was that there can be a difference between a teacher and an educator as I’ve written about extensively here in this newsletter).
This is why I think educators and those in the service of education are “wounded soldiers” in the way Thornton Wilder writes when he says:
For those of us who have chosen to go into education, I am almost certain somewhere along the path we experienced a wounding, a piercing, a breaking open of our hearts in a way that whispered, if not downright shouted, to us to enter love’s service in the form of shaping others in their critical years of human formation
Perhaps we were the shy kid that felt isolated and alone
Perhaps we were the bored kid who yearned for deeper wisdom and understanding
Perhaps we were the straight A student who still felt deeply inadequate
Perhaps we are broken open from a place of societal woundedness like racism
Whatever the case may be, I think it highly unlikely that any of us entered education specifically without having first felt the piercing of some struggle, some suffering, some wound that led us to step into that gap and bring healing, hope, inspiration, and meaning to someone else
We had a teacher who believed in us when we didn’t believe in ourselves
We had a coach who pushed us when we felt like giving up on ourselves
We had a principal who made us feel seen and valued
Whatever the reason, this wound, this piercing, this broken open on behalf of others led us into this beautiful, chaotic, messy, challenging, care-filled world of education
And it is to that sense of calling that I invite you to return when things feel heavy, when you feel overwhelmed, when the nights are long and the days brutal
Remember that WHY
Remember that place where your heart was strangely warmed
Remember that first longing that led you to believe in your bones that this was the work for which you were created
Remember what it felt like to be broken open and what it feels like to sit with others in their stages of formation
Remember that being an educator is literally to be the one who brings forth that which is Good, Valuable, True, and Praiseworthy in someone else
The Four Pillars Personal Audit
I’m walking this very conversation out with the members of The Flourishing School Leaders Cohort this February 24th and I’ve invited them to conduct in their own lives this personal audit. If it is helpful for you, I offer it here as well.
p.s. If you are looking for a group of brave, authentic, kind, inspiring, hopeful, generous school leaders who are leaning into community, collaboration, inspiration, and purpose, I invite you to join us! You get 12 months from the month to join to engage in some of the best conversations with leaders just like you from around the world!
More info here: FLOURISHING SCHOOL LEADERS COHORT
The Four Pillars Personal Audit (20 minutes)
I invite you to audit yourself along the lines of the Four Pillars to Leading a Future Proof School we discussed in January’s cohort:
Pillar 1: Ecosystems of Care and Mattering
On a scale of 1-10, how much do I feel I matter in my role?
Who in my life reminds me that I matter when I've forgotten?
Where do I experience genuine care and belonging?
Pillar 2: Purpose and Meaning
What gives my work meaning beyond the paycheck?
When was the last time I felt my work was deeply purposeful?
What would I do differently if I led from calling instead of obligation?
Pillar 3: Innovation and Creativity
Where am I innovating in my leadership right now?
What creative risks am I taking or avoiding?
What would I try if I knew I couldn't fail?
Pillar 4: Embodied Agency
How healthy is my body right now? (Sleep, nutrition, movement)
When do I feel most alive and present in my work?
What practices help me return to groundedness when I'm overwhelmed?
The pattern you'll likely see:
Where your school is struggling is often where you're struggling.
Listen to your life and see the work you are doing as full of purpose and meaning, both for yourself and on behalf of the world
Until next time, blessings on the journey
Scott
