My mind constantly visualizes words and images.  Currently, two particular words are dancing around in my head:  multiply and coalesce.  Each of these is bathed in light and they are glowing.

Multiply:  (v) increase or cause to increase greatly in number or quantity.

Coalesce: (v) come together to form a whole.

A year and a half ago, at an onboarding meeting with Mr. Baier (our superintendent), he handed me a book, “The Multiplier Effect.”  He emphasized that each person in our organization contains brilliance and that as leaders, our responsibility is to forge pathways to allow genius to multiply.  A person’s role or job title doesn’t matter.  Light comes from each and every one of us: students, parents, and staff.  Our aim should be to fuel the fire, not stifle it.

This week, I have watched these two words come alive and spring into action.

Our multi and STEM lab were packed last night for Science Family Night.  Two parent leaders, Bronwyn O’Malley and Yumi Clark, made the night possible. These amazing women had a vision, were trusted and supported to deliver on it, coordinated volunteers, and the outcome was INCREDIBLE!  Throughout the evening, students and parents partook in fun around various scientific principles and participants didn’t hold back in communicating their appreciation of this event.

As an Almond staff, we had a phenomenal staff gathering yesterday during which the 3rd grade team (Martinez, Reilly, Uhm, Wishnack) shared their learning around how to utilize math games to differentiate learning and provide practice opportunities to increase automaticity.  The Almond leadership team (Schubert-TK, Powell-K, Reeves-1, Conlon-2, Wishnack-3, Daggett-4, Nguyen-5, Stuart-6, Leach-STEM, Clouser-Psychologist) then guided the staff through a consensus building process to further focus our work in pursuit of personalizing learning for children.  

At the district level, a team of dynamic individuals (administrators, teachers, and support staff) have been dedicating tremendous collaboration energy to designing a valuable professional development experience for our teachers on March 19th.  The depth of conversations has been unparalleled and the creativity that has resounded - truly inspiring.

In each of these moments, I’ve watched light emanate and I’ve basked in it.  The glow of the light from others energizes and fuels me.  As leaders, we don’t have to be the brightest light in the room.  In fact, our focus should not perseverate on our own light, nor on any single light.  Instead, our role is to coalesce the collective light that shines.  That luminescence contributes to our growth and progress.

Let’s amplify our light by unleashing brilliance in the journey to revolutionize learning for our children.