Because my mother feared (correctly) that I would be savaged if I played rugby she got me into soccer at an early age. This was in the era in New Zealand when soccer was looked on as very suspect. If you were normal you played rugby, so if you weren't playing rugby there must be something wrong with you. I was a dogged, determined character on the soccer field, and as I previously mentioned I had a relentlessly determined quality. One day to my great surprise the coach of my team called up and told my mother that he wanted to make me the captain of the team. I was a little bit flattered, and very surprised. My mother advised me to accept, because if I didn't I would regret it. I declined. I suppose the fact that I am writing this now shows that I did come to regret it although it really made little difference to my life in the end.
When I was in Japan I became the Head Teacher in the South Osaka area. There were about 30 schools in that area probably employing about 200 teachers. I trained the new teachers, observed the established ones and gave them feedback, "managed" the naughty teachers, and ran the professional development programme (oh, and taught a full load of lessons... it was a very cheap company). It was extremely fulfilling. I even read books about professional development in my own time, for pleasure.
In the library today I saw that one of my Year 13 students was reading a book about how to become a leader. I think this is a bit like reading a book about how to be charismatic. Somehow I don't think this stuff comes out of a book. I think people have become a bit silly about leadership. I would say that you need to be charismatic and you need to lead (while you listen). A teacher is a leader. It's about what you make other people feel: valued, respected, inspired, loyal - that kind of stuff. When push came to shove the British Empire needed Winston Churchill. When Martin Luther King was shot, America needed Bobby Kennedy to tell them what it meant. They didn't want to break into groups and write things on pieces of paper and feedback to the sodding group.
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin for a new fool
Don't follow leaders
Watch the parkin' meters
When I was in Japan I became the Head Teacher in the South Osaka area. There were about 30 schools in that area probably employing about 200 teachers. I trained the new teachers, observed the established ones and gave them feedback, "managed" the naughty teachers, and ran the professional development programme (oh, and taught a full load of lessons... it was a very cheap company). It was extremely fulfilling. I even read books about professional development in my own time, for pleasure.
In the library today I saw that one of my Year 13 students was reading a book about how to become a leader. I think this is a bit like reading a book about how to be charismatic. Somehow I don't think this stuff comes out of a book. I think people have become a bit silly about leadership. I would say that you need to be charismatic and you need to lead (while you listen). A teacher is a leader. It's about what you make other people feel: valued, respected, inspired, loyal - that kind of stuff. When push came to shove the British Empire needed Winston Churchill. When Martin Luther King was shot, America needed Bobby Kennedy to tell them what it meant. They didn't want to break into groups and write things on pieces of paper and feedback to the sodding group.
Girl by the whirlpool
Lookin for a new fool
Don't follow leaders
Watch the parkin' meters
3 comments:
But... our PD at Nuova Lazio High is good; isn't it? I may have to ask the penguin.
I asked Ron the Penguin about this and he gave some good advice. Check out his site if you're really serious about understanding leadership.
Yes you were a very good soccer player just as you describe it.
I remember standing on the sideline one Saturday and hearing the father of one of the other team members say (after you had saved your team yet again from having another goal scored against them),"Who is that MAN!" I was very proud to announce, "That's my son!"
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