{"id":262,"date":"2025-11-23T11:32:24","date_gmt":"2025-11-23T12:32:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mssqlguide.com\/?p=262"},"modified":"2026-01-22T09:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T09:53:40","slug":"calling-yourself-a-lead-learner-doesnt-make-it-so-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.mssqlguide.com\/index.php\/2025\/11\/23\/calling-yourself-a-lead-learner-doesnt-make-it-so-opinion\/","title":{"rendered":"Calling Yourself a ‘Lead Learner’ Doesn’t Make It So (Opinion)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Over the last few years, education leaders have been inspired to call themselves lead learners. Although we are sure the concept came from a good place, the term \u201clead learner\u201d seemed to make it all about the leader being first at learning something and then teaching others, as opposed to learning from others. Some recent situations inspired us to want to dig down deeper into what being a learner really means these days.<\/p>\n

It started with a coaching session with a high school principal. We discussed professional learning that his teachers with less than five years of experience might need. Then he asked, \u201cI know what the research says about teachers and leaders within their first five years, but what about those teachers with 10 to 20 years of experience? What should I think about when it comes to their needs?\u201d<\/p>\n

We went back and forth in the conversation, and then he began considering his own needs, given that he taught for 17 years and now has been a leader for equally as long. He made an important shift in his thinking from helping his teachers learn to what his own learning needs might be. It was an important transition to watch. Often, we stop seeing ourselves as learners and spend most of our efforts focusing only on the learning of those we lead.<\/p>\n

Learner\u2019s Mindset<\/h3>\n

The two of us have learner\u2019s mindsets, but it\u2019s not always easy. We are confronted with negative news stories. It wasn\u2019t too long ago we could go to X when it was called Twitter and find inspiration within 140 characters. We could join #Satchat or #Edchat and meet up with educators from around the world we wanted to learn from.<\/p>\n

It seems different these days. Social media seems less about learning and more about promoting or selling. We need not look back on the glory days of when we felt like we learned so much. Instead, we can start looking for innovative ways to engage in new learning.<\/p>\n

We are often introduced as \u201cexperts,\u201d or \u201cteachers first.\u201d Those are all great, but the reality is that we are learners first. We learn from each other all the time. We learn from the leaders and teachers we work with in our hybrid approach. Whether it\u2019s through engaging in protocols for cycles of inquiry, online engagement tools, exit surveys, or coaching sessions, the whole purpose behind inquiry is not just to help improve on something that may not be going well, it\u2019s also to learn while engaging in the process.<\/p>\n

A principal we recently coached reflected, \u201cI\u2019ve been doing this long enough to anticipate most situations. But I\u2019m not sure that\u2019s helping me anymore. I think I\u2019m playing it safe.\u201d That awareness was both raw and brave, which is what we want in coaching sessions. It helped open a door for improvement.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s comfort in being good at your job. It builds trust, credibility, and often, influence. But comfort can dull our curiosity and limit our growth. Education, regardless of what those on the outside of the field may think, is complex and evolving. There is always this talk of mastery in education, but the illusion of mastery is that it can actually distance us from our greatest potential.<\/p>\n

The Case for Learner\u2019s Mindset<\/h3>\n

To help us go deeper into our work with leaders, we created Instructional Leadership Collectives, which you can read more about here<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Facilitating the collectives has inspired new learning. Even though we have 70 years of experience in education between the two of us, we push each other to learn more and go deeper with our work.<\/p>\n

There is this Japanese concept called shoshin<\/i> (beginner\u2019s mind), which is about approaching situations with openness, eagerness, and no preconceptions. This is how we should all approach learning.<\/p>\n

So, the big question is, how do we do that?<\/p>\n

Midcareer educators might ask: How do I reconnect with the mindset I had when I started teaching but with the wisdom I\u2019ve gained over the years?<\/p>\n

A learner\u2019s mindset invites us to see challenges not as threats to our competence but as invitations to growth. Whether it\u2019s experimenting with new technologies, exploring culturally responsive practices, or learning from younger colleagues, choosing to be a beginner keeps us nimble, relevant, and engaged.<\/p>\n

Barriers to the Learner\u2019s Mindset<\/h3>\n

Of course, this isn\u2019t easy. Starting over takes vulnerability. Midcareer educators often carry unspoken insecurities: \u201cI should know this by now.\u201d Or worse, \u201cPeople expect me to have the answers.\u201d In meditation, we often refer to these as feedback loops. These loops can keep us from asking questions or admitting we might need support. They actually can be the catalyst for building walls and barriers.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where psychological safety matters. School leaders and systems must model and support cultures where learning is valued. It should be messy and imperfect learning at times, but some of our greatest learning comes from \u201cbeing messy.\u201d How might we celebrate new learning at every stage of a career?<\/p>\n

Strategies for Reclaiming a Learner\u2019s Mindset<\/h3>\n

So, how do we encourage this learning stance in ourselves and our colleagues?<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Try a 30-Day Experiment<\/b>: Choose one new practice to try, not to master, but to explore. Then reflect: What did I notice? What challenged me? What surprised me? <\/li>\n
  • Pair Up With a Reverse Mentor<\/b>: Learn from a student or early-career teacher. Ask them what matters most in today\u2019s classroom. Listen with an open heart and mind.<\/li>\n
  • Revisit and Reflect on Your First-Year Self<\/b>: What did you believe then? What parts of that idealism still matter? Which beliefs have changed or matured? Which might need to be rekindled?<\/li>\n
  • Build a Growth Portfolio<\/b>: List the professional risks that didn\u2019t go as planned. Then identify what each experience taught you. Reframe failure as progress.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    These actions aren\u2019t about professional development in the traditional sense. They are a personal reflection for continuous growth.<\/p>\n

    A Profession Worth Beginning Again<\/h3>\n

    Education isn\u2019t static, and neither are we. Becoming a learner again isn\u2019t a retreat from expertise, it\u2019s a recommitment to it. The old adage is that we should never stop learning, but we often don\u2019t engage in actual intentional learning enough.<\/p>\n

    Imagine the message it sends when a 25-year veteran sits beside a new hire and says, \u201cShow me how you did that. I want to learn.\u201d That\u2019s not just modeling growth. That\u2019s modeling humanity.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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