Back in high school, I was not a fan of the English classes. Diagramming sentences, old &moldy literature (although, I do remember thoroughly enjoying Lord of the Flies my freshman year) and writing papers on who knows what did not hold my attention and interest. The literature bothered me more than anything, especially when we talked of satire, foreshadowing, symbolism, etc. because that indicated design and an intentionality in the writing and I didn't believe that anything the likes of Jane Eyre was planned. For whatever reason, I was operating under the delusion that all those great literary devices happened by chance!
It wasn't until I was reading something of choice, interest and relevance to me (fancy that!) that the meticulous design of literature become something real and apparent to which I could connect. It was John Granger, English professor and Hogwarts professor, that noted in his book Unlocking Harry Potter: 5 Keys for the Serious Reader (I am a serious reader) that he notes that J.K. Rowling planned for seven years prior to putting the first word of Philosopher's Stone to paper! SEVEN YEARS! That shined the light for me and proved (15 years after high school English) that the more intentionally and meticulously designed, the more special the story becomes!
When it comes to our school's story, I'm certainly not saying we must plan seven years before beginning the narrative of our work. We can't afford that. However, there are some key things we have to have clarity on in order to intentionally tell a compelling story that is reflective of our identity:
When I look at this dictionary.com snip, the word that sticks out is not design or plan, but it is deliberate! We must plan and design, but when we get to the telling our story, the intention comes with the deliberate nature with which we share!
- a strategic plan- we can't plan for seven years before telling, but we can have a really great idea of where we are going!
- clear mission and vision - this should be our guiding light!
- social media as a tool - I've written a bit on this topic...
- community voice - our school's story is just that: OUR story!
When I look at this dictionary.com snip, the word that sticks out is not design or plan, but it is deliberate! We must plan and design, but when we get to the telling our story, the intention comes with the deliberate nature with which we share!
What are some intentional steps and ways you are sharing your school's story?
Happy telling!
B
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