T-Shirts, Manifestos and the Journey Towards a Passion Driven School
The Holstee Manifesto is the centerpiece of a t-shirt company, started in the summer of 2009, when Dave and Mike Radparvar decided to quit their jobs and fully invest themselves (literally and figuratively) in a passion project- making t-shirts and more importantly- a company that lived and grew from their personal beliefs and values, but allowed them to have a positive impact on the world around them.
One of the first things they did was to write down why they were risking everything to start the business. They sat on the steps of Union Square in New York City and tried to define what success in life would look like to them. They posted these thoughts as an “About” page on their website and called it the “Holstee Manifesto.” Since then, the Holstee Manifesto has been shared millions of times, translated into over 14 languages, and called the next “Just Do It” by The Washington Post.
This is video illustrates the Holstee Manifesto... as AJ Juliani described it, a reminder of what life is really about and The Manifesto We Should Read to Students Every Day.
But what about our teachers as well?
What's often shocking to me is that principals typically fail to see that what works best with students works best with our teachers as well. Relationships. Quality feedback. Empathy. Opportunities to fail. Support. Voice. Choice. Appreciation. Resources. This is a message that our teachers need to see and feel when they come to work every day as well.
The Holstee website says: In today’s complicated, fast-paced, hyper-connected, and often overwhelming world, it can be difficult to find perspective — to focus on what’s actually important and not just what is urgent. It’s hard to find the time, it’s hard to know where to begin, and it’s hard to do it alone.
Doesn't that statement resonate with you as an educator? As an assistant principal, the sentence above encapsulates some of the biggest challenges and frustrations that I have in my job. My job is to respond to what's urgent. I have always felt that my job description is, "fix it" regardless of what it is. I also recognize that whatever plans I have for the day are always hanging by the thread of any number of 15-year old boy's impulse control/anger management strategies. There's always so much to do, so many people to see and so much to get done in between management of behaviors and frustrations of kids, parents, faculty and staff.
At the same time, I know that the most important part of my job is to let my teachers know that I am interested in their work- interested enough to be in their classrooms often. To participate when and where I can in those classrooms. To help kids work through the work. To listen and learn along with them. Learning is my job, and every single interaction that we have every day at school either promotes or detracts from our culture and the effectiveness of our organization.
In thinking about what's actually important in my job and looking forward to this year and years to come as we continue to build a school culture on the tenets of Collaboration, Inspiration and Appreciation, I re-framed the Holstee Manifesto to fit what all of our students and teachers need to believe in and actively do in order to live and learn well in our school:
One of the first things they did was to write down why they were risking everything to start the business. They sat on the steps of Union Square in New York City and tried to define what success in life would look like to them. They posted these thoughts as an “About” page on their website and called it the “Holstee Manifesto.” Since then, the Holstee Manifesto has been shared millions of times, translated into over 14 languages, and called the next “Just Do It” by The Washington Post.
This is video illustrates the Holstee Manifesto... as AJ Juliani described it, a reminder of what life is really about and The Manifesto We Should Read to Students Every Day.
But what about our teachers as well?
What's often shocking to me is that principals typically fail to see that what works best with students works best with our teachers as well. Relationships. Quality feedback. Empathy. Opportunities to fail. Support. Voice. Choice. Appreciation. Resources. This is a message that our teachers need to see and feel when they come to work every day as well.
Doesn't that statement resonate with you as an educator? As an assistant principal, the sentence above encapsulates some of the biggest challenges and frustrations that I have in my job. My job is to respond to what's urgent. I have always felt that my job description is, "fix it" regardless of what it is. I also recognize that whatever plans I have for the day are always hanging by the thread of any number of 15-year old boy's impulse control/anger management strategies. There's always so much to do, so many people to see and so much to get done in between management of behaviors and frustrations of kids, parents, faculty and staff.
At the same time, I know that the most important part of my job is to let my teachers know that I am interested in their work- interested enough to be in their classrooms often. To participate when and where I can in those classrooms. To help kids work through the work. To listen and learn along with them. Learning is my job, and every single interaction that we have every day at school either promotes or detracts from our culture and the effectiveness of our organization.
In thinking about what's actually important in my job and looking forward to this year and years to come as we continue to build a school culture on the tenets of Collaboration, Inspiration and Appreciation, I re-framed the Holstee Manifesto to fit what all of our students and teachers need to believe in and actively do in order to live and learn well in our school:
This is your school.
Learn more about what you love and do it often.
Learn more about what you love and do it often.
If you don’t like something, work collaboratively with others to change it.
If you don’t like your job, work towards making what you want it to be.
If you don’t have enough time, stop complaining about it...
...that just takes more of your time.
...that just takes more of your time.
If you are looking for the job that you imagined when you started teaching, stop;
It will be waiting for you when you start doing more things that you love.
Stop over-analyzing, life is simple.
All emotions are beautiful. Share them.
Open your heart, mind and arms to new things and people.
We are united in our differences.
Ask every student and teacher who you see at school what their passion is
and share your inspiring dream with them.
Some opportunities only come once, seize them.
Life is about the people you meet and the things you create with them,
So go out and start creating.
Life is short, live your dream and wear your passion.
Always.
We have begun the process of teachers following their passions as we begin to let go of the power and control of the PD process in order to allow teachers to develop learning, knowledge or projects that benefit their classroom, department or the school as a whole through the use of a Genius Hour Professional Development process. Teachers can work alone to develop their passion projects that will improve their own practice, the school or the community - alone or with others they choose to work with. Afterwards, they will share the process back with the school/world and repeat.
Despite some extraordinary challenges that we are presented with this year, I am looking forward to getting started like very few experiences that I have had as I enter my 19th year as an administrator.
I can't wait to get started, and this "manifesto" will be something that I focus on as we work together to drive everything that we do as a learning organization going forward.
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