Taylor Swifts Hidden Messages for EDU Leaders in LWYMMD
Move over Kim Kardashian and Kanye. Move over Katy Perry. Taylor latest musical endeavor is really geared towards educational leaders. (You just knew her video and song were full of hidden messages, right?) Just like "Shake It Off" swept through school buildings across the country with staff dance videos and sing-alongs (which thanks to social media, we've all watched them), "Look What You Made Me Do" is full of T.S.'s tips for any current educational leader or admin-to-be to have a successful year. Just leave it to Ms. Swift...first country, then pop, and now educational leadership! And mind you, she does it all with a cup of tea in hand and snakes at foot.
"No, I don't like you."
In education, as both a teacher or leader, there may be students, parents, administrators or other stakeholders who you don't like--and that is okay. You don't have to like everyone, but here's the catch--no one should know who you don't like. In LWYMMD, Swift shares that it's okay not to like someone, but just as she doesn't namedrop--neither should you.
Furthermore, think about Rita Pierson in her video, "Every Kid Needs A Champion." In the video, Rita says "... teachers become great actors and actresses and we come to work when we don't feel like it and we listen to policy that doesn't make sense and we TEACH anyway because that is what we do."
And that should be just what we do. Regardless of all other circumstances, we must teach and lead!
"But I got smarter/ I got harder in the nick of time/ Honey, I rose up from the dead/ I do it all the time."
Teaching and leading is a journey that is constantly moving and evolving. We have to be in charge of ourselves, continue to grow professionally and challenge ourselves: whether it is by attending conferences, participating in Twitter chats, expanding our PLN, trying a new lesson or just reading the latest issue of Educational Leadership.
While it may be easier to revert back to how something was always done, we have to change with the times and keep our students and staff on their toes! After all, along with the chalkboard, the stand and deliver teaching model is dead. Replacing it is the student centered classroom as evident of current curricular and pedagogical change. Therefore, we have to keep learning to be the best possible version of ourselves!
"I check it once/ Then I check it twice."
Leave it to Ms. Swift for the subtle hint for us to press pause every once and a while before racing through with a new idea or initiative. This also ties in with the pause principle in leadership, which encourages leaders to pause and reflect so that we can empower others to be the most effective version of ourselves. When we hit pause or check something for a second time, we are creating space to filter a situation through a new lens. Sometimes when we slow down our thinking, the best innovative thinking can occur.
"The world moves on/ Another day/ Another drama/ drama."
Taylor's advice for leaders is twofold in this lyric as we will always be reacting to a situation if we take the view that there will constantly be drama. Instead, we have to be proactive to put out fires before they even begin. We can do this by being active listeners and improving our visibility within our buildings. Too often, as leaders, we find ourselves spending less time on improving instruction and more time on student discipline or reactive situations. Education Week even reported that when a federal survey asked principals which activities they engaged in daily, more than 80 percent said issues related to security and facilities--not instruction or teaching.
Therefore, Taylor is reminding us to not only diffuse reactive situations before they can even begin, but to focus on the important aspects of what we love about our jobs. There will always be another day and another drama so we need to think about a particular moment and then think about how this moment will matter in five years from now. Something that seems so important or significant at a certain time may not be worth all the time and effort we are putting into it. Ms. Swift tells us to prioritize on what is important and meaningful not only while on the job, but in life as well.
Click here to read Education Week's article: "Putting Out Fires."
"I don't trust nobody/And nobody trusts me."
At this point in the video, Ms. Swift's last piece of advice is a subtle warning about the culture we do not want to create in our schools. A culture without trust, harbors any change from happening. Without change, we can't move forward. Without moving forward, we rob our students of the type of environment they need to learn and thrive in. Educational Leadership reported that trust is a key resource for reform so when we think about improving our schools, we have to be transparent leaders as to major decisions and initiatives. We have to put others first and give honest feedback to create a positive culture!
In this scene, Taylor's "rep" shirt is another reminder to leaders that our actions, thoughts, and communication with staff in our buildings influences other's perceptions of trust. We need to make sure we are true to ourselves and have a reputation for sticking by our word! Our reputation isn't made by others, it is created by ourselves through our thoughts, words and actions!
For more advice on creating trust in schools, read Education Leadership's article, "Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform."
All images from Taylor Swift's YouTube Channel.
