(On the Job is a series of blog posts highlighting the experiences of IGS staff. While roles and responsibilities of staff vary, the core commonalities exist in a shared desire to provide quality education for all under the intergenerational learning model.)
As I complete my fourth month of being the Interim Principal of Lakeshore Intergenerational School, I reflect on my career and where I am now.
Most leadership environments I have encountered are riddled with bureaucratic obstructions and fear of creative ideas. Moreover, the districts I have worked in are large enough to be unfamiliar with district stakeholders. I suspected that when I began my journey with The Intergenerational model, I could find myself in more accommodating waters to my leadership values. Four months in, I am a happy school leader.
This environment is rich with leadership that welcomes new ideas and mindsets. I am heartened to experience accessibility to the Executive Director, Brooke King, and other IG staff when needed. That is not something I am accustomed to, and it makes all the difference in the quality of the workplace. When adults have what they need to be their best, the students benefit.
To make things clear, this year has been tough for our school. Lakeshore Intergenerational School has weathered many staffing changes and other obstacles recently. We still have a ton of work to return to where we have historically performed, but the DNA of the IG model is strong. I have a tremendous amount of confidence that we will continue to grow in a positive way through the strategic planning of our model leadership.
We have so much to look forward to in ending this year with zeal and celebration. Our community has a movie night, a middle school dance, field day, and the 8th-grade ceremony to look forward to. The best is yet to come for LIS, and I cannot wait to see where we go from here!
To learn more about Lakeshore Intergenerational School, click here.