Leadership Through the “Not-Knowing” Principle
By Mrs. Bethany Walker
This year, I turned 50. That might seem ancient to some of you, but it was actually pretty exciting for me! Let me explain why. I consider myself to be a lifelong learner—this of course is one of NorthStar’s Expected Student Outcomes—but it has always been something I have known about myself. I had a professor in college who said that when teachers stop learning they should stop teaching. I have held that statement in my mind throughout my entire teaching career, and it has been a promise I make to myself— I will keep learning. As I reached the 50-year mark, I realized that for 50 years I had met that goal and I have the capacity to keep growing and learning even as I get older.
Being at NorthStar, especially as part of the curriculum team, necessitates daily learning. Online education is constantly changing, and even learning small things (like how to embed a video or space things correctly on a splash screen) can change any day with technology. As I have taken on the challenge of serving as the Curriculum Director at NorthStar for the last two years, the latest growth area for me has been learning to know my team well. A wise person said to me recently: “The team’s capacity is limited by the ability to utilize the greatest strengths of each person on the team.” It became very clear to me when I took on the role of Curriculum Director that there was no way I could know how to do everything that would be required of the curriculum team in a day, much less a month or a year. Thankfully, I do not work alone. The curriculum team consists of eight individuals with a variety of gifts. Each of us brings to the table particular skills. Whether that skill is extensive knowledge about the AP and Dual Credit programs of our school, the best way to organize the vertical alignment of our curriculum plans, the nuances of a new piece of technology to enhance engagement, or the creativity of partnership around creating authentic biblical worldview lessons woven into the content area, we function better as a team.
So for these past two years, I have learned to delight in what I call the “not-knowing” principle. This principle may sound a bit like the opposite of leadership, but God is teaching me otherwise. Sometimes the best thing I can do is to recognize that someone on my team can do something better than I can and then ask them to complete that task. It is tricky though because being bossy and ordering people around does not reflect strong or healthy leadership; leading well means learning and listening. My job is to listen to people and to hear their hearts, to help them discern their gifts and how God has made them. I don’t always do it perfectly, but I am growing. All jobs require us to do some tasks we don’t enjoy—I am sure that there are some assignments in your classes that are not your favorite. We are all called to do some things that are not a joy to us—but there are also gifts that we have that we delight to use, and it is those gifts that God helps me see in the members of the curriculum team that helps us be the best we can be. We work together, asking each other for feedback in Teams. Did you know that teachers chat in teams too?? Well, we do—we even create little groups to discuss a problem or share a project. Sound familiar? God put us in community so that we can encourage one another, learn how God has made each one of us, and help one another. That is how NorthStar works best—when we work in community. Not-knowing everything means being interdependent, and that is a great model for any team!
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