I am currently in Chicago, learning alongside dozens of heads of schools from thirteen different states and the experience is so valuable on many levels. Engaging in dialogue with a variety of leaders about their schools and best practices in education, it is clear that the community and learning that MJDS offers is of the highest quality. I am finding out what I don’t know and which questions to ask, so that I return to MKE a more informed and capable leader.
Our day began with a phenomenal keynote speaker – Harry Kraemer (https://harrykraemer.org) and I was able to dive deeper as part of a small round-table discussion following the keynote. Harry’s track record is incredible and the topic he hammered home was one we are familiar with at MJDS: Self-Reflection. In my first ever blog post https://edublogs.mjds.org/alippman/2017/09/07/who-are-we-and-why-do-we-exist/ I mentioned the guardrails that form the foundation of learning at our school. Reflection is our second guardrail and both students and staff implement this practice regularly. According to Harry, it is the secret sauce that continues to drive his growth as a ‘work in process’ and it is what he expected of his team at Baxter and of his MBA students at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. He believes it is this soft-skill that is essential for the highest level of success and at MJDS, we agree!
I write about this today because the value of self-reflection does not begin and end in school. All of us benefit personally and in turn, positively impact one another as a result of regular and honest reflection. If you are thinking ‘I am too busy and cannot find the time‘ then I challenge you to spend fifteen less minutes doing anything else each evening, select some of the prompts below and write down your reflections each night. I am going to take on the challenge and know my life as a ‘work in process’ will improve. We are all on a journey, as individuals, partners, parents, students, sons, daughters, siblings and colleagues and everyday is an opportunity to be better. This is also another way to reinforce the habits of mind and heart we engage in each day at MJDS.
- What are my values?
- What is my purpose?
- What really matters?
- What kind of example do I want to set?
- How good am I/our team at putting things into perspective?
- What am I grateful for
- What am I proud of/not?
- What did I accomplish today?
- If I could re-live today, what would I do differently?
Tremendous opportunity and so pleased for your continuing personal and professional leadership development!
Simply spectacular! Thank you for your transparency and authenticity. Sharing your own growth and development is inspiration for us all – students, parents, staff, alumni, board, community – to grow and develop, individually and collectively!
Great post. So glad you are taking the time for this, are so open about growing in your role and personally, and giving me points to think about my own life and how to grow. Keep it up!
Adon Lippman thank you for your inspiration!
Deborah Ridley-Kern
I loved reading this, and while we miss you when you are out of town, your MJDS family is so grateful and we know we’ll reap the benefits of all you are experiencing. I am also willing to embrace this challenge of self reflection. I am going to print this list of questions and do my best to focus on one, or many, every night. Thank you Adon Lippman!
These values that you write about and speak about are the basics of life. Unfortunately the world has moved away from them and forgotten about them as they live their busy lives. The irony of the situation is that we are a Jewish school and these are actually deep rooted Jewish values. If one is exposed to the Jewish daily prayers these core values are embedded within them. These questions and concepts you mention are also topics that various Jewish holidays remind us to explore when we learn to look beneath the surface. Glad to hear this is being embraced! Thanks for all you do!
Susan Edelstein
Thank you for making this connection. Our core values are our Jewish values and we reinforce them every day in general studies, Jewish studies and tefillah.
Fabulous! Thank you for continuing to be supportive as we think deeper and improve our journeys, both personal and professional.