After just about 2 years of blogging, I finally got hit with a meme (two, actually; more on the other one hopefully tomorrow). Rick Scheibner threw this my way: “What are seven qualities we don’t know about you that help you be a leader?” Yikes… Those that actually know me, if I’m full of it, call me on it. I’d do the same to you. I’ll probably want to change this as soon as I click “Publish,” but here goes:
- Respect
- I demand respect, but also give it until people do things to lose it.
- Care
- I care about what I do and I work almost as much as I can to be even better. And I want to be much better than I am.
- Unsatisfied
- There were no “good old days” and just because it’s been done that way for 20 years is no reason to keep doing it. Particularly in education, change is very slow. That cannot continue.
- Open
- Innovative ways of doing things intrigue me. I’m not locked into only my view of the world. If you believe you have a good idea, I’ll look into it even if it’s the opposite of my ideas.
- Reflective
- One thing I’ve noticed this year as tech coordinator is that I do a pretty good job of listening to someone else’s idea and helping refocus the activity on what that person really wants to accomplish.
- Passionate
- I believe fervently in my convictions. I don’t go in for fads, I don’t act just to be popular, and I don’t care if you dislike me because of my beliefs. What’s important is that I do what I truly believe is the right thing.
- Human
- Even though all these things are true, I know the world isn’t binary. There are shades of gray that we need to operate within and rules need to be bent in certain situations. Sometimes, the rules don’t apply. I have no trouble admitting and explaining that to anyone who questions why I made a decision.
You’re It
Hit up seven more, eh? I’ll make it eight. Let’s see if these people respond:
- Elona at Teachers At Risk
- Bud at Bud the Teacher
- Ben at The Tech Savvy Educator
- Tom at Bionic Teaching (respond on either blog, Tom, whichever is more appropriate)
- Mrs. N at Trying to figure schtuff out
- Jenny D. at, well, Jenny D.
- TMAO at Teaching in the 408
- Jonathan at jonathan’s edutalk
7 comments
2. Todd says:
Yeah, I don’t know how comfortable I am about having posted this. Anyhow, it’s here now… I plan to pick up on yours tomorrow because I think it relates to some ideas about how to teach writing.
Blogburst certainly is an interesting idea, but I have never had a post listed by any newspaper site; it isn’t bringing me any more traffic. I’m sure some site will eventually post an article that one of my entries will be a perfect augmentation for. Eventually. Maybe.
3. Brian says:
Todd,
I got hit with the meme as well. I am really enjoying following the links around to the different people and reading there responses.
I love your one about “unsatisfied” your comment “there were no good ole day” is great. That is a big problem in education. Everyone always says “Well it worked before, why change it” and I love “When so and so was here it was better”. Change takes way to long in education. Why? We are falling behind and quickly. Maybe the people who are doing all this blogging will be the saving grace of education.
Brian
4. Elona says:
Todd, I always thought I had lots to say, that is until you asked me to comment on my leadership qualities. I find my reaction interesting. Panic!!! I’ve been letting the question roll around in my head and I think by the weekend I’ll be ready to comment. I did have one smart ass answer though (no disrespect intended because I do respect you) about my leadership qualities something about not following the crowd and responding to a meme but I do want to respond because it is a good question to reflect upon. Thank you for including me.:)
5. Teachers At Risk » Leadership Qualities says:
[…] Recently Todd talked about getting hit with a meme, and then he hit me with one. I didn’t really know what a meme was before Todd hit me with one. So I sat there for a moment thinking, and then I did what I usually do when I don’t know something. I googled it. Well actually first I tried to make sense of the word “meme” by doing what I tell my students to do. Look at it in context. Try to figure it out that way, but I still really didn’t get it so I googled “meme” and landed in Wikipedia. The first thing I learned was that I had been pronouncing “meme” incorrectly. Meme apparently rhymes with theme. I’d been pronouncing meme as in memo. Yes, I know there’s some rule for pronouncing words that involves vowels, but I always forget it. Then, I read that meme “refers to a unit of cultural information transferable from one mind to another.” Ok, got it. That made sense. Todd was asking me to transfer my notion of ” What are seven qualities we don’t know about you that help you be a leader?†to others via a post in my blog. […]
6. Bud Hunt says:
I appreciate the tag — am working on a post. Didn’t want you to think I was blowing you off.
7. Bud the Teacher says:
Leading? Me(me)?…
Several days ago, (or, last year in Internet time) Todd tagged me with an interesting meme on leadership. I’d rather be thinking and writing about Moodle and how I think it might be a better tool than it is for…
1. Tom says:
[2/7/2007 - 5:33 pm]
Todd,
This looks pretty intimidating! I’ll see what I can do.
What’s up with blogburst? It seems like an interesting idea. Is it bringing you any more traffic than normal?
Tom