Finding success is important to everyone. And to find your success, you have to know your pathways and options. And having guides on the journey with you is just as important.
When students walk in the door where Dwight Carter works, they are encouraged to “find their E.” That means getting on the path to finding Employment, Education, Enlistment, or Entrepreneurship. You are not limited to one path. It is possible to pick several or all as your E. The point is, though, pick a direction and start taking the action to move toward it.
As you do, though, seek a colleague and guide to join you on your journey. For Carter, someone on his journey is a fellow educational leader and his personal mentor, Mark White. White and Carter have shared many talks, thoughts and opinions on education, leadership and learning throughout the years. They have even co-authored several books together.
Recently, Carter broke out on his own and published a compendium of the five characteristics that keep him focused: “Be Great: Five Principles to Improve School Culture from the Inside Out.” No spoilers or shortchanging on those five principles here. It just would not do it justice to understand his principles and thinking. Get the book, read it and really process it.
But the point is, while it is easy to become overwhelmed or paralyzed with school, life and work we can still simplify things and stay true to creating a positive and flourishing school culture. Oh, and by the way, we do the same for our own selves.
Which takes us back to the beginning: Choose your path, reflect on it daily, and make your possibilities endless.
