Be 'the room'
The 88th Texas Legislative Session is right around the corner as it runs from early January through late May 2023. Before it has even started, there are already hundreds of bills that have been pre-filed prior to the start of the session. I would always encourage everyone to stay on top of the updates as they come out. Leaders in both the House and Senate have already released their outlines of topics to look for in the upcoming session.
Author William E. Hyche has a short little book he wrote entitled Handbook for Success.
In his book, there is one section entitled “If You Don’t Know, Find Out”.
Educators know that asking questions is essential in not only finding answers, but asking the right questions leads to finding the right answers.
Early in my coaching career, I had a head coach that would always get frustrated at me because I was always asking questions. It was not that I was questioning his decisions or authority or why we had to do something a certain way, it was just simply because I liked knowing how things worked and the “why” behind it. I wanted to learn.
I distinctly remember one Saturday afternoon film session when we were watching film on the upcoming opponent that had a pretty complex offensive scheme and multiple formations they liked to use. Once we had watched hours of film that day and then spent even more hours the next day and night determining how we were going to “attack” their offense with our defensive game plan and strategy, I remember our head coach wrapping up the meeting and said, “Musick, if you ask me any more WHY questions, you’re fired!” I don’t think that he meant it, but I sure wasn’t about to find out!
Great teachers know how to not only encourage higher level questioning from their students, but to also ask higher level questions of their students. And then, they will even follow up those questions with an even higher level, more complex question. This takes students to the next level of thinking without them even knowing they are having to think harder and become independent problem solvers at the same time.
Author and speaker Tony Robbins is quoted as saying, “Successful people ask better questions. And, as a result, they get better answers.” I hope we never stop asking questions and challenging each other to do better and to get better each day!
I love the quote that I know I have shared before, “The smartest person in the room... Is the room!” Meaning, we are all smarter when we are working and asking the right questions together!
At Navasota ISD, we are ALL IN this TOGETHER!!!
#WeAreNavasota
Dr. Stu Musick is the Superintendent of Schools for Navasota Independent School District.