For the past two years, I’ve been pursuing my own professional growth, development and scholarship at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education (HGSE). As a participant in the graduate program, a member of Harvard’s Principal Center and annual devotee to the school’s programs in professional education (PPE), I have had many amazing and formative experiences. To date however, nothing has had such a profound effect on me than my recent involvement with the University’s first ever, Inner Strength for School Leaders PPE class.
Being a school leader in the 21st century is not an easy job. Captaining reform, auditing best practice, juggling community, local and state politics, shaping perspectives and working every day to enhance our program’s impact on our students is a job I find stimulating and often times draining. I was drawn to the ISSL course this semester with hopes of renewal, refinement and refocus. I can confidently report that the experience met all of my expectations and raised the bar for me both personally and professionally.
Participants in Harvard’s PPE programs must log many hours of reading, online discussion and homework prior to campus classes and collaboratives that are the capstone of the semester. Before my feet hit the ground in Cambridge this fall, I was already implementing techniques, discussing strategies and practicing new ways of leading AHS from new insight found in my lead up assignments. And in keeping with the scholastic rigor one would expect from HGSE, my time at campus last week was full-throttle; 12-hour days that left me inspired and exhausted. This was HGSE’s first time offering ISSL in this format. The class is usually a semester long program that is only offered to in-residence fellows and doctoral candidates. The class is the brainchild of Jerome Murphy and Metta McGarvey.
Jerry is the current Harold Howe II Research Professor of Education at HGSE and held the position of Associate Dean and Dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education from 1982 to 2001. Murphy is a specialist in the management and politics of education. His current teaching and research focus on leadership opportunities and predicaments encountered in organizations facing considerable challenges-and how leaders can savor the joy and handle the pain in these demanding situations.
Metta McGarvey is a post-doctoral Teaching Fellow at HGSE. Metta has practiced and taught mindfulness and meditation techniques for more than thirty years, Her research and expertise is in mindfulness as a catalyst of adult social and emotional development and its application to leadership. She is co-author of a break-through neuroscientific study of potential brain changes associated with mindfulness practices, holds two degrees in Buddhist studies and works as a coach and consultant for leadership and organizational development.
Needless to say, after 3 ½ years of helping bring this dream of Animas High School to fruition, the introduction to both of these people into my life is just what my weathered and worn Leadership self needed!
Dr. McGarvey’s sessions combined practice, presentation and discussion related to Mindfulness Practices and Meditation. The application of ancient centering techniques like calming and insight meditation combined with classes on the theory and hard science behind the effectiveness of these practices was the core objective of the class. Each day, Metta pushed students further down the road of awareness and mindfulness and challenged us to see the effectiveness of these exercises in our roles as leaders and change agents. On top of all the fascinating and progressive pieces of wisdom that Metta left with me, one of the most inspirational was her own personal story. Her ability to share decades of experience transferring these practices into daily application for increased performance was a fantastic gift. I feel very blessed to have her enter my life as I continue to lead my organization through challenging and dynamic times.
Jerry’s classes left me wanting more. There’s something about watching a veteran educator who is a master at impacting students, challenging them with his questions and cultivating inspiration through lecture and discussion that speaks to the teacher in me! Dr. Murphy commonly referred to the analogy of Leadership as a Swamp; always reminding us that when your up to your eyeballs in alligators, it’s hard to remember that you were hired to drain the swamp! Jerry imparted upon me so many nuggets of wisdom, so many good takeaways and openly shared how he implements these practices in his own journey. Leaving campus Friday was difficult after making such a strong connection to this wise sage.
One of the things that is so fantastic about HGSE PPE is the opportunity to learn from all-star faculty and fellows associated with the University. Over the course of the week, I attended classes with an amazingly diverse group of professors.
Probably the most unique of teachers was Lizabeth Roemer. Dr. Roemer is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. Her class was an opportunity to focus on how to more effectively live a life that matters to us. We started by exploring the factors that can intensify discomfort and anxiety and looked at the control individuals have over these inevitable feelings. Lizabeth provided the class with a solid understanding of the science behind anxiety and the body’s response. But what was most valuable was seeing someone who is obviously not comfortable public speaking, tackle her own anxiety head on and model practices for dealing with discomfort in real-time.
Class with Dr. Herbert Benson was a chance to study with a living legend. Dr. Benson is the Director Emeritus of the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Mass General Hospital and an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Harvard Medical School. He is a pioneer in mind body medicine, one of the first Western physicians to bring spirituality and healing into medicine. In his forty plus year career, he has defined the relaxation response and continues to lead teaching and research into its efficacy in counteracting the harmful effects of stress. Dr. Benson took us through a complex history of the work done to bridge medicine and religion, East and West, mind and body and belief and science. He was instrumental in helping me refine my own techniques for eliciting the relaxation response, which proved one of the greatest take-aways for me this semester. Calming meditation and grounding oneself actually leads our bodies to perform better and lets our minds clear before tackling complicated tasks. The application of the relaxation response has much potential to change how we experience our daily lives. I’m inspired to share these practices with staff and students and see much value in the application of these techniques for everything from staff meetings to high stakes tests.
Self-compassion is the heart of mindfulness. It’s a courageous mental attitude that enhances a leader’s ability to face emotional challenges and respond effectively. Research shows that self-compassion boosts happiness, reduces anxiety and depression, helps us learn from mistakes, sticks to good habits and develop self-confidence. Dr. Chris Germer’s class led students through this relatively simple technique that comes at a pivotal time for me professionally. Taking time for self is something leaders usually consider last. Yet, by practicing compassion for self, we actually become more productive, insightful and effective leaders. Dr.Germer works as a clinical psychologist in private practice, specializing in mindfulness, acceptance and compassion-based treatment. He has been integrating the principles and practices of meditation into psychotherapy since 1978. Germer also serves as a clinical instructor in psychology at the Harvard Medical School.
As has been my experience over the past two years, HGSE PPE programs tend to save the best for last and ISSL was no exception. I feel incredibly honored to have attended a lecture from Diana Chapman Walsh who challenged our class to move beyond tolerance and move towards true empathy for the difficult people we encounter in our roles as leaders. Dr. Walsh was the twelfth president of Wellesley College from 1993 to 2007. She currently chairs the board of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and serves on the boards of the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, the MIT Corporation and several national advisory boards. Before assuming the Wellesley presidency, Dr. Walsh was professor and chair of Health and Social Behavior at the Harvard School of Public Health. Her tenure at Wellesley was marked by campus renewal and educational innovation, including a revision of the curriculum and expanded programs in global education, internships and service learning, interdisciplinary teaching and learning and religious and spiritual life. Dr. Walsh has demonstrated and spoke to a distinctive style of self-conscious leadership rooted in a network of resilient partnerships and anchored in the belief that trustworthy leadership starts from within. After two hours of lecture, discussion and Q & A with Dr. Chapman, it seemed that we had only scratched the surface of what exemplary leadership looks like. Of all my classes at ISSL, Diana’s teachings and anecdotes resonated deeply within me and provided me many opportunities to see how I can take my leadership to an even greater level.
Overall, ISSL was incredibly enriching and has already made a profound impact on my life. Practicing meditation techniques, reflecting upon class discussions and lectures and reading copious amounts of theory and research related to mindfulness and compassionate leadership will influence the way I approach my work at Animas High School. The success of this experience will be felt not only in my own personal journey but will pollenate the interactions and influence I have on our school and our community. I am excited to lead our organization into the next phase of our existence and although the forecast proves challenging, I look forward to the opportunity to dance in the rain.
