Getting Unstuck #178: What Can You Achieve by Playing the Role of #2?
“Use every tool you can to reach out and touch the lives of others, and make other people’s lives better.”
Our guest
Dr. Melissa “Missie” Patschke has served as a school leader for over 20 years. She is currently the principal of Upper Providence Elementary School located in the Spring-Ford Area School District in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Missie believes strongly in the power of a growth mindset, the importance of whole child education, and in the lasting impact of using intentional relational tools in schools.
In addition, Missie has taken her talents beyond her schools into adult learning forums and speaking venues, and writing opportunities. She prioritizes professional growth and networking through her work with key educational stakeholders and associations. In addition, Missie considers herself a strong advocate for “what’s right” on behalf of children and schools.
Why this conversation matters
This interview is part of our “Unstuck” series. These interviews focus on school leaders who are not just getting unstuck, they’re already "unstuck." And by "Unstuck," we mean they are embracing a major shift in their district or school's approach to student learning, instruction, ongoing teacher professional development, community relations, and personal leadership. They’re doing things better, not just differently, not just as part of the most recent fad or trend, but because they want to increase the likelihood that they can achieve desired outcomes on behalf of their students.
These change leaders have also embraced one or more of the nine recommended change shifts we detail in our book, Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Those shifts were heavily informed by our research with thought leaders and practitioners. Now, in this series, we tell the stories of educators who are demonstrating one or more of those shifts, highlighting where their school or district was before the change, and where they’ve led or are leading their school or district. In short, we want to take our narrative from principles to practices that can inform the work of other educators.
In addition, we want to focus a bit on the mind of the school change agent. Specifically, what is the internal vision / driver that informs the external vision and actions toward change? What makes visionary change leaders such as yourself tick?
Listen for
√ Elements of the values that Missie’s school believes in
√ The challenge that existed in starting a new school
√ How the school held to its values during the challenges that COVID presented
√ The communication benefits that accrued because of COVID
√ The critical importance of developing and maintaining relationships with students and their families
Connect with Missie
@MelissaPatschke - Professional Twitter
@BelieveUPE - School Twitter
linkedin.com/in/melissapatschke
https://www.amazon.com/Visioning-Onward-Guide-All-Schools/dp/1071800159
http://www.edimprovement.org/future-of-education-coalition
Referenced
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