ETFO Is a Union of Leaders (From the General Secretary)
ETFO is an organization made up of 73,000 potential leaders. Most of our members chose education as a career because they wanted to lead and support others, to help them grow and achieve. Without that impulse it’s unlikely you would have wanted to become a teacher in the first place.
There is tremendous leadership potential within our membership: people with the skills and ability to make a difference not only in their own classrooms and schools but in their communities and their federation. Let’s recognize that not every educator is in a position to do more; coping with work and family responsibilities stretches some to their limits, especially at the start of their careers. However, assuming greater leadership is an option for many.
Why would you want to step outside your comfort zone and start to take on a bigger role? It is in your own self-interest to do so. The choice is simple: you can be an integral part of making things happen, or be someone who lets things happen to you. You can live in your own classroom, or you can dream bigger and recognize that you and your students are affected every day by events that take place outside those four walls. Don’t limit yourself and don’t limit your students.
Certainly, to take a step toward leadership is to take a risk. You may put yourself forward and you may initially be accepted – or not. Your skills may be recognized – or not. Starting small and learning from those around you will be critical to your success. Are you involved in setting up a professional learning community ETFO Is a Union of Leaders in your school? Are you engaged in an ETFO leadership training program? Are you working as part of a team, offering support to a community organization? Are you contributing to your local? The key to success is making a commitment, working at it, and having the determination to succeed. Essential to your efforts is the desire, not just to become a leader, but to make a difference.
How do people become leaders? Almost all of you who are in leadership positions now will remember the tap on the shoulder, the invitation you got from someone else to join a group, to come to a meeting, to make a few phone calls.
Good leaders make sure they extend the invitation to others. They understand that there is a pool of people who want to be involved and who have lots to offer. They recognize that there are those who need a nudge to encourage them to take that first step.
As an aspiring leader, you must be prepared to send the signals that you are ready to take part. As a practising leader you must be able to recognize those signals and encourage those aspirations. But for both aspiring and existing leaders the motivation is identical – a drive to make things better for others.
By expanding your horizons in this way you will grow, both personally and professionally. You won’t go from a shrinking violet to a sunflower in one step, but over time, slowly but surely, you will gain skills, knowledge, and experience that will enrich you and enhance the lives of everyone around you.