Herding cats ... and small children

There's a great You Tube clip called Herding Cats. It's actually an advertisement for EDS.  As someone who loves cats, I find this clip very entertaining; however, watching it also reminds me of my job.

I love this (source unknown)

Every day something at work amazes me. I use the term ‘work’ lightly, as it’s not WORK work – it’s more ‘play work’. I love my job and the work I do.

Working with kids is rewarding, challenging, funny, and heartbreaking at times – there is never a dull moment. There is no such thing as a plan – except to go to school every day ready to influence a life.
I love working with Teachers and Teacher Aides even more.  At Peregian Springs I’m blessed with the best team on the planet and together we make a difference in the lives of kids every day. It’s what gets us up in the morning; it’s what generates the energy to keep going against all odds, and it’s what keeps us together as a great team.

Herding cats? It’s exactly like trying to herd cats – 740 kids and their Teachers and Teacher Aides all learning and laughing together. So I don’t try – they don't need herding.  My job is to nurture all the conditions required to help them all experiment, innovate and be happy.  I do all of the things in the graphic above - except perhaps offering fish as a reward - I don't think that strategy would get me anywhere!

My version of herding consists of tweaking the culture, doing up a shoe lace in the Pick Up Zone, organising some training, drying a 6 year old's tears when he can’t find his Mum, making sure there's a capable teacher on a class when the 'real' teacher is away sick, finding the money for the latest in learning technology, teaching our PE teacher how to use his MacBook (and now he has an iPad!), considering the latest idea the Year 7 teachers have for engaging their students in learning, listening to a distressed parent, negotiating for new facilities, recruiting staff for the next year, and planning for a future that’s 20-50 years from now – a future my own daughter and all these youngsters we 'work' with every day will live in.

Tomorrow is Monday again - it's nearly time to get on my horse and see what herding cats looks like this week.