The School I Dreamed Of Exists — and So Does the Classroom
“This. This is what it’s supposed to be.”
That’s what happened when I listened to the leaders and teachers from The School of Innovation (TSOI) in Greeley 6 speak about their work.
At first, their descriptions might have sounded like chaos — open spaces, students everywhere, collaborative noise, barely a straight line in sight.
But as they spoke, I realized:
It wasn’t chaos — it was Symphony.
The kind Daniel Pink writes about in A Whole New Mind — creative, human-centered, connected, and deeply alive.
A Whole New Kind of Leadership
In A Whole New Mind, Pink argues that the leaders and thinkers of the future won’t rise through compliance — they’ll rise through six key senses:
Design
Story
Symphony
Empathy
Play
Meaning
That’s exactly what I heard in the voices of the TSOI staff — a school grounded in these values. A leadership model that invites rather than controls. A learning environment that trusts students to collaborate, contribute, and grow through connection, not correction.
And it reminded me:
This isn’t just the kind of school I want to lead —
It’s the kind of classroom I already create.
A Glimpse Into My Art Room
A few weeks ago, my Intro to Art class started our cardboard architecture unit — always a favorite. But this time?
This class completely owned it.
They begged me to let them work on it through the end of the year.
I looked around and said:
“You guys! You’re almost done, aren’t you? Like, what else do you even have left?”
And they answered:
“No! We still need to finish the trim boards, the landscaping, the furniture!”
They weren’t just doing a project — they were in it.
Laughing, gluing, building, planning.
Running the room like a creative studio:
“Where are the dowels?”
“Can I get more cardboard scissors?”
“Do you have any tiny scrap pieces?”
To someone who equates teaching with stillness and silence, this might look like disorder.
To someone watching for compliance, it might look like I’ve lost control.
But to me?
This is what it’s all about.
This is Symphony. Play. Design. Meaning.
This is student-centered leadership — not theoretical, but real.
And I told them, from my heart:
“You all amaze me. This is hands-down the best set of architectural models I’ve ever seen. You’re inspiring.”
What It Means for My Leadership
Hearing from TSOI reminded me that my instincts aren’t just valid — they’re visionary.
And my classroom reminded me that the kind of leadership I believe in doesn’t just live in policy or titles.
It lives in how we show up — how we trust students, how we design experiences, how we create the conditions for learning that feels like freedom.
This year tried to narrow me — but these moments widened me again.
I don’t want to lead in systems that demand silence or sameness.
I want to lead like I teach:
With curiosity. With empathy. With joy.
And with a deep belief that when kids feel seen, they’ll show us who they’re becoming.
This is what leadership looks like to me.
And I’m just getting started.