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Momentum

“The Big Mo”

In John Maxwell’s book on leadership “The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership” he talks about the law of “The Big Mo”. I liken this principle to a snowflake. Each snowflake is unique, almost like an artwork designed by God for us to enjoy.

Think about this.

Every snowflake has a unique shape and design. Much like us and our students. Think of systems as a snowball effect. When we bring snowflakes together, they form a unit, when that unit starts rolling, it collects more snow. When that snow gets bigger and bigger, it can roll down a hill faster and faster. Pretty soon that momentum is designed to collect more wins.

That is the law of momentum.

Students need to experience winning

Systems design is intentional to support all of the individual students we serve. Yet more importantly than just support, students need to win. They need to experience winning.

Think about this: We may be the only win they have that day. Your smile may be, in their eyes, their only win.

How will you build success in their lives? By momentum.

Show them what they are good at and how to grow it. Every lesson is an artform designed by the incredible teachers in every classroom. The lesson is part of a larger system.

As school leaders we need to think about:

• What external pressures or influences are helping that seed grow?
• Are we planting seeds in good ground?
• Do we have a school culture that fosters winning and growth for the adults? If adults win, kids win.
• How do we create wins in a lesson, in a school?

A clear target.

My son can play computer games for days because he is driven by the desire to win. He gets immediate feedback and tries again each time he hits a snag in a level. The level is designed right where he is and he can access each level by winning.

Even on a long journey, we can celebrate the in-between. We may be on a long journey but each mile is a stepping stone. Celebrate those wins in your life and in your student’s lives, and pretty soon, you see more and more and more wins. In order to win we have to believe we can do it.

Are we helping grow what they are already good at? Now how do we help them grow? By celebrating winning and by creating more wins. We do this through our social interactions and in our strategic planning to set kids up for success. The next time you see a snowflake, consider the uniqueness and beauty tucked in each one of your students. What a gift they are.

In 2022, North Central ESD’s past MTSS Specialist, Stephanie Andler, shared her knowledge on all things Multi-Tiered System of Supports and how regional school districts can implement the strategies in this blog series.