Ark Builders – Teachers

“No more prizes for predicting the rain,

Only prizes for building arks”

Don Edward Beck

It is time to shift the narrative away from looking in the small rearview mirror and forward to looking through the windshield ahead. In my experience, blame and shame have never produced a preferred future or the steppingstones to get there. Education is no exception. The above quote seems to fit as we look forward to 2026. Predicting rain, complaining, and feeling there is no hope drains energy.

Marshall Goldsmith in his best-selling book titled, “What Got You Here Won’t Get You There” writes: the strategies and behaviors that got us to this point in our lives might not be sufficient for an ever-changing world. The real question is: ‘what do we do now?’ This is what Goldsmith who popularized the word “FeedForward.”

Who are the “Ark Builders” in your life? Everyone will have a different group. Following are some of mine in no particular order.  I challenge you to reflect in the final days of 2025 and actively acknowledge and thank those who helped you on your learning journey.

Learning Partners in Education

• Walter Gohman and Harold Wengert at the Price Lab School in Cedar Falls, Iowa, from whom I learned about self-paced instruction in high school physics and chemistry from both in 1969. Yes, most students progress at a different pace. Experiments, observations, and applications helped me retain information for the future.
• Art Costa (1983 – present), whom I have written about as a Giant in My Life. https://learningomnivores.com/shoulders-of-giants/ and recently posted Artful Conversations https://learningomnivores.com/artful-conversations/. Thank you for keeping me in education and contributing to my learning.  Art introduced me to thinking skills, Cognitive Coaching, and Habits of Mind.
• Marney Wamsley, my third principal (1977- 1995), who modeled and taught me humility and humanity. https://learningomnivores.com/marney-my-mentor/. She helped me move from a Theory X leadership style to Theory Z, and I remain grateful.  However, I must admit I was not the easiest learner in the early days.
• Jane Stevenson, https://learningomnivores.com/giants-continued-jane-stevenson/ who remains one of the most skilled leaders for building learning cultures. We worked together on three different leadership teams. Her facilitation skills, ability to make a vision a reality, and her strong ethics created positive learning cultures. I still believe we are the best leadership team ever.
• Jon Saphier, Research for Better Teaching. https://learningomnivores.com/giant-8-jon-saphier/. He and his organization produce the best educational research available. Jon has a strong ethical base, and he has worked in many schools with real students, real colleagues, and in real time. If he publishes the work, you can take it to the bank. My message is simple; read his publications and put them in use. Period.
• Andy Hargreaves, https://learningomnivores.com/giants-10-andy-hargreaves/ a great thought leader who works with districts, states, provinces, and worldwide, teaching about collaborative professionalism, knowledge workers, identity, and the list goes on. Andy always has practical and implementable strategies that have been proven to be successful. He has presented at several workshops I have attended and some I have hosted.
• Jim Knight, Instructional Coaching /Group. Jim’s annual TLC (Teaching-Learning-Conference) is always well attended and he always has great keynotes and breakouts. Jim’s laser focus on instructional coaching and how to elevate learning is evident by his podcasts, books, and Radical Learners group. He is strongly behind the BIP (Better is Possible) belief and models it every day.
• Pat Wolfe, https://learningomnivores.com/giant-7-pat-wolfe/. She hosted annual meetings of a group of us who wanted to know more about the brain and how the research could increase learning.  She always said that there was great research going on and educators will decide how this will be implemented into the classroom instruction and professional development. Pat named us the ‘Brainy Bunch’ and our focus was on learning.  Pat has since passed but left a ripple that continues to facilitate learning.
• Shirley Hord, https://learningomnivores.com/giant-3-shirley-hord/ an expert on change, professional development, and collaboration. I was fortunate to learn from her for many years by hosting workshops, reading her foundational work on change, co-authoring a couple of books, and working as a colleague at SEDL (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory). Always a lady with integrity and committed to helping students learn, her impact continues to resonate with me.
• Suzanne Bailey, https://learningomnivores.com/giants-9-suzanne-bailey/ was a presenter at the National Staff Development Council (NSDC), now Learning Forward. For many years she would blend models from the business literature with educational applications. She was innovative, focused on learning for individuals and organizations, and could adapt on a dime in real time. I looked forward to learning with her every year.

I have been blessed by watching some of the best teachers over my fifty-year career in many schools.  I will not publish the names of the teachers for the risk of leaving too many out.  I admired these teachers because of what they could do with students. I would also like to recognize the support staff, receptionists, secretaries, security monitors, etc. who connect with students daily.  These roles are extremely valuable in creating the positive culture of the building.

Thank you to all who have built arks for kids, colleagues, and community. I have been honored to learn with you.

Namaste’

Bill