Orange Cones & Picture Frames

I place an orange cone on a desk and ask my students to describe the object.

What is this?

What is its primary function?

Next, I place an empty picture frame.

Again, I ask

What is this?

What is its primary function?

The answers range, but generally they land on 

A traffic cone is used for identifying hazards.

A picture frame is used to identify things that are noteworthy.

I then asked my 9th graders to consider which object they use metaphorically in their lives on a regular basis.

Do they highlight the anxiety-inducing hazards, or emphasize the noteworthy beauties and accomplishments of their days?

They all agreed that the tests, failures, and faux pas tend to overwhelm their days with orange cones and caution tape.

The small victories and nice moments? They hardly notice them.

We then discussed how one job of a leader is to look for opportunity and inspiration in the everyday and the mundane. Leaders need to shift an organization or team's focus onto areas for growth and development. They need to look at things that are easy to address and that are important...things that shift culture, that create norms and traditions, and that reinforce values.

So what did my brilliant students do next?

We took a field trip around campus to hold the frames up and identify everyday moments of inspiration, opportunities for joy, or ideas for how or where we could draw our communal attention to invite a manifestation of GOOD to overtake our campus.

I was happy.

I was inspired.

I was, as always, following my students.

Let's focus more on framing the good instead of cautioning against the danger in our lives this week.

After all, schools should be places where student leaders are constantly seeking places to grow and evolve the culture...not places where anxiety and orange cones become the culture.