100 Posts in 100 Days
In yesterday’s reflective post about unlearning, relearning, rethinking, and reimagining I shared that it is my role as communicator and connector that has been on my mind.
After writing the post, I recalled talking with my friend and colleague Kristen Moreland for her vlog “On the Balcony” about a metaphor for coaching. I went back and listened to what I said, over a year ago. In the segment from :50-3:48, I tell of a moment that has stuck with me over time.
In that segment, I compared coaching to a string of pearls, where students and teachers are the pearls and coaches are the string that connects them. While I think I made my point, I realize not that I described the characteristics of the pearls on the string more in depth than I did the characteristics of the string itself. That had me wondering about the qualities and characteristics of the type of string that works best for stringing pearls. After a quick internet search the “string of pearls” metaphor seems even more apropos to the work of coaching, and of school leadership.
The best thread for stringing pearls is silk because of its combination of softness, strength, and flexibility. It also turns out that the silk string plays a dual role of connector and buffer. According to the Add a Pearl blog:
Pearls are a soft gem which means they can be easily abraded or scratched if they rub against each other over a period of time. Stringing pearls on silk thread and knotting between each individual pearl provides protection from constant rubbing which could cause damage to a pearl’s surface. By comparison, pearls that touch each other by sliding on metal chain are likely to chip or crack over time.
Softness. Strength. Flexibility.
Connector. Buffer.
Structure. Caretaker.
Silk.
Strong, flexible, silk connecting beautiful, precious gems together. It’s an elegant image of being a connector as a school leader and coach.
