I think that the fundamental problem of leadership, as of life, is the sustaining of intelligent optimism in the face of intelligent skepticism. The serious hero is one who continues to act while understanding the limited relevance of action. After a series of seemingly romantic actions, Don Quixote says, “No doubt you set me down in your mind as a fool and as a madman, and it would be no wonder if you did, for my deeds do not argue anything else. But for all that, I would have you take notice that I am neither so mad nor so foolish as I must have seemed to you … All Knights have their special part to play … I, then, as it has fallen to my lot to be a member of the Knight-errantry, cannot avoid attempting all that to me seems to come within the sphere of my duties.” In effect, Quixote says that, of course, the world is absurd — filled with windmills, donkeys and actions of no consequence. But it is precisely the absurdity of life that makes affirmation and action a declaration of humanity rather than merely an instrumental act. For Quixote, great actions do not depend on great expectations, but rather on a conception of how a good person lives. It is a noble and romantic sentiment, and one which we might commend to [school leaders] … within reason.
James March, 1980

Maybe too Carter-era for many, but works for me.

Continue to enjoy your blogs. I know what you mean about the hugs at the end of the year. At first I thought you were going to say that students can’t be changed. Was delighted to read further and see that you know that the lives of students can be changed. I feel I was able to change many lives at the inner city school in Cleveland, Ohio where I started my career as well as at Mt. Eden. For most of my career at Mt. Eden I taught “core” classes, general math, and algebra and geometry. I only taught a few advanced classes until the last ten or twelve years of my 39 year career. Even though I taught at a German Gymnasium for girls, U.C. Berkeley in the summers, and at Chabot, some of my most satisfying experiences were with the students who lived in poverty. I loved almost every day of my teaching career (except for the first few weeks in Cleveland, Ohio–and there was only one student I was never able to really get to like. I hope you will continue to love teaching and to change lives. I was honored when Kelly Bellard’s classes invited me up for the last day of school and gave me presents. I am going with two different groups of them to Berkeley sometime this summer. Even as a geriatric geezer, I still love teaching and still love Mt. Eden students. However, this last year may have been my last year to sub. I don’t want to set a record as the oldest person to enter a classroom at Mt. Eden! Cheers!