Leaders Are Leaders, Whether in Space or in a Classroom

Michelle Khouri

It’s safe to say that becoming an astronaut takes a little more than the clichéd duo of “hard work and dedication.” As the country’s—and many times the world’s—pioneers, these space explorers must first embark on a journey of intensive preparation before they can even consider venturing into the vastness of space.

At the conference’s Sunday General Session, NASA Astronaut Eileen Collins related her experience as not only the first female to pilot an American spacecraft (Discovery), but also as the first female to command a manned shuttle (STS-3 Columbia). With more than 852 hours logged in space, Collins has seen her fair share of risks, conflicts, and crises; and she’s had to manage these while also managing a team of fellow astronauts. She offers her lessons learned as tips for educators as leaders:

• Know your job. It is important to know the job you are doing, or in this case the curriculum you are leading, in order to be able to build credibility and continuously try to improve yourself.
• Know the people you work with. Many times educators are also advisors or counselors.
• Knowing your students on a more personal level—and keeping open communication with them—helps you to better understand your students and their behavior.
• Always keep your integrity. This includes being consistently honest, ethical and credible. When you do this, your students better understand the decisions you make and why you have made them, which leaves less room for questioning or conflict.
• Practice active listening. Active listening and an open mind offer teachers the advantage of knowing what their students actually want or expect from each lesson.
• Be humble. Humility doesn’t mean you need to be bashful or quiet. Rather, it is a trait that can promote teamwork and self-improvement by valuing your students’ and your peers’ thoughts and opinions.
• Be creative! Leaders must constantly be creative, while also fostering creativity in their teams. As educators, innovation and daily creativity are crucial for guiding students to success. Also, creativity is a complex cognitive process, which develops better problem solving and critical thinking skills in students.