Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Carrie Rosebrock. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Carrie, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So, let’s start with a hypothetical – what would you change about the educational system?
As I coach and support district and school level leadership teams, my primary role is to facilitate collaborative conversations that lead to solutions. What I find, over and over again, is that as adults in these teams, we generally do not have the skills or language for respectful, inclusive team work. Before the change and transformation can begin in an organization, the individuals involved (including myself) have to bring forth their abilities to sit with discomfort, listen to alternative views and opinions, and process decisions at a team’s pace–not an individuals. This is hard. This is uncomfortable. And these skills can also be taught.
I see the need for students to have more problem-based, team-oriented experiences. Very rarely does anyone, in any profession or career, work in complete isolation. Preparation includes our emotional, internal work that allows us to enter discussion with openness, vulnerability and curiosity. Students need practice at being curious of one another, so they may demonstrate that same human curiosity one day in their chosen fields.
If we can continue to prioritize the humans in our systems as the real value, then we can also begin to shift the definition of innovation in terms of careers. I believe it would be innovative to train and pay individuals in our social services sectors competitive salaries. It would be innovative to redesign systems of support within our country that do not actually meet the needs of our people. By providing learning situations for our students that prioritize cooperation, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, and curiosity–we provide opportunities for our learners to practice skills they need within themselves and within their communities.
Carrie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I coach teams of leaders who seek to align systems within their schools or districts. Though I did not start my career as a coach, I do believe I’ve always approached learning and support through this lens. I am the co-author of an educational leadership book entitled, Arrows: A Systems-Based Approach to School Leadership, which tells the story of how my school district transformed from “good to great.” I started my career as a middle school language arts teacher in the Brownsburg Community School Corporation, transitioned into a secondary curriculum administrator, and eventually was blessed with the trust of co-authoring our district’s story. We wrote Arrows simply to provide a concrete, tangible tool that outlined what our team had done to become the top-performing district in the state of Indiana. Once the book was released, I transitioned to a consultant role to support other districts and teams going through the same journey.
When schools or teams reach out to me, they are seeking direct solutions to their specific problems related to teacher teams and professional learning communities. My job is to facilitate their planning and development of systems that create safe spaces for their teachers to experience data-driven, inquiry-based collaboration. Because many of our current leaders and educators have not experienced authentic, trusting collaboration as learners themselves, I coach district teams on how to develop the leadership skills in their people so that this connected, uncomfortable, productive conversations will occur.
For the past five years, I have supported over 40 various school districts across the United States, presented at numerous education-related conferences, and grown offerings and community on my website, www.carrierosebrock.com. I know very few people in my current field who work as independent authors and consultants, so often I feel I am field testing business strategies as I develop. Perhaps one of the most important lessons I continue to learn in my coaching profession is that I attract leads and new teams through my current and previous work. It is the quality of my coaching, teaching, and support that attracts new clients and teams to my services. Educators share strategies that work, and this means that district leaders in one school system are eager to share “What’s working” with other neighboring districts. Many of my teams have come to me via recommendation or by accessing my free resources. I spend no money and no time on advertising. I do spend my money and time on developing resources and tools that serve my teams–and the more value I provide them, the more value they provide me.
From a business perspective, my ultimate purpose is not to generate revenue; my purpose is to align systems of educational leadership so that healthy, productive, and difficult conversations occur our the needs of our students. Because I am aligned in my purpose as a coach, I show up with vulnerable, open, facilitative space for my teams. I model the emotional feel of true collaboration, and the revenue takes care of itself.
To show up with the capacity to hold emotions, reactions, and varying opinions of leaders, I myself must do my internal work to develop my emotional constancy. I practice breathwork, meditation, grounding exercises, and more. I walk, journal, and rest when possible. I recognize that my emotional healthy impacts my teams’ emotional health, and in many ways, this directly impacts the health of my business as well. The healthier I am, the healthier my business has become.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
My most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been to develop relationships built on trust and authentic curiosity with members of my teams. New clients are new schools or districts for me, which means my offerings impact larger groups of individuals from the start. Many of the leaders I coach are at building or middle-level leadership positions, and over the years, they transition to higher-levels of leadership within their districts. I may coach a principal this year who becomes the assistant superintendent or superintendent the following year. Often times, a district will begin to work with me on a large scale because someone within their system has worked with me in a previous capacity. For me, the connections I make with leaders at all levels has been key for growing my clientele. Whenever other educational consultants or authors reach out to me now seeking start-up advice, my absolute, number one strategy is for guide them to the people and contacts they already have. In education, we want to work with people who trust–and we want to solve problems. If you can help a school leaders solve a problem, you earn trust, respect, and a real relationship.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I am constantly unlearning the misconception that tension indicates malfunction. Many educators view their colleagues as friends (and even family) and there is a belief that harmony and peace are the ultimate goals of these relationships. To work together well, we must trust each other–and trusting each other means we never disagree, we never present frustration, and we never sit in discomfort. These are misconceptions I believed for most of my adult life, and I am not alone. Most educators would rather avoid an uncomfortable, tense conversation than actually name and address the problem. Though we enjoy solving problems, we would rather pretend they do not exist that have tense conversations with our colleagues.
Nice is holding us back from progress. This has been the case for decades in the United States, particularly in regards to culturally responsive teaching, anti-racists systems work, and identify-affirming spaces for all. There are many educators who would prefer to sound nice than to attack the systems of oppression creating harmful outcomes for the people within their communities. I know for many years, I was one of those educators, and I recognize at times now, I may still show up with the tendency to avoid the truth to placate my peers. As a leader and a coach, I have to normalize tension as something to embrace–even the tension I feel within myself at times.
Tension is not an indication of malfunction, but rather, it is a beacon of hope. Tension is the signal that change and transformation is about to occur–and that is precisely the goal. Nothing can stretch or grow without tension. If we want to strengthen our muscles, we must use tension to contract and release. If we want to expand our thinking–we must stretch and elongate our thoughts–and this creates a tightening, or a tension. If we want to cross a canyon on a tight-rope, tension in the rope is needed. Want to weave a basket together out of various pieces of twigs or vines? Tension among the pieces is needed.
Tension is not a warning sign of danger. Tension is an invitation for expansion. As such, we need to create and hold space for ourselves and one another as we learn how to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Teachers needs this space; students need this space.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.carrierosebrock.com
- Instagram: @CarrieRosebrock
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/carrie.h.rosebrock
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-rosebrock-323569190/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CarrieRosebrock
- Youtube: @CarrieRosebrock
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cmrosebrock/