MNT2ACHIEVE with Tanya Lynch
An Interview with Tanya Lynch, High School Principal at North Broward Preparatory School, Coconut Creek, Florida.
“With a growth-mindset and some reflective capacity - you can grow into the leader you are capable of being”
Were you always a leader? When did you know you had the capacity to lead?
Ha! That is a great question. I don't know that I was always a leader. I was always determined and driven to do well at whatever I set my mind to do... whether it be dance or acting when I was a kid, or teaching as an adult. I think other people would say that I was a leader based on the fact that I was outgoing and seemingly extroverted. However, I can remember feeling extremely insecure in my own skin for a really long time. It wasn't until I was in my later 20's, and had been teaching a while - when I led my first professional development workshop for colleagues, that I realized that I truly had the capacity to inspire and lead others.
Who or what had a strong Influence on you growing up?
My family has always had a strong influence on my decisions and ultimate trajectory - in a very good way. My family is amazing and has supported me in whatever I wanted to do. But in many ways, I think I used my family as a crutch. If you asked them, they would tell you that I have always been very independent - a go-getter, a self-starter... but If I'm being totally honest, it wasn't until I started facilitating extensive PD and consulting a bit - and took my first International solo trip abroad, that I realized how much I allowed myself to be influenced by my family and others around me. I began to question how many decisions in my life I had actually made for myself. Don't get me wrong - I don't think that my family made decisions for me either... I'm just not sure how deliberate I ever really was... when I look back now - I did things in a logical and typical order, and checked off all of the "supposed to’s". Sometimes I wonder where my life would have taken me if I was just a little more comfortable coloring outside of the lines... so... I'm trying to do that now - never too late, right?
Can you summarize your career trajectory from the first job to present?
Well, my first job was cleaning the bathrooms and mirrors in the dance studio where I spent every evening of my life from the age of 7 - 18.
My next job and one that I continued even after I began teaching full time was a dance teacher.
I also had a stent at the GAP after college and before teaching - (super fun 6 months) - loved it - I got to do the window displays, and rocked it :)
Then I started teaching at NBPS at the age of 22 and have been here ever since.
3rd, 1st, 3 years of 5th, back to 3rd for 3 more years, LS AP for 6 years, HS AP for almost 2 years and now the HS Principal for 2 weeks!
What role have mentors played in your life?
The most transformational people in my life have been those who have taken me under their wing and mentored me. These people have come in all ages, varying careers, and genders. Some of the most significant are the people who recognized my talent early on in my career and nurtured and guided my professional growth all a long the way. Others, more recently, have come by way of friendship, and have pushed me to try and explore new paths in my career and have supported my professional development in other ways - so it's exciting. I can honestly say that I owe it ALL to those people whom I have been so incredibly fortunate to call my mentors... YOU being one of the most significant of them all!
What is the most difficult leadership lesson you’ve learned?
There have been so many.
I can't do it all. Doing it all yourself means that you are not leading anyone.
No one grows from flowery indirect feedback. Being candid and honest does not make you a mean leader - it makes you a good one.
Admit when you don't have the answer. Be honest with what you don't know. People respect and respond to authenticity, and it's the only way to build a team.
How do you maintain a work-life balance?
Ha! I don't. Let me know when you've hacked that.
I know that I need to though - and I have been trying little things to help me unplug. Like 1 - I stopped getting email notifications on my phone. That has actually been kind of life-changing - I'm not going to lie. Now I check my emails at reasonable times throughout the day, when I am actually prepared to do so and have found that it is a much more productive way to manage those demands. 2 - Whenever I exercise regularly I ALWAYS feel better... more clear and focussed. But I often allow things to get in the way and take over that time which I need to stop doing. I'm definitely not the person you want answering this question. LOL
What advice do you have for aspiring leaders?
Go for it. You are more ready than you think you are. You will second guess your abilities and whether or not you are ready to make that next jump each time it comes your way... but you will be ready. And with a growth-mindset and some reflective capacity - you can grow into the leader you are capable of being.
What would your 21-year-old self think of you now?
My 21-year-old-self would be like "Wait... what?!? You're a Principal?! Principals are old!"
What is a favorite leadership quote and why?
This is IMPOSSIBLE to answer - there are WAY TOO MANY
Probably if I had to pick one -
John Dewey - "We don't learn from experience, we learn from reflecting on experience."
BUT - I also really love -
Seymour Sarason - "Productive learning is where the process engenders and reinforces wanting to learn more. Absent wanting to learn, the learning context is unproductive."
...because I think that this is something we need to regularly think about when examining how effective and engaging our work is with the children in our classrooms.
What is next for you?
Well in my immediate future - the Principal of NBPS High School.
In conjunction with that - I'd like to continue to expand and consult with schools and educators locally and abroad...
Beyond that - who knows?! But it is exciting to think about, and I am open to all of the possibilities!
BIO
Tanya Lynch was recently appointed High School Principal at North Broward Preparatory School (NBPS). Tanya has been a member of the NBPS community since 2003. In that time, she has served as a classroom teacher, team leader, and Assistant Principal in both the Lower and High Schools. Tanya holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment.
Tanya has had numerous opportunities to present and train teachers at NBPS, within the international family of Nord Anglia Education schools, and abroad. Whether the teacher development be centered on visible thinking, thinking maps, global goals integration, design thinking, data analysis, or standards based learning, Tanya is an engaging, impactful and an exceptional presenter and trainer.
Tanya channels her vision and passion for education into deliberate and well-planned actions that yield effective and notable results. She is a self-starter, as well as a driver of positive change, and she motivates and inspires those around her.