Over the last few years, education leaders have been inspired to call themselves lead learners. Although we are sure the concept came from a good place, the term “lead learner” seemed to make it all about the leader being first at learning something and then teaching others, as opposed to learning from others. Some recent situations inspired us to want to dig down deeper into what being a learner really means these days.
It started with a coaching session with a high school principal. We discussed professional learning that his teachers with less than five years of experience might need. Then he asked, “I know what the research says about teachers and leaders within their first five years, but what about those teachers with 10 to 20 years of experience? What should I think about when it comes to their needs?”
We went back and forth in the conversation, and then he began considering his own needs, given that he taught for 17 years and now has been a leader for equally as long. He made an important shift in his thinking from helping his teachers learn to what his own learning needs might be. It was an important transition to watch. Often, we stop seeing ourselves as learners and spend most of our efforts focusing only on the learning of those we lead.
Learner’s Mindset
The two of us have learner’s mindsets, but it’s not always easy. We are confronted with negative news stories. It wasn’t too long ago we could go to X when it was called Twitter and find inspiration within 140 characters. We could join #Satchat or #Edchat and meet up with educators from around the world we wanted to learn from.
It seems different these days. Social media seems less about learning and more about promoting or selling. We need not look back on the glory days of when we felt like we learned so much. Instead, we can start looking for innovative ways to engage in new learning.
We are often introduced as “experts,” or “teachers first.” Those are all great, but the reality is that we are learners first. We learn from each other all the time. We learn from the leaders and teachers we work with in our hybrid approach. Whether it’s through engaging in protocols for cycles of inquiry, online engagement tools, exit surveys, or coaching sessions, the whole purpose behind inquiry is not just to help improve on something that may not be going well, it’s also to learn while engaging in the process.
A principal we recently coached reflected, “I’ve been doing this long enough to anticipate most situations. But I’m not sure that’s helping me anymore. I think I’m playing it safe.” That awareness was both raw and brave, which is what we want in coaching sessions. It helped open a door for improvement.
There’s comfort in being good at your job. It builds trust, credibility, and often, influence. But comfort can dull our curiosity and limit our growth. Education, regardless of what those on the outside of the field may think, is complex and evolving. There is always this talk of mastery in education, but the illusion of mastery is that it can actually distance us from our greatest potential.
The Case for Learner’s Mindset
To help us go deeper into our work with leaders, we created Instructional Leadership Collectives, which you can read more about here.
Facilitating the collectives has inspired new learning. Even though we have 70 years of experience in education between the two of us, we push each other to learn more and go deeper with our work.
There is this Japanese concept called shoshin (beginner’s mind), which is about approaching situations with openness, eagerness, and no preconceptions. This is how we should all approach learning.
So, the big question is, how do we do that?
Midcareer educators might ask: How do I reconnect with the mindset I had when I started teaching but with the wisdom I’ve gained over the years?
A learner’s mindset invites us to see challenges not as threats to our competence but as invitations to growth. Whether it’s experimenting with new technologies, exploring culturally responsive practices, or learning from younger colleagues, choosing to be a beginner keeps us nimble, relevant, and engaged.
Barriers to the Learner’s Mindset
Of course, this isn’t easy. Starting over takes vulnerability. Midcareer educators often carry unspoken insecurities: “I should know this by now.” Or worse, “People expect me to have the answers.” In meditation, we often refer to these as feedback loops. These loops can keep us from asking questions or admitting we might need support. They actually can be the catalyst for building walls and barriers.
That’s where psychological safety matters. School leaders and systems must model and support cultures where learning is valued. It should be messy and imperfect learning at times, but some of our greatest learning comes from “being messy.” How might we celebrate new learning at every stage of a career?
Strategies for Reclaiming a Learner’s Mindset
So, how do we encourage this learning stance in ourselves and our colleagues?
- Try a 30-Day Experiment: Choose one new practice to try, not to master, but to explore. Then reflect: What did I notice? What challenged me? What surprised me?
- Pair Up With a Reverse Mentor: Learn from a student or early-career teacher. Ask them what matters most in today’s classroom. Listen with an open heart and mind.
- Revisit and Reflect on Your First-Year Self: What did you believe then? What parts of that idealism still matter? Which beliefs have changed or matured? Which might need to be rekindled?
- Build a Growth Portfolio: List the professional risks that didn’t go as planned. Then identify what each experience taught you. Reframe failure as progress.
These actions aren’t about professional development in the traditional sense. They are a personal reflection for continuous growth.
A Profession Worth Beginning Again
Education isn’t static, and neither are we. Becoming a learner again isn’t a retreat from expertise, it’s a recommitment to it. The old adage is that we should never stop learning, but we often don’t engage in actual intentional learning enough.
Imagine the message it sends when a 25-year veteran sits beside a new hire and says, “Show me how you did that. I want to learn.” That’s not just modeling growth. That’s modeling humanity.