In my experience, this has not been a consistent value in every school, nor district, in which I’ve worked. While I absolutely value the idea of consistency within a grade level, I’ve never believed that equates to the entire team being in lock-step about everything, especially not when it comes to a teacher letting their personality out. Should every student in a given grade level have access to the same high quality, enriching learning experiences? Absolutely. Will it look the exact same in every classroom, probably not. The most successful teams, and schools, that I have been a part of are the ones where teams want everyone to look good. If you’ve ever been a part of a team when one person wants to be the star, or favorite, then you know what a miserable existence that can be at times. Teachers each have strengths and talents that make them amazing; I hope the decisions I make as a building leader never stifles that.
Dan @ Condit 