Sustaining performance

I believe that most of us want to get better at what we do. The question is how?

An interesting article appeared last year in The New Yorker. The article talked about not just improving but sustaining your excellence.

The author, Dr. Atul Gawande, is a well known surgeon who has often spoken about improving the craft of medicine. I have tried to apply his work to my job as a Superintendent of schools.

I worry about teaching and learning. How do we reflect on what we do so that the children in our district have the best possible chance of learning?

This article talks about the importance of reflecting on what we do. How do we as professionals who are supposed to know our craft learn to think about what we do, ask others to help us improve, and still instill confidence in those we serve?