Lessons Learned from Swift

Taylor Swift came to my hometown last weekend, and many of us still can’t get over it. The concert was such a beautiful, fun, and memorable experience. Of course, this has me wondering what made it so special, and how might we get more experiences that feel a bit like this in our lives? In our schools? In our learning experiences?

Like many school districts, we have a Portrait of a Graduate which we see as a north star for what we want our students to know and be able to do as they pursue their individual, unique futures. And like many districts, while we believe deeply in our POG, we’ve not yet put it into practice in a way that feels real and meaningful across our community. Yet. We are working on it.

While many of us are busy preparing for a successful 23-24 school year, we also find ourselves dreaming and visioning. So, I found myself reflecting upon this magical Taylor Swift experience and connections between what made it so special and our Portrait of a Graduate. This is a fun, fulfilling, and meaningful exercise. I encourage you to do the same with anything that brings you joy this summer. What can you learn from that joy that you can bring into your work next school year? No move is too small. Just dream big and start small.

Resiliency & Adaptability

As Taylor Swift moved into an era of songs she had written during the pandemic, she spoke to the audience about how she didn’t know during that time if she would ever get to perform in front of audiences again. Such a relatable feeling because during this concert, I can distinctly remember looking across the night sky at an inspiring sea of glowing wrist bands and thinking, “Wow, it’s amazing that this is possible.” She went on to explain that during that scary time in the world, she did what she knew how to do to cope. She wrote songs. Two albums, in fact, of songs that were what she describes as “her diary.” And she smiled and laughed a little as she explained that, “So, yeah, I just would just write in my diary and share with all of you like, ‘Do you like it?”‘

I love this example of resiliency. Wow, to write not one but two albums, during such a difficult time in all of our lives. But beyond that, she was resilient with something that meant something to her. That she enjoyed. Too often, we speak about resiliency without this element. In doing so, it makes it sound like we should do hard things simply because they are hard. That hard core mindset is sometimes needed when we don’t want to do what must be done, but I don’t believe every element of our lives is worth that kind of effort.

Additionally, as you may have seen, there was a point during her reputation era when she was supposed to fall through a small square in the stage for the next set. It wasn’t moving, and she can be seen on video footage stomping for a moment then realizing it wasn’t going to work, so she started sprinting because the show must go on. It might feel like a silly example of adaptability, but it’s an example for sure! Sometimes, things do go as planned. In fact, things often go just as planned if we pay attention and look around. But when it doesn’t go as planned, sometimes you just need to stomp your foot, and then run like the wind in a sequin bodysuit and heels to make it work.

Innovation & Creative Thinking

Taylor Swift sang songs for over three hours. Songs that span the last 17 years. In those 17 years, she has changed and evolved with the world. It is beautiful to see people allow themselves to grow, learn, change and still stand authentically in who they are in the present moment. We witnessed more wholesome eras. We witnessed more playful eras. We witnessed her journey into owning her womanhood. We witness sadness and romance too. And through it all, she seems to have always allowed whatever she experiences in the world and in her life to inspire her work. The world might be changed if more of us allowed ourselves to stand confidently in whatever era we are experiencing, allowing it to shape us into new, more fully evolved versions of ourselves. I love that she doesn’t allow herself to be simply one thing or submit to what others think she should be. She can sing country if wants. She can do a sultry dance if she prefers. She can wear a ball gown or feather jacket. The creative energy that went into each set, costume, the choreography, and special effects. Wow. Certainly, I know she has teams who also deserve the praise and recognition for this magic. It was other worldly. At one point, she leaped through the floor and then the floor looked like water. Water sounds filled the stadium, and it appeared she was swimming through it in her yellow dress to the next song. She didn’t learn that sitting and listening to a lecture. In our schools, where is there room for adults and students alike to play, wonder, and create in our learning experiences?

Communication & Collaboration

As fans, we had to work together. Everyone needed to understand the rules and then kindly and respectfully take good care of themselves and others in order to make this work. There were simply too many humans for this to go any other way, and we all understood the assignment. However, that is an example of compliance. What we created together extended far beyond compliance. We made friendship bracelets, and we shared them with strangers. Cops too could be seen wearing and exchanging bracelets or dancing among fans. In my aisle at the concert, a girl I had never met before, sent Taylor Swift stickers down our row for all of us to enjoy. Others captured sweet moments between mothers and daughters enjoying the concert in front of them, again strangers, and then showed it to them and offered to text it to them. We all sang songs in unison, waved our arms synchronously to the music, and laughed and enjoyed together. Certainly, this is not an example of the deep kind of collaboration we describe in our work exactly. But it’s the spirit of collaboration. Working together, enjoying being a part of creating something bigger than ourselves…

I couldn’t get over the number of times Taylor would pause, smile, hold her hand to her heart, and seem genuinely in the moment and grateful that we showed up. It never got old. Sure, she might do that at every show. But this doesn’t mean I didn’t believe her. I couldn’t help but smile and feel seen in the sea of fans. With genuine words of appreciation and through her body language, she communicated gratitude and kindness and care. We can all learn a little something from her in this area. This is how we want all learners to feel in school every day. Deeply seen and cared for, like they are a part of something bigger than themselves that really matters, and like their unique contributions really matter. Because they do.

Those are just three areas in our POG. I could go on, but I think you get the point.

I find myself wondering, “Should we make friendship bracelets with staff this year?” Perhaps with words where if staff, students, or community members inspire us with the way they demonstrate that quality, we give it to them to show them we recognize their unique contributions to our school community? Do we need golden buzzer moments like they have on America’s Got Talent? Do we need more songs, art, movement, and shared mountain top experiences that keep our hearts full and our minds alive?

I say yes. We do.