February 12, 2015

Annie was at an impasse with the administrator of the school where she is a counselor. There was daily tension, and nerves were always on edge. The difficulty had a profoundly detrimental impact on Annie’s ability to fully and passionately support student advocacy—a controversial issue demanding thoughtful debate and respect for differing opinions. It was not going well.

Annie’s counseling office is about the size of a large restaurant booth. Feeling it was important to give her students a sense of protection and seclusion, she blocked the view into the room with a tall, dark-brown filing cabinet. She and her counseling students sat behind the cabinet—all directly in line with the door, and the door so close that it bumped into the cabinet every time someone entered.

Everyone was out of command and on alert. All of Annie’s attempts to create an easy and productive flow of communication with the administration were thwarted. The division grew so wide that Annie was loosing faith. The situation seemed out of her control.

With the arrival of the Storyboard and its emphasis on Command Position, Annie made bold changes. With precious input from a student, Annie moved her desk to take command, trusting that her students would be supported as well.

Within weeks, things changed. Her conversations with the school administrator are less charged—even cordial—and she received a lovely invitation to lunch. The nervousness and menace have disappeared between the two former adversaries.

Then, and perhaps best of all, the student leadership class created this banner for Annie.

 Way to go, Annie!

Let us know your thoughts in Chalk Talk!

Download a PDF copy of Annie Takes Command!