The Tulip Effect: A Reflection on Teacher Leadership

A reflection by Christie Olsen, NBCT, professional learning coach in Lake Havasu Unified School District.

“The Marigold Effect” is a well-known concept within the teaching world. A marigold is a teacher who protects another, helps them thrive, and encourages their growth. Today, I challenge you to lead with the “Tenacity of a Tulip.”

Our oldest daughter graduated from the United States Naval Academy. As midshipmen return to Annapolis after winter break, they are met with “the Dark Ages.” These are the overcast, cold, dreary days of winter. The months of January and February drag on with frigid nights and far too little sunshine. The sun hides for days; it is cold, gloomy, and dreary. Spring’s rejuvenating powers have not yet reached forward. The Dark Ages can take a physical and mental toll on the Brigade of Midshipmen.

And yet, each spring, a sign of resilience appears: a tulip. Tulips go through a dormant or “chilled” state to grow. The chilling period can represent rest and recuperation, allowing yourself to take a deep breath and be completely ready for the season ahead. But I see another implication for leadership, which is to take the time to let plans, ideas, and change incubate, to listen and observe.

Tulips multiply. They reproduce other bulbs. Tulips not only return year after year but multiply and form clumps that grow bigger each year. Imagine for a moment the power of one – the one with the courage to put forth a new idea, challenge a misconception, or disrupt an inequity. How might those ideas expand?

Tulips are phototropic and bend towards the light. Other flowers, once arranged in a vase, stay the same. Tulips are always moving, seeking out what they need to bloom fully. They bend and move into a position to grow. We can also intentionally position ourselves under the mentorship of great people, seek out new resources, and try new strategies. To reach our potential, we must be intentionally flexible, turning ourselves towards things that will help us grow.

Tulips continue to grow after they have been cut. Other flowers bloom once they have been cut, but their growth stops. Tulips grow from one to six inches after they are cut. Teacher leadership is filled with reflections, celebrations, and “aha” moments. I am certain in your journey through teacher leadership you have been “cut” a little. Maybe you have even been “cut to the core.”  When you are cut, growth is not over and potential doesn’t disappear; there is more in store for you than what you could have imagined when you were comfortably planted.

May we all embrace the tenacity of the tulip.