"The Lorax" is Dr. Seuss's tale of the entrepreneurial Once-ler who upon arriving to the forest outside of town immediately envisions a money-making opportunity ----making Thneeds out of Truffula Trees. When he begins his enterprise, his efforts are interrupted by the Lorax who repeatedly appeals to the Onceler to be mindful of his decisions and how they are impacting not just the trees but all the other inhabitants of the forest. The Onceler is so pre-occupied with "biggering" his business that he ignores the pleas of the Lorax. Eventually the Lorax and the other inhabitants leave and the Once-ler's business fails.
When I accepted my job as an elementary principal, I was the 4th administrator in the last ten years. Like so many new principals, I came in with lots of plans and ideas for "biggering" our school. If I wasn't careful, I would get so busy "biggering" that I wouldn't think about "bettering". That's where the Lorax comes in. Every administrator needs a Lorax ---that voice of reason, the one who enables me to see not just the trees in the forest, but also the Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming Fish ---the one whose experience and perspective can help me make sure that what I plan connects not only with the school's past, but also its future. The Lorax might be a teacher, a predecessor, a parent, a student, or a community member, but before I embark on any "biggering" I must take the time to listen and learn from the Lorax, or else I will find myself alone.
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