I have written before about the power of PLNs and have even presented on how important they are in order for administrators to be successful. But I think there is a missing opportunity for administrators to grow their own PLNs in a manner that is extremely powerful.

Building a PLN within your own district and area is important. Building a PLN on Twitter and Voxer is important. Building a PLN through attending and presenting at conferences is important. But as administrators, it can be more impactful to build your PLN through interviews.

I know what you might be thinking; “I’m not looking for another position,” great. The most effective administrators are ones who are happy with their position. But the interviewing process can be a great exercise in growth AND  a great way to build your PLN outside the circles you would normally find yourself in.

Each district has their own culture and growth focus areas. Each conference has a specific focus. We can get stuck building our own PLNs with people that think like we do because it is comfortable to do so.

When you go through the interview process [even if you do not want a new position], you have to reflect on your own ideas and thoughts and answer questions through a different lens based off of the questions they give you.

In the process, you might be stretched in a different manner and meet some new people that you would not have met otherwise.

I would challenge any educator to try and stretch themselves in this manner because it is what we should be all about.