This is Mr. Funky Teacher with BeAFunkyTeacher.com. I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast. Welcome back, everyone. Today's episode is called Saturday Stories Leadership Kit: Make Decisions — Waiting Isn’t Leading. Before we jump into today's story, I want to ground myself in gratitude. Here are three things that I'm thankful for. The first thing that I'm thankful for is book fairs at schools. There’s just something about watching kids get excited about books and choosing something that’s theirs. Love book fairs. The second thing that I'm thankful for is flavored water. Just something simple that makes the day a little bit better. And the third thing that I'm thankful for is collaborative classroom spaces where students can talk, think together, and build ideas instead of just sitting in nice neat rows facing forward in silence. Well, it's Saturday, which means it's time for another Saturday story from the Leadership Kit. For the past few weeks, we've been focused on attitude—how we show up, how we influence others, and how that spreads. Now we’re shifting into something different: decision making. Because leadership doesn’t just show up in how you feel. It shows up in what you choose. Let’s get into it. This episode is part of the Leadership Kit. The value we’re focusing on this week is decision making. The skill students are practicing is make decisions. And the story you’re about to hear is called Waiting Isn’t Leading. The characters in the story are Aaliyah, Jaden, Sophia, Mateo, and Leo. I’m going to read the story all the way through. No interruptions. Here we go. Waiting Isn’t Leading. The directions were clear. Build a structure that could hold weight using limited materials. The problem wasn’t the task. It was the start. Jaden held the sticks. “So what do we do first?” Sophia flipped the paper over. “We should probably plan it.” Mateo tapped the table. “Yeah, but like, what are we actually going to do?” Aaliyah looked around. No one moved. Leo sat quietly, watching. A few seconds passed. Then more. “We’re just wasting time,” Mateo said. “I know,” Jaden replied, “but I don’t want to mess it up.” Sophia nodded. “Same.” More silence. Leo finally leaned forward. “What if we just try something?” Everyone looked at him. “Like what?” Jaden asked. Leo pointed to the base. “Start there. If it doesn’t work, we adjust.” Mateo shrugged. “That makes sense.” Aaliyah nodded. “Let’s do it.” Jaden hesitated, then handed over the sticks. They started building. It wasn’t perfect. It leaned. They adjusted. It held. Later, as they tested it, Jaden said, “We should have just started.” Leo smiled slightly. “Waiting doesn’t fix it.” Aaliyah smiled. “Yeah, at some point you just decide.” Sometimes the hardest part isn’t the work. It’s starting. Well, funky teachers out there, the skill focus here is make decisions. Waiting feels safe. But waiting doesn’t move anything forward. Decision making doesn’t mean perfection. It means being willing to start, to try something, to adjust, and to move forward. Leadership shows up when someone is willing to go first. So I encourage you to start with reflection. Something like, “Have you ever waited too long to start something?” Then move into noticing questions. Why didn’t the group begin right away? What changed when Leo spoke up? Did they need a perfect plan, or just a starting point? Later in the week, you can ask: Why do people hesitate to make decisions? What helps you get started? What’s the difference between rushing and deciding? This week is about action. Not perfect action. Just action. As the week goes on, name decision-making moments with students. “You started even though you weren’t sure.” “That was a decision.” “You didn’t wait—you tried.” There is power in not waiting. If you want the printable version of this story with teacher questions and a student handout, you can find it at BeAFunkyTeacher.com. It is free for classroom use. As you head into the week, here’s the Leadership focus: Waiting feels comfortable, but it doesn’t create progress. At some point, leadership looks like this: You decide. You start. And you adjust from there. If you found value in this episode, head on over to Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen to your podcast and leave a five star review. It helps more teachers find this space. And as you go into your day, remember to inspire greatness in young people. And don’t forget to be a funky teacher. Bye now.