Clarity Is a Form of Care

A teacher sits down with her evaluation. The principal has marked her as "developing" on student centered instruction.

The teacher doesn't understand. She thought she was doing student centered instruction. She asks what she needs to do to improve.

The principal explains: "You need to give students more choice. Let them ask questions. Create more discussion."

The teacher leaves confused. Those things are good. But how? What does that actually look like? What would change?

The feedback is vague. And vagueness isn't helpful. It's actually unkind.

Clarity as Kindness

Here's something people don't always think about: clarity is a form of care.

When you give someone vague feedback, you're not really helping them. You're leaving them confused. They don't know what you expect. They don't know how to improve.

But when you give clear feedback, you're caring for them. You're saying: I respect you enough to be clear about what I see and what would help.

Vagueness isn't kind. It's a way of avoiding saying the hard thing. And it leaves people to figure out what you meant.

Clarity takes more work. But it's the caring choice.

Why Leaders Default to Vagueness

Most leaders don't intentionally choose vagueness. But when they're not sure how to describe something clearly, they resort to vague language.

They might say: "Your classroom feels a bit chaotic" instead of "I noticed that students are doing three different tasks at the same time and you're moving between them quickly. I wonder what students are getting out of that."

The first is vague. The second is clear.

The first feels safer. You can't be wrong about something that's vague. But the second is actually more useful because it gives the teacher something to think about.

What Clarity Looks Like

Clear communication has a few characteristics:

It's specific. Not "improve your questioning" but "ask more open ended questions where students have to think instead of just remember."

It includes an example. "When you asked 'What's the capital of France?' students just answered. If you asked 'What do you notice about where the capital is located?' students would have to think."

It offers a reason. Why does this matter? How will it help? "When students have to think and generate their own answers, they remember better and understand more deeply."

It leaves room for thinking. Not a directive. An invitation. "I wonder what would happen if you tried asking more thinking questions next lesson."

How Clarity Changes Relationships

When you're consistently clear, relationships change.

Teachers know where they stand. They know what you're seeing. They know what would help. There's no mystery. No guessing.

And that clarity builds trust. Because teachers know you're taking time to really see them and communicate clearly about what you see.

Vagueness erodes trust. Because teachers don't know what you're really thinking. They have to guess.

Clarity in a System

In a system building collective collaboration, clarity becomes a shared value.

Teachers are clear with each other. Feedback is clear. Expectations are clear. Goals are clear.

And that clarity makes learning travel. Because when someone in one school describes their practice clearly, other schools can understand it. They can ask good questions. They can think about how it applies in their context.

Vagueness doesn't travel. Clarity does.

The Work of Being Clear

Being clear takes more time than being vague. It requires thinking. It requires being specific. It requires offering examples.

But it's time well spent. Because clarity is what allows people to improve. Vagueness just leaves them confused.

The Leadership Move

The move is choosing clarity even when it takes more time. Taking the extra moment to find the specific word. To offer an example. To explain why something matters.

It's a daily choice. But daily choices compound. And a culture built on clarity is a culture where people know where they stand and can improve with confidence.

The Leadership Pause

Think about feedback you've given recently. Was it clear? Could the person receiving it understand exactly what you saw and what would help?

Or did you resort to vagueness because it was faster?

Clarity takes more work. But it's a form of care. And it's what allows people to actually improve.

That's worth the extra effort.

Learn more in Chapter 6 of The Question-Driven Principal: Leading Instructional Improvement Without Being the Content Expert

Further Reading:

Stone, D., Patton, B., & Heen, S. (2010). Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most. Penguin Books. This foundational work on crucial conversations emphasizes that clarity in communication is an act of respect and care. Specific, clear feedback helps people understand what needs to change and how to improve. Vague feedback confuses and demoralizes.

Dweck, C. S. (2006). Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Random House. Dweck's research shows that people respond to clear, specific feedback about their work and effort with greater growth and persistence. When feedback is vague, people either give up or become anxious. Clarity enables growth mindset thinking and improvement.

---

Join Us at the Spark Curiosity EDU Conference

Ready to deepen your practice around question driven leadership? Join educators and leaders from across the country at the Spark Curiosity EDU Conference. We'll explore how curiosity, questions, and collective collaboration transform schools and districts. Learn alongside Olivia Odileke and the Kampus Insights team.

Visit sparkcuriosityedu.com to register and learn more.

---

Reflective Questions for Weeks 20 through 24

As you move through these weeks of focus on asking instead of answering and defining success clearly, consider:

• When do I give answers instead of asking questions? What would change if I asked one more question?
• What vague goals exist in my school? What would happen if I made them clear and specific?
• What are my instructional expectations? Are they visible to students? How would I know?
• What does good instruction look like in my context? Can I describe it specifically?
• Have I been clear in feedback or have I defaulted to vagueness? What's one piece of feedback I could make more clear?

---

A Closing Mantra for May and June

Clarity is a form of care. Vague goals create anxiety. Visible expectations enable success. Questions open thinking. And when you stop giving answers and start asking questions, people develop the capacity to think for themselves.

Let that guide your work these two months.