Leading organizations of school administrators offer educators various opportunities to encourage educators to become leaders. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has mandated that leaders be better prepared for the task of providing quality education to all. NCLB “… is forcing all educational stakeholders to face the weakness of contemporary school leadership and is making it impossible to ignore the need for higher quality principals” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). It is believed that all educators can be and are leaders in their own right. A leader is a visionary and has the ability to inspire others to aspire to greatness. Of the numerous opportunities that are offered, those that are most beneficial include but are not limited to leadership training programs, professional development, and creating shared leadership opportunities for teachers to become leaders. The systems “…that produce our nation’s principals are complex and interrelated – and governed by the states. Each state establishes licensing, certification and re-certification” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). States use the ISLLC standards “…as the framework for preparation programs and in service professional development of school superintendents, principals, and other leaders” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.3).
Whether I end up teaching social studies, special education, or a combination of the two, I will be content. I also believe that Loyola University Maryland’s School of Education will help me achieve this goal. Having attended information sessions for graduate education, I am very impressed with Loyola’s program and I believe that this program is in alignment with my beliefs and will best meet my needs. It is my hope that you will take my application into serious consideration. If you decide to accept me, you will not regret it.
Williams. I was thrilled when I came to work here to find that Mrs. Williams is the type of respected but approachable leader that is my preferred leadership style. I am grateful to have her as my mentor for this learning experience, as I feel we match closely in leadership qualities. My strength as a leader is the supportive leadership style. Like Mrs. Williams, I feel that building relationships and a culture of respect and trust is key to being an effective leader. As a teacher, I spend a good amount of time at the beginning of each year building a rapport with students and families which helps me connect with the students. As a leader of teachers I feel that being supportive of my faculty and staff will be most beneficial in helping develop a productive work environment and develop a necessary level of trust with all of the staff under my supervision. I also want to be participative and achievement oriented. I have always had a drive to be successful in all I do. I am confident that this skill will carry over to my role as a leader. The one area I will need to work on is being directive when necessary. I am not always good at being direct and want to protect others feelings. I will learn from Mrs. Williams as I continue through this program how to be directive with faculty and staff, as well as disgruntled
Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Student Advisor this afternoon, Friday, March 1, 2001. It strengthened my interest in the position and reinforced my confidence in my ability to excel should I be selected for the position.
Ms. Hall has had many years of public education experience and higher education training in which to hone her leadership style and framework. She started her career as a teacher in the Kirkwood School District. She then served as an assistant elementary principal at both Ritenour and Pattonville School Districts before being selected to serve as the assistant superintendent of the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District in 2008. Throughout her career she continued to pursue her education as a means o...
The last issue to address is leadership. This role is challenging, but with commitment and determination it can be done. Strategies that I can take to encourage great leadership is to first build trust and confidence by fulfilling the school’s mission, vision, policy, and working environment (Drexler, 2007) on a daily basis. To be involved in school activities, in the classroom, at PTO meetings, and community affiliations will establish strong leadership skills. Providing valuable feedback, strategically planning to improve the school, and encouraging community support are other strategies that can be used to enhance leadership.
...inction between the roles and actions of leaders and managers. Principals are capable of adopting each approach and proper implementation would benefit staff and ultimately, student performance. As found in the case study and literature, currently most principals undertake a managerial role, but neglect to be leaders. Therefore, most principals should emphasize leadership behaviour to bring balance to the position.
It is my belief that anyone with a desire to change the world would be fortunate to work in education. By sharing my vision with others, and building upon my skills while seeking constant growth, I strive to take an approach to leadership that fosters an effective, nurturing educational environment for the entire school community. By creating this type of environment, as well as through embracing and enhancing my leadership strengths, it is my goal to contribute to society by inspiring people to become better not only as teachers and students, but as compassionate human beings.
“I wanted to become a teacher to be able to make a positive difference on the future of children. For me, it is fulfilling challenge, stimulating the next generation to become lifelong learners. I have always been grateful to my mom (who is a retired teacher) for implanting values in me. I feel I should contribute what I have learned and experienced over the years. This way I will be paying back and at the same time can fulfill my desire of enhancing the education system.”
In building leadership capacity it is important to ensure that there is broad-based skillful participation. We want the students, parents, community, and staff to be participants. This is important because it allows for staff to take responsibility for the growth and development for not only themselves but for their peers in doing the work of leadership. It is helpful to have the community working together towards the common goal as opposed to ...
As mentioned before, leadership styles take an important role in running a school. Unfortunately, many principals have not yet defined their leadership style and struggle to administrate their school. They are responsible not only of teachers and students, but of every employee in the school. They have the power to control all the resources available to improve and meet academic goals. Despite their power, principals need to identify appropriate leadership styles to succeed as
Thomas Sergiovanni (2015) describes three essential dimensions of leadership as “the heart, head, and hand of leadership.” The heart describes those characteristics within the school leader that reflect personal “beliefs, values, and dreams.” The head of leadership refers to the practice of teaching and educating. The hand of leadership reflects actions taken by school leaders with respect to management behaviors. (p. 5) Within these elements, there is room for personal choice in how leadership is practiced and it is incumbent on new principals to find an individual leadership style that responds to the uniqueness of each school.
The role of teacher leader has been defined as “teachers who aspire to stretch beyond their classrooms to engage in leadership roles that take many shapes and forms, both “informal and formal”. (ECS, 2010). Teacher leadership has also been described as “the process by which teachers, individually and collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of the school community to improve learning practices with the aim of increased student learning and achievement.” (ECS, 2010). In years past, a majority of teacher leadership roles took the form of department chair, committee chair, grade level chair, etc. It was more of a representative role versus a leadership role. Their responsibility primarily involved dispersing information from administration to their counterparts and taking information back to administration from the group. Their position lacked decision-making power and true leadership that brings about “real” change. These tasks are still viewed as opportunities for teacher leadership; however, recently, the
1.Please provide a detailed statement (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 A4 page) outlining your motivation for pursuing a career as a teacher in a NSW public school.