1. What are some ways that you connect with your school community? (Fostering Effective Relationships) – When asking a principal this question, it is important to look for answers that go beyond the basic answers like staff meetings, emails, etc. I would look for answers that go above and beyond what is expected. For example, one of the best principals that I knew spent every morning welcoming staff and students to the school at the main doorway. He would ask questions about their family, talk to them about their lives, and get to know them in a much deeper way than what was expected. Although this principal has been retired for a few years, many of his staff refer to him as legendary because of the way that he would go above and beyond connecting with kids and community, before and after school.
2. What are some areas of teaching and learning that you can lead in the school? (Instructional Leadership)
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What are you hoping teaching and learning looks like in your school and how do you communicate that vision? (Embodying Visionary Leadership) – There are many leaders in schools that often communicate a BIG PICTURE of what schools should look like, but can’t clearly communicate what it looks like for teachers and students. It is important to be able to discuss elements of learning that you are looking for in the classroom. Not only is important to hold this vision, but to help develop it with staff and be able to communicate it clearly. Many new educators walk into schools thinking that “quiet and order” are the expectations for classrooms, so even though they are doing some powerful work in their classrooms that looks quite messy, they are worried that it does not fit in with the vision of their boss. Due to this, many will often try to tailor their work to look like what they think the principal wants because they really don’t know what is expected. Having a vision is important but clearly communicating and developing that with staff is also
Gorton and Alston (2012) pointed out in Chapter One that effective leaders “provide direction and meaning, generate and sustain trust, display an eagerness to take action, and spread hope”, through motivating and empowering others to reach the desired goals (pp. 7-9). Thus administrators must be skilled communicators, attentive and responsive listeners. Meanwhile they must also be able to build relationships with others, multitask, prioritize, delegate wisely, relate to, and motivate others. Reading that both the National Association of Elementary School Principals and the American Association of School Administrators have noted the importance of communication to the school system's success (p. 101), has affirmed for this student that the need for outside assistance with communication is indeed a serious concern for administrators.
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...
This school has had 5 principals in 4 years. I spoke earlier about this school being a part of the I-zone. The I-zone is a special subset of schools within Shelby County that are given the task of leading a school from the bottom 5% to the top 25%. In that there is a high turnover rate with administrators and teachers. I was selected to be a turnaround principal given a certain amount of time with the authority to make necessary changes. The community asked for a principal they could relate to. They wanted to be involved with the school and wanted resources given back to them so they could help their children. I listen to community concerns and established a parent power committee so they could be partners in education with us. We reached out into the community to garner some wrap around services to help and support our students. We gained seven (7) new Adopters who have formally taken the charge to provide resources that all students will need to achieve academically. Life Church gives us food. Bellview Baptist Church comes in and tutors all our 2nd grade students. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has volunteered to come in and work with our students on STEM projects. We have Omega Psi Phi who comes in an exposes our kids to social and character development. And the list goes on. There just so many programs and organizations ready to work with us because they know
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).
Students need to be able to come to school, feel welcome, and receive the best education that their teacher can provide. To be able to do this the principal needs to make the decisions that supports his/her school. Principals need to be role models and responsible decision makers. Policies and procedures need to be updated regularly and should be reviewed by multiple parties.
To be a successful teacher one must first understand their own personal classroom management strengths and build from those attributes. Equally important are those areas of concern that could benefit from professional development or active conscious practice. As a future educator I have been exposed to many management styles and strategies throughout the course of the semester in the Creating Positive Learning Environments classroom as a result I can better understand my own personal managerial strengths and areas that also raise concern.
Standard 1 of the Florida Principal Leadership Standards (2011) describe the priority of the school leader as, “effective school leaders demonstrate that the student learning is their top priority through leadership actions that build and support a learning organization focus on student success”. Our number one priority and focus is and always should be our students. They are the reason behind our professions. It is the faculty the ones who should be supported by the administrators. The leaders should celebrate their success, encourage them, support their assertive instructional decisions, and motivate them each day to create the right conditions for learning. The principals must plan to project growth the most accurate possible, employing all the help that they could get for this challenging task. Students should not be affected because qualified teachers are not available. Strategic schools use the resources at had to relocate, and alleviate the human resources problems.
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2010). SuperVision and instructional leadership (9th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN-13: 9780132852135
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.
Wesley, D. C. (1998). The. Eleven Ways To Be a Great Teacher! Educational Leadership, 55, 80-81. Wood, C. (2008).
plan. The first hurdle many new teachers have to overcome is the ability to maintain control of
A. What is teacher leadership and empowerment and why should it be promote in schools?
My leadership model would keep quality education and its goal as the universal, underlying focus or vision much like the Instructional Leadership Model. Similarly, capable and motivated educators would be sought, curriculum and instruction would be reviewed for effectiveness, training or additional support would be given to develop teachers’ abilities and appropriate, relevant textbooks and supplies would be provided. However, one key departure from the Instructional Leadership Model is th...
Touching lives and affecting the outcome of so many futures a teacher is the epitome of a leader. Just as a leader has his or her own style, a teacher’s way of motivating his/her students, also plays an important role for a students success. Spending more time children then most parents do, a teacher is crucial in shaping with children of the future. If teachers are poor leaders then children suffer. When they shine as leaders, children blossom and the universe is wide open. As a teacher must fine tune their leadership skills and find the best style of teaching for the students who they are teaching. The intrinsic characteristics of a teacher can be categorized into a few main teaching styles or leadership styles. Directing, participating, delegating, and combined styles are the main forms of teaching and leading. The qualities associated with these styles are necessary to any teacher. The purpose ...
Collaborative leaders have a positive impact in schools. Even though principals are responsible in leading the whole school, those that have the ability to inspire their teachers to follow and share his or her vision, will make a positive impact. Interaction between leader and teacher is necessary to make positive changes. Allowing teachers to participate openly and respectfully creates trust and confidence. Teachers that trust their principals and feel are taken into consideration will work harder to meet and exceed expectations. Honesty, communication, confidence and respect between leader and teacher will lead to great team work.