Forum Discussions
Forum Discussions
EDAD 639
Jason Harmon
March 20th, 2015
Introductions
My name is Jason Harmon. I teach 2-12 art in Guernsey Wyoming, and this is my 4th year as a teacher. I also am in charge of the art club, the school yearbook, and I was the assistant high school boy’s basketball coach last year. Each year I have been part of different committees within our school. My duties have ranged from Curriculum Committee, school improvement committee, and I was part of a Common Core group that traveled to several trainings and taught what we learned to the rest of our staff. I love teaching, and look forward to this experience as we all grow into school leaders.
I grew up in Southwest Wyoming and attended Mountain View, High School. After a two year church mission in Ecuador I attended BYU in Provo, UT and graduated with degrees in Illustration and Art Education with a minor in Business. My first and only teaching job has been here in Guernsey, Wyoming, and I love it here. I love learning, and got right into this graduate program at Chadron State the summer after my first year teaching. My goal is to graduate in May and in some future date seek out an opportunity to serve a community and school by taking on a leadership role. Our school here has a new principal this year, and it has been amazing to see how much impact a good leader can have on a culture in so few days. School just started today, and there is so much enthusiasm, excitement, rigor, and high expectations that I didn't see last year. Visionary leaders really can make a lasting difference in the lives of those they lead, and especially in the lives of students.
Outside of school I love spending time with my wife and 3 kids ages 6, 2, and 6 months. I also enjoy painting, reading, gardening, and house projects.
After reading the syllabus and supervisors handbook things seem pretty clear. My one concern is coordinating everything with my administrators so I can have a good experience and really have a big impact on our school, but I know that will just take clear communication. I wish you all luck this semester, and look forward to learning from you all.
Chapter 1 Forum
The leadership style that best describes me as an administrator is transformational leadership. I say this because I am honest, hard working, authentic, empathetic, and good at inspiring others to do their best. I have high expectations for everyone, and hold myself accountable for my actions. I understand the importance of high goals, and know that they lead to high productivity and engagement. According to James McGrager Burns (2003), a leadership expert, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of morality and motivation."
Examples of this can be seen in my classroom. I expect a lot out of my students, but I show them by example that the projects can be done well by working alongside them. They know that I believe in them, and often they inspire me too. I have found that people want to be held accountable for their actions. They want someone to care about them and what they do and this really does lead to high productivity and engagement. As a future administrator I hope to be a critical player in transforming our school culture to one of lifelong learning, excitement, and joy. Learning is so fun, and a school is an amazing atmosphere where learning has limitless possibilities, especially in this age of the internet where one can research anything, and learn it from anywhere.
As a future administrator I really believe transformational leadership is critical. I also believe it goes hand in hand with moral leadership. A moral leader is one who does what is right even when that decision will lead to criticism. A moral leader exemplifies integrity, and honesty. This topic has been researched and written about by Thomas Sergiovanni in his book Moral Leaderhip: Getting to the Heart of School Improvement. In this book he discuses how we need to focus more as leaders on leading by example, then leading in the traditional sense. I will do this by not only doing my job as an administrator, but by picking up trash, helping and serving others, and letting everyone know that I care about them, and know they can succeed as they do their best. We are all unique and have so much to give, and we must help bring that out in our teachers, staff, and students.
Burns, James MacGregor. Transforming Leadership: A New Pursuit of Happiness. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003.
Chapter 2 Forum: A Vision for Success
The vision development process begins with a clear idea of what characterizes a successful school (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 43). Once this research has been completed a school must develop a school improvement process. This plan allows for school leaders to implement necessary changes to create a successful school and hold teachers, students, and other stakeholders accountable. The next step in the process is to bring together community members, students, and staff in order to come up with a shared vision of purpose. These groups can be divided into two groups comprising the “internal public” and the “external public” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 44). These groups meet to examine data about where the school is at currently, and what they want to become. The groups give their input into the creation of the school mission and vision, and help to formulate goals that will guide the school to success. Lastly, this vision is publicly displayed, and used in shaping what the school will become.
I was involved in this process a few years ago, and it was interesting to be a part of it. Our administrators met with groups of students, parents, community members, teachers, and other staff. We all gave our input into the creation of a new school mission, vision, and goals. Along the way many drafts were created and revised until our document was complete. Now we review it often, and use our mission, vision, and goals in determining what direction to take our school. I like the quote from our text that states, “Vision unites the leader and the followers to achieve common, agreed-upon ends and provides the strong sense of commitment, purpose, and direction necessary to achieve quality outcomes” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 46).
There are many things that I will do to articulate our schools vision within my school. The vision is already posted, but I will work on more prominently posting it within each classroom. I am working on a plan to create a slogan and symbol of our schools mission and vision that will help everyone buy into who we want to become. Once this is established we are going to ask each homeroom (we call it Viking) class to come up with a 3 to 5 minute skit that demonstrates our mission and vision. These will be performed in a school assembly. These skits will help our students and staff to internalize who we are and who we want to become. Also, as a school leader I must take each opportunity I can to model our mission and vision, and focus the direction of our staff and students so we are all striving to achieve it. I love the quote “In practice, a good leader becomes both the defender of, and the cheerleader for, the school’s vision” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 47). I will be a passionate leader that gets the mission and vision into the heart of all we do. We can’t reach our goals unless we are focused on what we are becoming.
Hackmann, D.G., Schmitt-Oliver, D.M., & Tracy, J.C. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Chapter 3 Forum: Building a Healthy School Culture
How would you define a healthy school culture and what strategies could you use to improve a school's culture?
“Culture pervades people’s minds and forms their model for perceiving, relating, and interpreting their management, their work, and their selves. The professional lives within a school culture derive importance, meaning, identity, and belongingness from this culture” (Hackmann, Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 63). A healthy school culture is one that empowers everyone to succeed. It is a culture of lifelong learning, growth, improvement, change, high expectations, dignity, and respect. Although each school culture will be different, a healthy school culture brings “meaning, passion, and purpose” to all that administrators, teachers, and students do (pg. 62). In a successful school with a healthy culture, contributions are valued, and accomplishments are recognized and celebrated (pg. 63); there is a strong commitment to the learning of each student, and everyone works together for the success of the school.
There are several strategies that can be used to improve a schools culture. First of all one must look deeply at what the culture is and plan where it needs to improve. A school must have a mission that focuses on student and teacher learning, and create a sense of purpose by building rich history and traditions. Everyone must evaluate their assumptions of students, and their ability to learn and grow. There must be a strong professional community that builds on knowledge, experience and research to improve practice. There must be shared leadership, good communication, rituals and ceremonies that reinforce the culture and values, a physical environment that brings pride and joy, and a strong sense of respect for everyone (pg. 63-64).
I guess the best strategy of all is to assure everyone feels appreciated, important, and respected. A great culture building exercise for staff could be as informal as a barbeque or get together where everyone can talk and get to know each other better, but some schools seem to have their clicks and groups within their staff. A better strategy would be to plan activities with staff during professional development days where staff members work in groups on fun projects with other teachers they don’t know very well. I firmly believe that respect comes naturally as one gets to know their coworkers. It is hard to dislike someone when you know them and come to understand them.
A school leader helps build culture by supporting strong instructional programs within his/her school. They must assure that teachers are planning their lessons well because “in a healthy classroom, what is taught and learned is relevant to students; it seems personal, familiar, connected to the world they know” (pg. 66). It is then their duty to support a positive environment by emphasizing success rather than failure. It is also their responsibility to assess teachers, and to review the data that shows what learning is taking place. As school administrators make students their priority they assure students are first in the minds of their teachers. They constantly ask, how will this benefit our students? Said schools focus on student learning, so staff development has that same goal in mind, and the whole school grows. I know that a school leader can greatly impact their school culture, and change it for the better through their day-to-day positive and uplifting example of holding all stakeholders accountable for student learning. But they can also be purposeful in planning their improved culture of success. In this aim, we are never finished and can ever grow.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice . Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 4 Forum: Managing Change
Just recently our district started expecting us as teachers to write and post learning targets for each class in our classroom each day. Although many teachers were doing things similar to that, it was a big enough change that it caused a lot of griping and growing pains. First of all we were asked to watch a video about learning targets and practice writing them during a PLC meeting. The next week for our PLC meetings all of the teachers in our district met together and our principal explained more about Learning Targets. We watched another video, and then he explained to us his expectations. We were asked to write down our learning targets and submit them at the beginning of each week and to post them for each class each day in our rooms. It was an interesting staff meeting because I felt as if our staff were almost attacking our new principal. Most of them had valid questions, but others had rude comments and bad attitudes. The principal handled the questions well, and has held us to his expectations. He comes into our classrooms looking for the learning targets, but one time he yelled at a teacher in front of their students for not posting them.
Most of the teachers feel the training received was inadequate, and would like to read more of the research so they can really understand why learning targets are so important. Other teachers feel like it is just one more thing to do, and have had a hard time with the transition. Some teachers realize it is a good thing, and are excited to improve learning in their classrooms. That is how I feel even though I’m not perfect at writing learning targets.
Although there are several good things that my principal did as he instigated learning targets in our school, I will focus on what would have improved the process. First of all, it is important for teachers to understand whole-heartedly why learning targets are important. I think our administrators should have done a better job of presenting the research and made sure everyone understood why we are doing it, and that it has been a proven method of improving instruction. Secondly, many feel as if the whole thing was just thrown on us, so I feel the human relations part was missing which in turn made it more difficult for many teachers to buy into the change. “Effective principals lead through persuasion and influence, and must have an ability to communicate accurately and concisely for achieving quality outcomes. Good human relations skills are central to motivating people, attaining their cooperation and sustaining their unity and commitment. Principals have to build strong communication networks among their staff to minimize misunderstanding and conflict and to maximize trust and credibility” (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 98). In this sense I believe our motivation to cooperate would have improved and we would have been more committed to the change and had less misunderstanding if our administration had more credibility in the eyes of the teachers. To be fair, our principal is new this year, so being a new principal it would have been critical for our principal to “engage the parents and teachers in the decision-making process” (pg. 99). This would have helped with buy-in, and getting more opinions on the process could have only improved it.
Lastly, I believe we need to be rewarding the teachers who are doing a good job, and recognizing their efforts. This will bring a positive spin on the whole thing. Good examples of learning targets could be shared at staff meetings, and teachers could share success stories. As this is done the whole process of creating and posting learning targets should be discussed in light of our mission and vision statements so teachers know that as we fulfill this assignment we are helping to fulfill the schools mission and vision. These are the ways the I would have improved our instigation of learning targets.
Hackman, D. G., Schmitt-Oliver, D. M., & Tracy, J. C. (2002). The Standards-Based Administrative Internship Putting the ISLLC Standards Into Practice. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Chapter 5 Forum: Building Community
It is really important for schools to build relationships with outside agencies. First of all, school-business collaboration can greatly enhance student learning. This occurs as students are given real world opportunities to apply their learning, and can see possible career options related to their areas of interest. As a community’s confidence in the quality of their school grows, they learn to trust the education their students are receiving and are much more likely to get involved and volunteer their resources and time. This partnership awakens youth to a vision of their future that they might otherwise not see. Students often struggle with setting long-term goals, and these relationships with outside agencies can really foster and enhance a student’s cognitive ability to plan for the future.
There are three stages to the support businesses give a school. The first stage is donating resources such as time, money, guest speakers, or tutoring. The second stage is the cooperation stage, which consists of short-term projects and mentoring programs. The last and best stage is the collaboration stage. This is a stage where businesses are setting specific goals and having a long term relationship in helping students prepare for life after school (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). As schools foster collaboration with universities, businesses, and non-profit organizations, the talents and expertise of an entire community can be focused on raising a generation of students who are much more prepared and capable to tackle the challenges of the future.
In my community there are many young people getting into drugs and alcohol in 8th grade. The past few years it has been surprising as I sit down with 7th graders and teach them about goal setting and the importance of goals, how hard it is for them to think about the future. Only about one third of the 7th grade students I have worked with can clearly see the furture and set good 5 and 10 year goals. As students go into high school it is easy for them to flounder if they come from broken homes, are getting into addictive substances, and have no sense of direction in their lives. Some of these students are so capable, talented, and smart. I truly believe that a community that is united in educating and building students can be more effective in reaching these struggling students. To me that is why it is so important as an administrator and teacher to involve outside agencies and build relationships of trust with them.
There are several strategies that can be used to build relationships with outside agencies. First it would be imperative for a school to reach out to these agencies and for administrators to build relationships with top-level leadership (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). As they build the relationships they can discuss ways that the school can prepare future employees, and ways that the agency can get involved in helping students prepare and learn. As these discussions begin it would be important to invite business and university leaders from around the community to participate in a Site-Based Management Team (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). This team would include school personnel, parents, and community leaders, and could be an important link to building community and outside agency involvement in the school. This committee could discuss needs of the school and plan for ways to get involved in empowering students in their education. At the same time it is hopeful that this could improve the school-university partnership.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 6 Forum: Demonstrate Ethical Leadership
“Because school systems do not exist in a social vacuum, ethical conflicts are ever-present” (Hackmann, Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 158). Because this is true it is imperative for school leaders to make ethical decisions and create a school climate where the expectation is that everyone acts with honesty and integrity. When trust is present teamwork improves and there is less gossip, backbiting, and hard feelings amongst faculty and students. People truly care about each other, and think more about others then themselves. Mutually trust and support encourage cooperation where everyone feels nurtured and important. This results in everyone having opportunities to share their talents and gifts.
There are several strategies I would use as a school principal in order to build a healthy school climate with a strong ethical base. These strategies will build trust, teamwork, cooperation, and unity within my building. They will foster growth, and create a great working environment characterized by caring and understanding.
First of all, in todays wavering culture of deceit there is an ever-greater need for schools with strong codes of ethics. In such an organization the leaders will make decisions based on what is right and also listen to all parties involved and consider their opinions on each matter. Although there isn’t always a clear answer, the public deserves to know what decisions were made and why they were made. Ambiguity in decision-making can lead to a community that doesn’t trust their school leaders, and sometimes this occurs because they can’t understand why certain decisions were made. So this first strategy is for me to be such a leader that leads with integrity and expects it of everyone. I will be the one who needs to open discussion of important decisions to all stakeholders, consider their opinions, and share why decisions are made.
I would do a book read with my staff of Stephen Covey’s, The 7 Habbits of Highly Effective People. As we go through the book we would have discussions about our personal code of ethics, writing personal mission statements, and how living with integrity will benefit our school, students, and community. In our book the authors state, “During the course of this critical self-examination, teachers and administrators should not be afraid to ask hard questions and answer them truthfully” (pg. 162). As a staff we would develop our code of ethics and discuss our sphere of influence and how we can have the greatest impact on each other and our students.
As those discussions continue I would plan and brainstorm with my staff ways that we could use songs, symbols, and ceremonies in our school to emphasize cooperation, teamwork, service, and caring (pg. 164). Our book quotes Sergiovanni as saying; “students learn virtue by being around virtuous people and by being part of social networks that represent webs of meaning with moral overtones” (pg. 164). I know that focusing directly on our influence and building our culture of integrity will have an impact on students.
Lastly, I would have my staff read The Leader In Me by Stephen Covey. This book describes schools that have implemented the 7 habits into their schools with great success. Although there are a lot of great programs out there to build school culture, I believe that focusing on our code of ethics and personal paradigms we can rise to a greater sense of what our contribution can be to our schools and society. I want to build a school culture that empowers students to do the same.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 7 Forum: Leading Schools in Context
How would you as an administrator go about influencing inside /outside groups to try innovative educational programs?
Hackmann, Schmitt, and Tracy state, (2002, pg. 94) “The essence of effective school leadership in the democratic context is the constant monitoring of school community needs and appropriate deployment of resources to address these needs.” In reality our schools should be an extension of the communities they represent (pg. 177). An effective leader will realize this and be able to articulate and communicate “their vision so that others are also able to see things differently” (pg. 178). They will know they need the help of the community by working to enlist their help and support in trying innovative educational programs.
As an administrator there are many things I will do to influence inside and outside groups to join in our cause. First of all I will be aware that everyone wants to have a great school. I will need to be sensitive to the influences that are in my community and take time to listen and find out what problems exist. As I find common areas of concern I will strive to turn differing ideas and opinions into win-win situations in which everyone can feel good about the decisions that are being made (pg. 184). In our book this skill that I will work on developing is referred to as “constructive dialogue” and stems from ones belief that everyone has a valid point of view. I really believe this and want to create a sense of teamwork within my community. This will occur as I am constantly striving to understand and decipher community concerns and needs.
Although I must have an agenda as an administrator involving my mission, vision, and goals, I will need to understand my communities cultural values. It will be critical to align the school system and “the way it interacts with students and parents” (pg. 187) with what is appropriate for the community and its cultural values. As I have looked at job openings lately there is a lot of diversity of culture depending on where one moves. Within Wyoming there are many Native American reservation schools and cities where the predominant religion (for example) differs greatly from one place to another. A few cities have much cultural diversity, while others have none. As I understand my communities cultural values I will be able to align what we do to better meet their needs.
Lastly, I feel the best way to involve outside groups and influence their support is to reach out to them and involve them in the school. The majority of a community’s population don’t have children in school. To get more buy in on innovative educational programs a school leader must “get creative in working with the school staff in developing programs that extend the curriculum into the community” (pg. 191). Some ideas are getting senior citizens involved in judging competitions and teaching skills, involving grandparents, creating business partnerships where businesses open their doors for job shadowing, tours, and come to the school to present information that is critical in helping students apply their content knowledge to real world job experience. Those who are more involved in the school feel more connected and take more initiative in making a difference and giving back.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
EDAD 639
Jason Harmon
March 20th, 2015
Introductions
My name is Jason Harmon. I teach 2-12 art in Guernsey Wyoming, and this is my 4th year as a teacher. I also am in charge of the art club, the school yearbook, and I was the assistant high school boy’s basketball coach last year. Each year I have been part of different committees within our school. My duties have ranged from Curriculum Committee, school improvement committee, and I was part of a Common Core group that traveled to several trainings and taught what we learned to the rest of our staff. I love teaching, and look forward to this experience as we all grow into school leaders.
I grew up in Southwest Wyoming and attended Mountain View, High School. After a two year church mission in Ecuador I attended BYU in Provo, UT and graduated with degrees in Illustration and Art Education with a minor in Business. My first and only teaching job has been here in Guernsey, Wyoming, and I love it here. I love learning, and got right into this graduate program at Chadron State the summer after my first year teaching. My goal is to graduate in May and in some future date seek out an opportunity to serve a community and school by taking on a leadership role. Our school here has a new principal this year, and it has been amazing to see how much impact a good leader can have on a culture in so few days. School just started today, and there is so much enthusiasm, excitement, rigor, and high expectations that I didn't see last year. Visionary leaders really can make a lasting difference in the lives of those they lead, and especially in the lives of students.
Outside of school I love spending time with my wife and 3 kids ages 6, 2, and 6 months. I also enjoy painting, reading, gardening, and house projects.
After reading the syllabus and supervisors handbook things seem pretty clear. My one concern is coordinating everything with my administrators so I can have a good experience and really have a big impact on our school, but I know that will just take clear communication. I wish you all luck this semester, and look forward to learning from you all.
Chapter 1 Forum
The leadership style that best describes me as an administrator is transformational leadership. I say this because I am honest, hard working, authentic, empathetic, and good at inspiring others to do their best. I have high expectations for everyone, and hold myself accountable for my actions. I understand the importance of high goals, and know that they lead to high productivity and engagement. According to James McGrager Burns (2003), a leadership expert, transformational leadership can be seen when "leaders and followers make each other to advance to a higher level of morality and motivation."
Examples of this can be seen in my classroom. I expect a lot out of my students, but I show them by example that the projects can be done well by working alongside them. They know that I believe in them, and often they inspire me too. I have found that people want to be held accountable for their actions. They want someone to care about them and what they do and this really does lead to high productivity and engagement. As a future administrator I hope to be a critical player in transforming our school culture to one of lifelong learning, excitement, and joy. Learning is so fun, and a school is an amazing atmosphere where learning has limitless possibilities, especially in this age of the internet where one can research anything, and learn it from anywhere.
As a future administrator I really believe transformational leadership is critical. I also believe it goes hand in hand with moral leadership. A moral leader is one who does what is right even when that decision will lead to criticism. A moral leader exemplifies integrity, and honesty. This topic has been researched and written about by Thomas Sergiovanni in his book Moral Leaderhip: Getting to the Heart of School Improvement. In this book he discuses how we need to focus more as leaders on leading by example, then leading in the traditional sense. I will do this by not only doing my job as an administrator, but by picking up trash, helping and serving others, and letting everyone know that I care about them, and know they can succeed as they do their best. We are all unique and have so much to give, and we must help bring that out in our teachers, staff, and students.
Burns, James MacGregor. Transforming Leadership: A New Pursuit of Happiness. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2003.
Chapter 2 Forum: A Vision for Success
The vision development process begins with a clear idea of what characterizes a successful school (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 43). Once this research has been completed a school must develop a school improvement process. This plan allows for school leaders to implement necessary changes to create a successful school and hold teachers, students, and other stakeholders accountable. The next step in the process is to bring together community members, students, and staff in order to come up with a shared vision of purpose. These groups can be divided into two groups comprising the “internal public” and the “external public” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 44). These groups meet to examine data about where the school is at currently, and what they want to become. The groups give their input into the creation of the school mission and vision, and help to formulate goals that will guide the school to success. Lastly, this vision is publicly displayed, and used in shaping what the school will become.
I was involved in this process a few years ago, and it was interesting to be a part of it. Our administrators met with groups of students, parents, community members, teachers, and other staff. We all gave our input into the creation of a new school mission, vision, and goals. Along the way many drafts were created and revised until our document was complete. Now we review it often, and use our mission, vision, and goals in determining what direction to take our school. I like the quote from our text that states, “Vision unites the leader and the followers to achieve common, agreed-upon ends and provides the strong sense of commitment, purpose, and direction necessary to achieve quality outcomes” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 46).
There are many things that I will do to articulate our schools vision within my school. The vision is already posted, but I will work on more prominently posting it within each classroom. I am working on a plan to create a slogan and symbol of our schools mission and vision that will help everyone buy into who we want to become. Once this is established we are going to ask each homeroom (we call it Viking) class to come up with a 3 to 5 minute skit that demonstrates our mission and vision. These will be performed in a school assembly. These skits will help our students and staff to internalize who we are and who we want to become. Also, as a school leader I must take each opportunity I can to model our mission and vision, and focus the direction of our staff and students so we are all striving to achieve it. I love the quote “In practice, a good leader becomes both the defender of, and the cheerleader for, the school’s vision” (Hackmann, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy 2002 pg. 47). I will be a passionate leader that gets the mission and vision into the heart of all we do. We can’t reach our goals unless we are focused on what we are becoming.
Hackmann, D.G., Schmitt-Oliver, D.M., & Tracy, J.C. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Chapter 3 Forum: Building a Healthy School Culture
How would you define a healthy school culture and what strategies could you use to improve a school's culture?
“Culture pervades people’s minds and forms their model for perceiving, relating, and interpreting their management, their work, and their selves. The professional lives within a school culture derive importance, meaning, identity, and belongingness from this culture” (Hackmann, Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 63). A healthy school culture is one that empowers everyone to succeed. It is a culture of lifelong learning, growth, improvement, change, high expectations, dignity, and respect. Although each school culture will be different, a healthy school culture brings “meaning, passion, and purpose” to all that administrators, teachers, and students do (pg. 62). In a successful school with a healthy culture, contributions are valued, and accomplishments are recognized and celebrated (pg. 63); there is a strong commitment to the learning of each student, and everyone works together for the success of the school.
There are several strategies that can be used to improve a schools culture. First of all one must look deeply at what the culture is and plan where it needs to improve. A school must have a mission that focuses on student and teacher learning, and create a sense of purpose by building rich history and traditions. Everyone must evaluate their assumptions of students, and their ability to learn and grow. There must be a strong professional community that builds on knowledge, experience and research to improve practice. There must be shared leadership, good communication, rituals and ceremonies that reinforce the culture and values, a physical environment that brings pride and joy, and a strong sense of respect for everyone (pg. 63-64).
I guess the best strategy of all is to assure everyone feels appreciated, important, and respected. A great culture building exercise for staff could be as informal as a barbeque or get together where everyone can talk and get to know each other better, but some schools seem to have their clicks and groups within their staff. A better strategy would be to plan activities with staff during professional development days where staff members work in groups on fun projects with other teachers they don’t know very well. I firmly believe that respect comes naturally as one gets to know their coworkers. It is hard to dislike someone when you know them and come to understand them.
A school leader helps build culture by supporting strong instructional programs within his/her school. They must assure that teachers are planning their lessons well because “in a healthy classroom, what is taught and learned is relevant to students; it seems personal, familiar, connected to the world they know” (pg. 66). It is then their duty to support a positive environment by emphasizing success rather than failure. It is also their responsibility to assess teachers, and to review the data that shows what learning is taking place. As school administrators make students their priority they assure students are first in the minds of their teachers. They constantly ask, how will this benefit our students? Said schools focus on student learning, so staff development has that same goal in mind, and the whole school grows. I know that a school leader can greatly impact their school culture, and change it for the better through their day-to-day positive and uplifting example of holding all stakeholders accountable for student learning. But they can also be purposeful in planning their improved culture of success. In this aim, we are never finished and can ever grow.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice . Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 4 Forum: Managing Change
Just recently our district started expecting us as teachers to write and post learning targets for each class in our classroom each day. Although many teachers were doing things similar to that, it was a big enough change that it caused a lot of griping and growing pains. First of all we were asked to watch a video about learning targets and practice writing them during a PLC meeting. The next week for our PLC meetings all of the teachers in our district met together and our principal explained more about Learning Targets. We watched another video, and then he explained to us his expectations. We were asked to write down our learning targets and submit them at the beginning of each week and to post them for each class each day in our rooms. It was an interesting staff meeting because I felt as if our staff were almost attacking our new principal. Most of them had valid questions, but others had rude comments and bad attitudes. The principal handled the questions well, and has held us to his expectations. He comes into our classrooms looking for the learning targets, but one time he yelled at a teacher in front of their students for not posting them.
Most of the teachers feel the training received was inadequate, and would like to read more of the research so they can really understand why learning targets are so important. Other teachers feel like it is just one more thing to do, and have had a hard time with the transition. Some teachers realize it is a good thing, and are excited to improve learning in their classrooms. That is how I feel even though I’m not perfect at writing learning targets.
Although there are several good things that my principal did as he instigated learning targets in our school, I will focus on what would have improved the process. First of all, it is important for teachers to understand whole-heartedly why learning targets are important. I think our administrators should have done a better job of presenting the research and made sure everyone understood why we are doing it, and that it has been a proven method of improving instruction. Secondly, many feel as if the whole thing was just thrown on us, so I feel the human relations part was missing which in turn made it more difficult for many teachers to buy into the change. “Effective principals lead through persuasion and influence, and must have an ability to communicate accurately and concisely for achieving quality outcomes. Good human relations skills are central to motivating people, attaining their cooperation and sustaining their unity and commitment. Principals have to build strong communication networks among their staff to minimize misunderstanding and conflict and to maximize trust and credibility” (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 98). In this sense I believe our motivation to cooperate would have improved and we would have been more committed to the change and had less misunderstanding if our administration had more credibility in the eyes of the teachers. To be fair, our principal is new this year, so being a new principal it would have been critical for our principal to “engage the parents and teachers in the decision-making process” (pg. 99). This would have helped with buy-in, and getting more opinions on the process could have only improved it.
Lastly, I believe we need to be rewarding the teachers who are doing a good job, and recognizing their efforts. This will bring a positive spin on the whole thing. Good examples of learning targets could be shared at staff meetings, and teachers could share success stories. As this is done the whole process of creating and posting learning targets should be discussed in light of our mission and vision statements so teachers know that as we fulfill this assignment we are helping to fulfill the schools mission and vision. These are the ways the I would have improved our instigation of learning targets.
Hackman, D. G., Schmitt-Oliver, D. M., & Tracy, J. C. (2002). The Standards-Based Administrative Internship Putting the ISLLC Standards Into Practice. Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Education.
Chapter 5 Forum: Building Community
It is really important for schools to build relationships with outside agencies. First of all, school-business collaboration can greatly enhance student learning. This occurs as students are given real world opportunities to apply their learning, and can see possible career options related to their areas of interest. As a community’s confidence in the quality of their school grows, they learn to trust the education their students are receiving and are much more likely to get involved and volunteer their resources and time. This partnership awakens youth to a vision of their future that they might otherwise not see. Students often struggle with setting long-term goals, and these relationships with outside agencies can really foster and enhance a student’s cognitive ability to plan for the future.
There are three stages to the support businesses give a school. The first stage is donating resources such as time, money, guest speakers, or tutoring. The second stage is the cooperation stage, which consists of short-term projects and mentoring programs. The last and best stage is the collaboration stage. This is a stage where businesses are setting specific goals and having a long term relationship in helping students prepare for life after school (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). As schools foster collaboration with universities, businesses, and non-profit organizations, the talents and expertise of an entire community can be focused on raising a generation of students who are much more prepared and capable to tackle the challenges of the future.
In my community there are many young people getting into drugs and alcohol in 8th grade. The past few years it has been surprising as I sit down with 7th graders and teach them about goal setting and the importance of goals, how hard it is for them to think about the future. Only about one third of the 7th grade students I have worked with can clearly see the furture and set good 5 and 10 year goals. As students go into high school it is easy for them to flounder if they come from broken homes, are getting into addictive substances, and have no sense of direction in their lives. Some of these students are so capable, talented, and smart. I truly believe that a community that is united in educating and building students can be more effective in reaching these struggling students. To me that is why it is so important as an administrator and teacher to involve outside agencies and build relationships of trust with them.
There are several strategies that can be used to build relationships with outside agencies. First it would be imperative for a school to reach out to these agencies and for administrators to build relationships with top-level leadership (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). As they build the relationships they can discuss ways that the school can prepare future employees, and ways that the agency can get involved in helping students prepare and learn. As these discussions begin it would be important to invite business and university leaders from around the community to participate in a Site-Based Management Team (Hackman, Schmitt-Oliver & Tracy, 2002). This team would include school personnel, parents, and community leaders, and could be an important link to building community and outside agency involvement in the school. This committee could discuss needs of the school and plan for ways to get involved in empowering students in their education. At the same time it is hopeful that this could improve the school-university partnership.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 6 Forum: Demonstrate Ethical Leadership
“Because school systems do not exist in a social vacuum, ethical conflicts are ever-present” (Hackmann, Oliver, & Tracy, pg. 158). Because this is true it is imperative for school leaders to make ethical decisions and create a school climate where the expectation is that everyone acts with honesty and integrity. When trust is present teamwork improves and there is less gossip, backbiting, and hard feelings amongst faculty and students. People truly care about each other, and think more about others then themselves. Mutually trust and support encourage cooperation where everyone feels nurtured and important. This results in everyone having opportunities to share their talents and gifts.
There are several strategies I would use as a school principal in order to build a healthy school climate with a strong ethical base. These strategies will build trust, teamwork, cooperation, and unity within my building. They will foster growth, and create a great working environment characterized by caring and understanding.
First of all, in todays wavering culture of deceit there is an ever-greater need for schools with strong codes of ethics. In such an organization the leaders will make decisions based on what is right and also listen to all parties involved and consider their opinions on each matter. Although there isn’t always a clear answer, the public deserves to know what decisions were made and why they were made. Ambiguity in decision-making can lead to a community that doesn’t trust their school leaders, and sometimes this occurs because they can’t understand why certain decisions were made. So this first strategy is for me to be such a leader that leads with integrity and expects it of everyone. I will be the one who needs to open discussion of important decisions to all stakeholders, consider their opinions, and share why decisions are made.
I would do a book read with my staff of Stephen Covey’s, The 7 Habbits of Highly Effective People. As we go through the book we would have discussions about our personal code of ethics, writing personal mission statements, and how living with integrity will benefit our school, students, and community. In our book the authors state, “During the course of this critical self-examination, teachers and administrators should not be afraid to ask hard questions and answer them truthfully” (pg. 162). As a staff we would develop our code of ethics and discuss our sphere of influence and how we can have the greatest impact on each other and our students.
As those discussions continue I would plan and brainstorm with my staff ways that we could use songs, symbols, and ceremonies in our school to emphasize cooperation, teamwork, service, and caring (pg. 164). Our book quotes Sergiovanni as saying; “students learn virtue by being around virtuous people and by being part of social networks that represent webs of meaning with moral overtones” (pg. 164). I know that focusing directly on our influence and building our culture of integrity will have an impact on students.
Lastly, I would have my staff read The Leader In Me by Stephen Covey. This book describes schools that have implemented the 7 habits into their schools with great success. Although there are a lot of great programs out there to build school culture, I believe that focusing on our code of ethics and personal paradigms we can rise to a greater sense of what our contribution can be to our schools and society. I want to build a school culture that empowers students to do the same.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.
Chapter 7 Forum: Leading Schools in Context
How would you as an administrator go about influencing inside /outside groups to try innovative educational programs?
Hackmann, Schmitt, and Tracy state, (2002, pg. 94) “The essence of effective school leadership in the democratic context is the constant monitoring of school community needs and appropriate deployment of resources to address these needs.” In reality our schools should be an extension of the communities they represent (pg. 177). An effective leader will realize this and be able to articulate and communicate “their vision so that others are also able to see things differently” (pg. 178). They will know they need the help of the community by working to enlist their help and support in trying innovative educational programs.
As an administrator there are many things I will do to influence inside and outside groups to join in our cause. First of all I will be aware that everyone wants to have a great school. I will need to be sensitive to the influences that are in my community and take time to listen and find out what problems exist. As I find common areas of concern I will strive to turn differing ideas and opinions into win-win situations in which everyone can feel good about the decisions that are being made (pg. 184). In our book this skill that I will work on developing is referred to as “constructive dialogue” and stems from ones belief that everyone has a valid point of view. I really believe this and want to create a sense of teamwork within my community. This will occur as I am constantly striving to understand and decipher community concerns and needs.
Although I must have an agenda as an administrator involving my mission, vision, and goals, I will need to understand my communities cultural values. It will be critical to align the school system and “the way it interacts with students and parents” (pg. 187) with what is appropriate for the community and its cultural values. As I have looked at job openings lately there is a lot of diversity of culture depending on where one moves. Within Wyoming there are many Native American reservation schools and cities where the predominant religion (for example) differs greatly from one place to another. A few cities have much cultural diversity, while others have none. As I understand my communities cultural values I will be able to align what we do to better meet their needs.
Lastly, I feel the best way to involve outside groups and influence their support is to reach out to them and involve them in the school. The majority of a community’s population don’t have children in school. To get more buy in on innovative educational programs a school leader must “get creative in working with the school staff in developing programs that extend the curriculum into the community” (pg. 191). Some ideas are getting senior citizens involved in judging competitions and teaching skills, involving grandparents, creating business partnerships where businesses open their doors for job shadowing, tours, and come to the school to present information that is critical in helping students apply their content knowledge to real world job experience. Those who are more involved in the school feel more connected and take more initiative in making a difference and giving back.
Hackmann, D., Oliver, D., & Tracy, J. (2002). The standards-based administrative internship: Putting the ISLLC standards into practice. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press.