Post-Obsevation Reflection

What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice about the environment and tone of the post-observation?

The setting for the post-observation was my office. In my office, there is a seat at the end of my desk for others, students or staff, to engage in dialogue. We were close enough to review the same document. I was a bit nervous, as this was my first official post-observation conference from the "other side." I began to replay all my previous conferences in my head. It was like my life as a teacher just flashed before my eyes. Mr. Johnson sat contently waiting to receive. There was a lot of eye contact and hand movements to place emphasis on key points. The conference seemed to have a level of comfort as two friends talking over a drink, but still remaining strictly professional. I had Mr. Johnson's complete attention and confidence that what I was sharing would help him become a more effective teacher. I attempted to ensure that I spoke clearly and enunciated my words. I tend to do that on a regular basis as to set an example for all listening. I believe it helped in this case, because Mr. Johnson began to be more cognizant of how he was speaking. It was a seamless conversation that didn't seem as long as it was. In the future, my being more relaxed should ensure that the observed is free to relax.

What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice in the conference about strategies to improve instruction?

A strength I noticed was the ability to link the concerns Mr. Johnson shared in the pre-observation conference with positives that occurred in the lesson. There were no "negatives" or uncomfortable moments. There only existed constructive criticism that would benefit Mr. Johnson, and myself as an observer. I did however forget to use the probing questions suggested in the literature provided, because of my level of anxiety. As we got further into the conference, I became more relaxed and shocked about how much I was able to suggest to Mr. Johnson. The ideas began to flow as if I were in the classroom again instructing. I was able to identify how Mr. Johnson differentiated his lesson, when he didn't know he actually did. Many of the improvements that were suggested centered around the teacher realizing what he actually did naturally, using that as a base and moving on from there. Many times you don't realize what you're doing while engaged in the moment. Being able to assist the teacher in actualizing his innate abilities and documenting them and planning to improve upon them was an enriching experience.

In the conference, which behavior did you seem to predominantly use? Do you think this was an appropriate approach given the developmental level of the teacher? Briefly explain.

My position for conducting the conference went from Directive to more Collaborative. As a defense mechanism to help cope with the anxiety I was feeling, I began to direct. In the future, I will prefer for the teacher to let me know what and how they believe they did. My probing questioning should have begun by asking how they adhered to the particulars of a lesson, to get their take of their delivery. This would have provided a better perspective of how the teacher views themselves, prior to me sharing what I observed. Overall, it was a productive conference that could have been much more fruitful having approached it differently. I guess that comes with time and experience. I look forward to them both.

Room Arrangements

While walking my building throughout the course of the week, I visited many classrooms and observed how their classroom setup contributed to the lessons being taught, as well as the teachers' instructional style. Many rooms were setup in a manner that was conducive to the cooperative learning instructional style.

What I found interesting was that many of the classrooms were set up as cooperative learning classrooms, but that was not what was going on. There was a lot of direct instruction going on throughout the duration of the class. I believe direct instruction is beneficial, but it does not meet the needs of all students. We as educators must use a variety of teaching modalities to meet those needs. The question I began to ask myself was, do our teachers know how to teach within a cooperative learning framework? This year, our Instructional Coach is pushing the use of centers, and working on ensuring teachers know how to effectively use centers to maximize instruction within an 80 minute block, and improve classroom management.

During that week, I actually subbed for a couple teachers. One teacher had his class setup with five stations. Students would spend the allotted amount of time at each station and then rotate. Students were able to move smoothly throughout the classroom without bumping into each other or needing to move any of the desk. Each station was a bit different. Two stations used technology while the other three were traditional using manipulatives and graphic organizers. There is a classroom set of laptops in each classroom. Their use depends on the lesson being taught. The other class I covered had a setup that was unstructured. I attempted to teach within the setup, but could not. Students were not seated so that everyone had a clear view of the whiteboards and the plasma screen. The passage ways around students desks were obstructed by other desks and student chairs. I had to reorganize the room to make things work.

Observing how a teacher sets up their room and seeing how they operate within that set up, can assist in how we set up for professional development. We have to give the same consideration for space allotment and teaching style to teachers, that we expect them to give for their students. The way we run professional development workshops should model what we expect to see in the classroom.

I have been observed by several individuals who request things they cannot model for me. As a teacher, I would vow to my students that I would never assess them on something that i have not modeled for them first. I take the same philosophy into administration.

A Positive School Culture's Impact on School Reform

A positive school culture is paramount to school reform. Peterson defines school culture as "...the set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up the “persona”of the school." A school is in need of "reform" when there is a disconnect with how its culture correlates with achievement. This brings to light the conversation of a positive school culture.

Schools are because of the need for the masses to be educated. Our society has dictated benchmarks or targets for which the development of the human being should be met. There is also a timeline for which humans are to undergo said development. We are learners by nature, it is the needs of the communities that delegates when we need to learn specific information. In essence, or growth and development is accelerated based on that of the communities of which we live. Our schools are the environments dedicated to guiding and monitoring that controlled development. For the school environment to be successful, a set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and ceremonies, and symbols need to be established for the masses to follow. Without these things being put in place in a positive manner, there is no controlled or directed order.

Schools cannot be successful without a positive vision, mission, and perspective upon implementation. It is the negativity that has plagued our societies and hindered our increased level of achievement. The development and implementation of positive school reform will allow for positive outcomes. Poor instruction yields poor performance.

Jim Collins, author of Good to Great, said it best...

“First thing is to get the right people on the bus, the wrong people off the bus, and the right people in the right seats, then figure out how to drive the bus.”

Effective Leadership - 3 Weeks In

Note: This reflection is being done without reviewing any of the texts we have been exposed to. Relying solely on what I have retained to complete this reflection is a true testament to what I have learned. This is a process I need to complete for my own reflection purposes.

The most eye-opening notion that these first three weeks of the Effective Leadership course has been that being a truly effective leader is no small task. Being an effective leader encompasses a true sense of self, mission, vision, and dedication. I have been able to identify the various types of leaders/administrators I have been exposed to, both effective and ineffective.

Many of the concepts and theorists studied have shaped my view and understanding of what an effective leader is or should be. Comparing and contrasting both stewardship and servant leadership within a learning organization has brought to my attention that an effective leader must be a little of both. We must be systematic while still focusing on the factors outside the school building that impact student achievement. The 21 responsibilities outlined by Marzano proves how multi-faceted we as leaders must be. Deming and Covey illustrate the importance of being positive and, in a sense, wholistic. It was Bass and Avolio that illustrated four key characteristics I believe a successful principal must possess. These characteristics were specific enough to laser in, but also broad enough to incorporate much of what many of the other theorist spoke of. Individual Consideration, Intellectual Stimulation, Inspirational Motivation, and Idealized Influence grouped with a Shared Vision is great composition for a budding principal to start with. Deming and Covey also allude to the job never being done. We must be in it for the long haul, and truly buying in to that shared vision will bring that to the forefront.

One of the major points that resonates with me is that with all the successes many principals and leaders have had over the years, many of them did things differently. This proves that there are many road maps that can lead to being an effective leader. What challenges our effectiveness is whether or not we stay the course. There are many distractors that pull on our values, beliefs, emotions, and consciousnesses that we must be steadfast. Our missions in life are of great value and should be treated as such, at all times.

We must lead by example.

21 Responsibilities of the School Leader Self-Assessment vs. Balanced Leadership Profile Results

The results of my self-assessment of the 21 Responsibilities of a School Leader compared with those of the Balanced Leadership Profile are relatively consistent. Illustrated to the left, you will find that for each of the 21 responsibilities, the scores show minimal differences. The differences, however minimal, may be due to my change in thought process as I completed the Balanced Leadership Profile. While completing the self-assessment, my mind was focused on the skills I believe I currently posses. On the other hand, I shifted toward what currently exists at my school during the completion of the Balanced Leadership Profile. Taking the 30 minutes it took to complete the later profile causes one to think and process more deeply. In doing so, I was no longer the focal point.

Top 7 Strengths / Top 7 Areas of Improvement & Student Achievement

My strengths and areas of improvement on the self-assessment were consistent with the leadership profile. I had more than seven 4's on the self-assessment, so I decided to use those that were consistent with the leadership profile results. In doing so, I ended up with 8 strengths and 6 areas of improvement for reflection. As Marzano mentions, the following scores are not in order of rank. They do and will change based on the perspective of those viewing or classifying them.

Contingent reward - 4/4.75 – Ideals and beliefs - 4/4.50 – Affirmation - 4/4.33 – Resources - 4/4.33
Visibility - 4/4.33 – Communication - 4/4.00 – Optimizer - 4/4.00 – Situational awareness - 4/4.00

These strengths implicate that as students make gains, they will be praised for their achievements. This is a great motivation technique to foster continued growth and development. We are firm in what we believe and honest about where we are and need to go. The tools we need to get the job done are in house. We love the trenches. It is in the trenches that we see and hear what is going on while making ourselves available for dialogue and inspiring all to continue the great work.

Intellectual stimulation - 3/2.50 – Monitor/evaluate - 3/2.75 – Relationships - 3/2.75

Discipline - 3/3.75 – Outreach - 3/4.00 – Flexibility - 3/4.25

My areas in need of improvement shed light on the fact that current theories and practice must be the topic of discourse throughout the school, while monitoring the effectiveness of what's actually going on. More attention is needed on the personal aspects of faculty and staff, as those may be issues negatively effecting the classroom environment and student achievement. Any distractors to teaching must be dealt with. All stakeholders must be kept up to speed while increasing community involvement. A little tenderness to the leadership style may go along way in fostering the positive attitudes necessary for sustained development.

As Deming and Covey have alluded to, we must look at the whole picture for sustained development, and at times more energy may be warranted in various areas and varying times. As effective leaders, we must be ready to work, as mastery of the 21 responsibilities mentioned above are no small feet and "just the tip of the iceberg."

Everything within the school, no matter how small, has an effect on student achievement.

Transformational Leadership - "True leaders create new leaders for the organization."

Let me first reflect on the fact that many consider me to be a born leader. I find this interesting because Marzano notes that in 1978 (my birth year) James Burns, considered to be the "founder of modern leadership theory", provides a preliminary but solid and captivating definition of leadership. I guess I was born with great responsibility.

I often wondered why my teachers always said they had eyes in the back of their heads. Maybe they were all followers of Bass and Avolio (1994) and believed in the concept of the Four I's of Transformational Leadership. Transformational Leadership is a very popular style of leadership that focuses on change. It incorporates the "Four I's": Individual Consideration (IC), Intellectual Stimulation (IS), Inspirational Motivation (IM), and Idealized Influence (II). IC ensures that everyone is given the necessary attention and that no one is, or feels overlooked. IS focuses on being creative and not necessarily sticking to the script. At times it is important to "step outside the box" when ensuring all needs of those you lead are met. IM deals with expecting the absolute best from all. We can be realistic when having and enforcing the need for high expectations. Lastly, II expects everything be modeled first. You cannot expect something from those you lead if you do not show them what it looks like. I have been fortunate to have many school leaders (which include my teachers) that have done all of the above.

The Four I's of Transformational leadership are key to the effectiveness of an administrator. Transformational Leadership falls right in with a Learning Organization. With the given state of many of our school systems across the country, and how we measure up to those leading education worldwide, an overhaul of our systems is critical. We must identify leaders who first and foremost share a common goal of excellence across the board, and are not afraid to use unconventional methods of learning to reach that goal. We are constantly evolving as a people, and our methods of learning must adapt to that evolution. Thinking outside the box, but staying on task is a must. Students of the 21st century are technology-age students. Our school leaders (administration & teachers) must be proficient in effectively implementing the use technology within every lesson. This is not to negate or abandon "old school" methods, but to enhance the learning process to grasp, maintain, and expand the minds of our students. Effective implementation of Cooperative Learning Groups within Learning Organizations at every level of our schools, will ensure all learning styles and ability levels are met.

I know I use the term effective, and its many forms a lot. Great ideas are useless if not implemented correctly. Too many of our leaders are in positions of leadership because they have great ideas. Many have no clue as to the implementation of those ideas as they relate to the population and/or demographics of those being led. As leaders, we must lead as we would expect our teachers to lead in the classrooms, our parents to lead in the homes, and our students to lead when they are not in school and not at home. With this comes true learning. Carrying and using what you've been taught when your teachers are not around.

A major change is on the horizon. A new age of leaders is near to assist those already in place and holding down the fort. I look forward to modeling what I have learned and continue to learn, as I do my part in taking our school systems to the next level, thus yielding a larger society of great thinkers.

Online Learning - If You're Not Ready, Don't Step Up To Bat

I currently have a BA in History, and an MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Howard University.

Through my college experience, I have had issues with both the lack of rigor in a few of my courses, and the fact that many classmates were OK with it, especially if it was something I was passionate about. The "water cooler" conversation, once I entered the work force, mentioned an easier way to further ones education without sitting in the classroom and having to deal with classmates. For years I did not entertain the notion, because much of what I learned in school was from the long hours of conversations and group work with classmates.

Around this time, just one year ago, I had the pleasure of assisting StudyWiz Spark with the promotion and explanation of the real world application of their product at the 2009 ISTE Conference. This was a great experience. Shortly afterward, I heard of a collaborative program with ISTE and Johns Hopkins University. At this point I was everything ISTE, as if I just opened my first MAC after my PC crashed. I was truly intrigued, and began to research the program. It was now time for me to go back to school. This was to be my first online course.

In just two weeks of orientation, I have found that Online Learning is not a breeze. It requires commitment to hard, productive, and collaborative work. You will not be able to learn in isolation. You have to foster relationships with classmates and teachers just as you would in the traditional setting. In a way, it is more difficult because you are not face to face. It also requires an enormous amount of discipline and dedication. You still have to prioritize, balance, and juggle everything around your educational goals. It is not a place for the procrastinator or the individual looking for an easy ride.

If you are not ready to hit a home run with your education through online learning, do not step up to bat. It is a place only for those committed to their passion and committed to excellence. I am so very happy and blessed to be here at this point of my life.

Let's go JHU & ISTE, I'm READY!