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.”
Monday, August 23, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
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.
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
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.
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."
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.
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