Learning 2 Lead

Individual Reflection – Week 60

What impact does the creation of a positive school culture have on school reform?
Having a positive school culture greatly impacts school reform. When you have a positive school culture your staff will be more willing to implement ideas. Like I wrote in my Baldridge paper, there is an implied understanding that a school is only successful when all stakeholders are involved. When trying to institute school reform you also need to have staff buy-in. This was apparent from all of the various school reform models we looked at in week 5. You are more likely to have staff buy-in when you have a positive school culture. When you have a positive school culture, there is shared leadership. When a school practices shared leadership, stakeholders are part of the decision making process. Reform is not a top down initiative but a whole school decision. Also when you have a positive school culture, stakeholders can more clearly see the need for reform. When you have a positive culture school leaders don’t have wade through negative attitudes to institute reform. Though there are always resisters in any population, at least in a culture that is positive, the leader only has to deal with the resistors.

How has what you have learned so far in the course shaped your concept of an effective leader?
I have learned so much in the six weeks that we’ve been taking this course. My views of leadership have really changed. I initially came into this thinking that I would be able to go into a school and make all the changes I wanted. After all the readings on effective leadership and servant leadership I see that’s not the true way to lead. I realize if you want to be an effective principal, you can’t be an office principal. A principal that stays in their office and throws out mandates will not be effective. The only result of that type of leadership will be staff resentment and resistance. I’ve also learned that a leader must be a continuous learner. If you want your staff to grow, then you must grow also. It is your job to set an example for professional growth. A leader needs to stay current with district mandates, educational trends and various learning systems. An effective leader isn’t afraid to get their hands dirty. They practice servant leadership and are visible around the school. A servant leader earns the respect of his or her staff because they are willing to work with them to reach common goals. I want to be the type of leader whose teachers welcome me into their classrooms, the type of leader that doesn’t instill fear in their staff. I also want to be a leader that practices shared leadership. A leader that practices shared leadership involves all stakeholders. This leads to a school that has a positive attitude with stakeholders who all feel listened too. My final thought is that being an effective leader isn’t easy and it takes a lot of hard work.

Posted: Reflections

Individual Reflection – Week 30

Since beginning this course my thoughts about leadership have completely changed. I initially began this program thinking I was going to become an educational leader that would go in and change everything. I thought that as a leader I would finally be able to make everyone do what they were supposed to do. Well after 3 weeks in this class my perceptions have completely changed. The perception I had was more of a dictator, not of a true leader. Gardner stated that “Leadership is the process of persuasion or example by which an individual (or leadership team) induces a group to pursue objectives held by the leader or shared by the leader and his or her followers.” This is the true “nature of leadership.” All of the theorists have stated that one can not lead alone. A person that comes in and tries to force their own agenda is destined to fail. This type of leader is missing the three qualities the Fullan text says are necessary. Those qualities are ethics, vision and belief in others. After 3 weeks of class I realize if I want to be a successful leader, I will need to create an environment that embodies these qualities.

The top characteristics I believe a successful principal must possess are:

Positive Attitude – The way a leader walks into a building sets the tone for the whole school. When the leader of the school is cheerful, happy and has a glass is half full mentality then so will the staff.

Willingness to Learn – A principal is the instructional leader of the school. They must always be on top of what’s happening. This can accomplish two things. A leader that stays current is able to implement new programs and initiatives. A principal that has a solid knowledge base shows they are up-to-date on current research. The second reason it is important for a principal to continuously learn is it sets an example to the staff. It shows them that no matter what level you reach there’s always something new to learn.

Integrity – A leader’s staff need to believe and trust in their leader. Fullan states “integrity is a fundamental consistency between one’s values, goals and actions. At the simplest level it means standing for something, having a significant commitment and exemplifying this commitment in your behavior.” Integrity is a crucial quality for a leader. A leader that doesn’t lead with integrity will never have success. They must mean what they say and say what they mean.

Faith – A school principal must have faith that everyone will do the job they were hired to do. They must have faith in the students’ ability to learn and they must have faith in their own abilities to lead.

Trust – This goes along with faith. Leaders not only need to have faith in their staff’s ability but they must trust them to do their jobs and not micro manage them to death.

Posted: Reflections