August
2008
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.
