What do you envision to be the pitfalls you might face as a first year principal, and how will you implement the strategies learned to overcome the pitfalls?

First year principals must have a difficult time finding balance between tradition and the desire to do things differently, especially since it is important to respect the existing culture within the building. Teachers are used to doing things the same way every year because “it’s how they’ve always done it.” As a principal, I would strive to build authentic relationships with staff members in order to gain their trust and respect. I would make sure to show respect to my predecessor and instill changes in small quantities, only when necessary. Without knowing any building processes, it would be important for me to establish trusting relationships with a variety of stakeholders, since classroom teachers, parents and school counselors might view the same situation from three different perspectives. I would strive to keep my core values at the forefront of all my decisions. Prioritizing the endless “to do” list would probably be my biggest pitfall, so it would be important for me to focus my attention on the problems having the largest effect on teaching and learning.


How has this course prepared you to use 21st century leadership skills as you model a new culture for collaborating, analyzing student performance, and continually reflecting on instructional practices, school climate and quality decision-making?

One of the things I appreciated most from this course was the emphasis on the perspectives of various stakeholders. Too often, we get stuck in our own mindsets and have difficulty seeing situations through a different lens. After assuming the roles of psychologist, counselor, and reading specialist, I am more cognizant of the large scale impact that principals’ decisions have on the entire organization. I enjoyed brainstorming “look-fors” as a team and am a firm believer in the power of collaboration for a common goal. Each individual on my team brought a unique perspective to our group, requiring us to listen and respect each others’ opinions. This is an important skill that I will carry with me as I serve on committees, for it is important to let each individual have a voice in working towards the group’s main objective.

Individualizing the Curriculum

Self-paced instruction seems to be a hot topic these days, since every software vendor has some type of product to assess students and provide activities based on their level of performance.  I agree with the idea behind individualized programs, especially since each student can work at his/her own level.  As students work independently and software tracks performance, data is gathered to show areas of strength and weakness.  Instruction can be deliberate and meaningful if it is decided upon based on data.  Is there a purpose to self-paced instruction if the classroom teacher does not address the data gathered by the system?

My district encountered this issue last year.  We were paying for two learning management systems; however, teachers were not using the data to drive instruction.  “Computer time” consisted of logging into the program for 10-15 minutes.  It was an easy “center” for elementary teachers because it was assumed that the program would teach the students.   We discontinued paying for these programs this year due to rising costs and the fact that teachers were using a plethora of additional learning tools.

My questions are as follows:

Does individualized learning benefit all students? 

How deep is the knowledge that students gain from these programs? 

How do self-paced courses fit into grading criteria?

As a curriculum leader, I would promote the use of data to drive instruction.  I would make sure all staff members felt supported in the use of these tools through professional development.  I would also ensure that students had access to their programs for a certain amount of time every week.  

Thoughts About Co-Teaching

I believe that the co-teaching model can be extremely valuable with the right supports in place.  For it to be effective, building leaders need to establish a clear vision for what co-teaching should look like and how it will support student achievement.  The co-teaching model needs to be introduced to staff in a way that is non-threatening or overbearing.  Planning and teaching with another individual is an intimidating process, especially for someone who is used to teaching by themselves.  With that said, there are a number of challenges that arise with co-teaching models.  Co-teachers need at least one common planning time per week.  They need a large amount of support so that they can effectively co-teach, not just coexist.  They need to learn how to work closely with another individual and use student data to drive their instructional decisions.  As a new concept for teachers, this requires a lot of professional development and encouragement.

When evaluating a co-teaching team, does a supervisor write up two individual teacher observations or one? Since co-teaching is built on a collaborative model, I believe the evaluation needs to look at both teachers as one team.   I also think it’s important to keep the students as the primary focus of the evaluation instead of the teacher actions.  Are the students actively engaged and receiving an appropriate amount of support?  If observations show that students are struggling, then one needs to look at other factors in the classroom.  What kinds of roles do the teachers serve?  Are strategies being applied to affect all learners?

Another challenge that leaders may encounter is determining how to evaluate regular education teachers and special education teachers.  Should they be evaluated on different terms or by different supervisors?  I think that co-teaching opens up the lines of communication between regular education and special education, which is much needed.  Building principals are responsible for effectively evaluating all teachers and staff – not just regular education teachers.  In order to do that, they need to be informed about best practices.

As curriculum is upgraded for the 21^st century, co-teaching becomes even more valuable because teachers can support each other with their integration of technology in the classroom.  If the special education teacher has knowledge of Universal Design for Learning (UdL), he/she can incorporate aspects of UdL into classroom instruction to help all kids succeed.

Societal Influences on Curricula

The readings in Curriculum Leadership have made me aware of the number of societal forces that influence school curricula, particularly those of the federal government and state.  I have never taken much of an interest politics; however, in the past couple years, I have started to realize the importance of my involvement as an educator.  With recent budget cuts and teacher slander, it is obvious that political leaders, without previous experience in the educational field, enter office with their own agendas and ideas for reform. Tom Corbett, Governor of Pennsylvania, is on a mission to promote school vouchers and teacher accountability tied to high-stakes testing.  According to Glatthorn, Boschee, and Whitehead (2009), the Governor is one of the strongest political influences in education along with the chief state school officer, state legislature and education interest groups.  Policies that mandate or reallocate money directly affect curricula because two of the greatest things that effective teachers require are professional development and materials and resources.

The evolution of curriculum over the past century is fascinating to compare to developments in curriculum over the past couple decades.  The first five periods of curriculum history lasted 27 years, 24 years, 16 years, 11 years and 7 years, respectively (Glatthorn et al., 2009).  The sixth and seventh periods, taking place in the 80’s and 90’s, lasted approximately a decade each. The trend illustrates that the future will bring a rapid pace of change, which means that teachers and students will need to be flexible and adaptable to new ideas.  I think the pendulum analogy is important to point out because it’s such a commonly used term in education.   Those who have been in the field of education for decades constantly refer to the pendulum that swings back and forth and represents the current trend.  Glatthorn, Boschee, and Whitehead say, “…it might be more appropriate and more insightful to speak of separate streams that continue to flow – at times swollen, at times almost dry; at times separate, at times almost joining”  (2009).  This makes more sense in my mind because we always integrate new knowledge with old knowledge; it’s just that one idea always takes precedence over the others.  It is also important to align with best practices than to move away (like a pendulum) and forget about things that are already proven to be effective.

A school leader can be proactive in helping teachers cope with new curricular influences by modeling a positive attitude and bridging the gap between the old and new knowledge.  It is important for teachers to make connections to things they are already doing in the classroom so they have a strong knowledge base off of which to build.  School leaders can assist teachers in making these connections while being open about why the change is occurring.  Inspiring a shared vision is a practice of exemplary leadership that is described by Kouzes and Posner in The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership.  When change occurs, it is important for the leader to inspire others and help them see the big picture, for if the leader only sees the big picture, change will be difficult.  At all times, student success must remain the main priority.

Glatthorn, A. A., Boschee, F., & Whitehead, B. M. (2009).  Curriculum leadership: Strategies for development and implementation (2^nd ed).  Los Angeles, CA:  SAGE Publications.

Kouzes, J.M., & Posner, B.Z. (2007).  The five practices of exemplary leadership. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership (pp. 63-74). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

First Full Clinical Cycle

At the beginning of this course I was dreading the full clinical cycle because I thought the pre- and post-observation conferences would be uncomfortable. Now that the course is culminating, I have a great appreciation for these conferences and welcome the opportunity to experience them again.  I do believe that the teacher I selected greatly impacted my experience, and I would not have had the same experience if I had chosen another teacher.  After the post-observation conference, the teacher and I walked out of the classroom with excitement and awe as we expressed our appreciation for each other and our accomplishments together.  We really enjoyed the clinical cycle because we got to talk openly about meaningful instruction and assessment.  It doesn’t get better than that!

I am naturally reflective, but I do not like watching myself on video.  I always learn a lot when I watch myself, but I feel very uncomfortable during the process.  Just like I used to do with parent conferences, I chose to sit next to Yvonne instead of across from her.  Tables and space can often serve as barriers, so I eliminated them. While I felt very relaxed during this process, my body language appeared to be anxious as I sat forward in my chair.  At one point during the conference, I sat back in the chair to ponder a thought, and that is when I realized the power of a relaxed body language.  No matter what I am feeling inside, I must be aware of how I am presenting myself to others.  As for my strengths, I make eye contact and nod my head often in conversation to acknowledge that I am following along.

One of the areas in which I need to improve revolves around data gathering.  I struggle with focusing on a particular aspect of the classroom when so much is happening at once.  As a result, I end up overlooking important details.  An easy to use data-collecting instrument might help me improve in this area; however, I have not found this instrument yet.  I tried to create one of my own, but it was extremely hard for me to figure out a way to quantify the information that the teacher wanted to gather.   I am now more aware of the importance of identifying measurable objectives during the pre-observation conference.  I shared my reflection with Yvonne so that she would be more comfortable sharing her lesson reflections as well.  We both felt comfortable thinking critically about the lesson and brainstorming methods of improvement.

I firmly believe that this conference was 100% collaborative.  Both the teacher and I have similar levels of experience and as a result, respect each other’s opinions.  We took turns discussing the successful portions of the lesson as well as the problem areas.  I came prepared with ideas to discuss in case we had a mental block, but in our exchange of possible solutions, we covered all of the ideas that I had brainstormed beforehand.  I look forward to our next meeting when we start to implement some of our new ideas!

Room Arrangement Observations

I observed classroom seating arrangements in two elementary buildings and was pleasantly surprised to see how many classrooms had desks arranged in groups. Many of these groups had names that the students agreed upon together. I believe that groups enable collaborative learning opportunities; however, I was not able to observe long enough in the classrooms to see collaborative learning taking place. Now that I know that seating arrangements should match the lesson purpose, I will look for evidence of collaborative work in classrooms with groups of desks (The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements, n.d.).


I noticed that classrooms with desks in rows appeared to be less spacious than rooms with desks in groups. Although I know it was a visual trick, it seemed as if the teacher would have a difficult time circulating among all of her students in the room with long rows. Classrooms with groups of desks seem to be more open and inviting with wider walkways. These wider walkways are suitable for students with special needs. I wonder how many teachers have student desks assembled in groups as a result of space instead of instructional purpose.


Based on the two schools I observed, first grade had the most diversity in their room arrangements. I noticed rows, groups, and two horseshoe shapes. Some of these classrooms did not have teacher desks. I feel that this is a result of the age level. It is difficult to hold the attention of a six/seven year old, so the classroom needs to allow for constant movement (centers, read aloud, etc). When I taught transitional first grade, I got rid of my teacher desk because I never sat at it and I needed the room for my students. Second, third, and fourth grades seemed to consist of mostly groups except for rows in one class within each grade level. Majority of the special education classrooms had rows with space between each desk. I see how this arrangement would minimize distractions and allow for support personnel to assist a student. In addition to their personal desks, the special education classrooms had various areas of the room dedicated to direct instruction, groupwork, SMARTBoard interactivity and computer activities. These areas allow for the teacher to group students by the level of support they need to succeed in the subject area.


The prime difference I noticed in the various classrooms was the arrangement of the SMARTBoard and projector. Since our boards and projectors are not mounted, each teacher has the equipment arranged in a different manner. Some SMARTBoards are on an angle so that all members of the class can see the board from their desks. Others are setup so that the group needs to be sitting directly in front of the board to see. I believe that the desk arrangements in rooms with SMARTBoards are setup in a specific manner as a result of the amount of space taken up by the equipment. When I provide professional development opportunities, I need to differentiate my methods because not all classrooms have SMARTBoards, and those that do might not have it in a place that is conducive for a large group of children. Since the boards are not mounted, ‘orienting’ is a constant issue. This results in teachers using the board as more of a projection screen than an interactive tool.


I have doubts whether room arrangements have a direct influence on supervision and/or staff development. I view the room arrangement category as one that fits under the umbrella of general classroom management. Just as one wouldn’t evaluate a piece of technology sitting unused in a room, I don’t think it’s appropriate to judge a room just by its arrangement. I do believe that there is a direct correlation between room arrangement and room management.




Resource:
The IRIS Center for Training Enhancements. (n.d.). Effective Room Arrangement. Retrieved on October 2, 2011, from http://olms.cte.jhu.edu/olms2/data/ck/sites/192/files/CaseStudy_EffectiveRoomArrangement.pdf

Effective Leadership Final Reflection

When I joined the technology portion of the Strategic Planning Committee a couple years ago, I had no idea that the district had a mission or vision.  Throughout the planning process, I learned how all district goals must align with its vision; however, I still strive to discover how that vision is incorporated in our daily actions.  According to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, “A vision represents clearly articulated statements of goals, principles, and expectations for the entire learning community.”  In my district, each building has its own goals.  It varies whether or not the goals are clearly established within each building.  At our “Welcome Back” in-service yesterday, I was listening intently for a mention of the district vision.  The Superintendent told a story about his childhood to encourage teachers to make a difference in the lives of our students, but he made no mention of our shared district goals.  “Making a difference in the lives of children” seems overused and cliché these days.  What does that look like?  How do we make a difference?  As stated by Dufour, Dufour and Eaker, “The words of a mission statement are not worth the paper they are written on unless people begin to do differently” (2008).  I see the phrase “Learn, Lead, Succeed – Together” on each page of our website as well as in the signature of each administrator.  I rarely hear the phrase stated verbally.

This brings up an important point about the word “together.”  Together implies collaboration.  The fifth discipline of a successful learning organization is systems thinking (Senge, 2007).  This type of approach motivates and challenges staff to integrate the disciplines and form a shared vision.  In my district, it seems as if each building focuses on its own well-being.  At the elementary level, teachers are primarily concerned about the students in their grade level within their building.  Six years ago, the district eliminated grade-level coordinator extra-duty contracts in an effort to form multi-grade curricular committees.  This change has drastically affected the collaboration and communication across buildings.  In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership, I learned that collaborative skills do not come naturally; they need to be taught, learned, nurtured and supported (Fullan, 2007).  In my role as Technology Integrator, I assemble a grade-level distribution list at the beginning of each year so teachers have a quick, easy way to email the entire grade level.   I have also been encouraging teachers to add to the technology integration wiki so it can serve as a storage place for resources. 

This course has garnered my interest in the importance of clearly communicating goals and objectives and supporting a shared vision for the purpose of our work (Dufour, Dufour, & Eaker, 2008).  When meeting with teachers or principals, I aim to clarify our goals at the beginning so we both stay on track.  When I conducted an in-service training a few days ago, I made sure to state the goals of the meeting beforehand so teachers had an understanding of why they were there.  As a person who travels to more than half of the buildings in the district, I see the ‘big picture’ and can encourage others to try to acknowledge it.

During the first four years of my teaching career, I was fortunate to be part of positive school environment with supportive principals.  Both of the principals I had were well-liked by staff members, parents and students.  Week six of this course made me realize the critical role that school climate and an administrator’s style play in developing school culture.  As a person who is responsible for technology training in the district, I am constantly teaching new tools and new ways of doing things.  I agree with Waugh and Punch’s remark in School Context: Bridge or Barrier to Change, saying that “facilitating change in people's values, attitudes, and behavior is ‘grossly underplayed and often ignored’” (n.d.).  Teachers like stability and routines.  When they believe that what they are doing is benefiting their children, they do not see value in learning something new – especially if they are not given a good reason why they should invest in the change.  A commitment to change can only be initiated and sustained if there is a shared understanding of the current reality (Farmer & Gabriel, 2009).

My question is – When the culture in a school is not positive, and there is no mutual trust between the building principal and her teachers, how do you inspire school improvement?   According to Goodlad as cited by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, “a bond of trust and mutual support between principal and teachers appears to be basic to school improvement” (“School context: Bridge or barrier to change”, n.d.)  Kent Peterson says that a school with a toxic culture that does not value professional learning hinders success (2002).  In my district, we have had two consecutive contract negotiations that led in a settlement one-day before striking.  The negotiations drew a lot of media attention and have increased the bitter feelings between teachers and administrators.  The union leaders have contributed to the feelings of animosity.  Since arriving in the district seven years ago, I feel that it’s been bred in me not to trust administrators.  When teachers are continuously fed this kind of toxic information, how can one make any progress as an administrator? 

When I travel from building to building, I do my best to exhibit a positive attitude and mention my working relationships with the administrators.  I am debating starting a blog this year that focuses on the accomplishments of teachers in the district so we have a place to share positive news.  I know that the teachers feel unsupported and overwhelmed in their positions, so I created a wiki last year to serve as a central storage spot for district resources.  This wiki has been overwhelmingly popular and teachers constantly express their thanks!  I believe that technology has the power to enable teachers to be more productive and effective in the classroom, and that is why I challenge myself to integrate technology into my modeling practices.

Resources:

DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. (2008). Revisiting professional learning communities at work: New insights for improving schools. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

         
Farmer, P.C. & Gabriel, J.G.  (2009).  How to help your school thrive without breaking the bank.  Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

         
Fullan, M. (2007).  Understanding Change. In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership (pp. 169-181). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

School context: Bridge or barrier to change. (n.d.)  In Southwest Educational Development  Laboratory.  Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/change/school/leadership.html#culture


Senge, P.M. (2007). Give me a lever long enough…and single-handed I can move the world.  In The Jossey-Bass Reader on Educational Leadership (pp. 3-15). San Francisco, CA:  John Wiley & Sons, Inc.