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.