Group Dynamics

“None of us is as smart as us all.” That concept has worked for business for many years, but is not yet the norm in education. In many cases, teachers work alone in their classroom, delivering the lesson plans that they created, and assessing student learning to the standards they have developed. But with the inception of new programs such as PLC’s and RTI, educators are somewhat forced to work with one another for the sake of student achievement. I had great experiences working in a school that did all school thematic units. The themes were very large units with very large very public assessments. These could not have been successful with only one or two teachers developing the concept.
Each teacher in the theme had a specific role, upon which all of the others relied upon. Not only did it create a great learning experience, but it also created a tight knit, efficient team that carried this “group think” over to our other classes. We really never did anything in our individual classes without bouncing the idea off of a colleague. We basically had PLC’s before it was given a label.
When I moved, and worked at a place without much group support, I realized the importance of positive group processes. Although it seems foreign to many teachers, who feel comfortable in the classroom controlling their classroom, if given the opportunity to experience a positive team teaching unit, they may change their mind. It is difficult to schedule time for all staff to get together, but it can be accomplished. It takes some creative thinking on the part of the administrator to create time in the day to allow teachers to come together as a team to discuss student learning.

Communication

A lack of communication is a major contributor to failure of a project. I remember when NASA sent a probe to Mars, only to have it miss an entire planet due to the lack of communication. In that billion dollar mistake, half of the team used the metric system for calculations, while the other used the imperial system which sent the probe on an erroneous course. In education a lack of communication can create an environment that is not conducive to student achievement.
Blankenstein points out how important it is to have positive relationships between the adults in a school building. So many positive outcomes are possible if the adults of the building are able to work together as an efficient respectful team. Professional Learning Communities can only be successful with proper communication and respect between parties.
It is also important for administrators to communicate effectively with staff. I worked for a principal who was a poor communicator, which made it very difficult to function as a cohesive team. The staff was never informed about major decisions made which affected us directly. We joked that students knew about new programs before we did. Unfortunately it was not a joke, but a reality in most cases.

It is the responsibility of an administrator to create open lines of communication for their staff. People on the staff must be made to feel valuable and appreciated, but also feel that they have an avenue of communication in times when they are uncomfortable about a policy or something that the administrator has done that affects them personally.
There also must be care taken to assure that all communications are understood in the manner in which they were written. We also spoke in class about the importance of documentation as evidence when dealing with situations. It seems that a device as simple as daily notes could become a valuable tool in times of disagreement between parties.

Globalization and Diversity

It is the job of educators to prepare students for the futures ahead of them. Technology has changed the marketplace. Students today must be ready to compete globally, for fewer jobs than were available in the past. One of the criticisms about Americans, held by people around the world, is that they do not care to learn about any other culture, nor learn any other language. We are viewed as ethnocentric. That view for the majority of Americans is quite true, and that needs to change.
With the budgetary cuts that must be made, many of the classes that would enlighten students about different cultures are cut. Foreign languages, the arts, and electives have been scaled back over the past few years. But at what cost? We have once again become so focused on the core curriculum that we have forgotten about the ingenuity that made this country great and how important it is for our students to be competitive in a global market. It is not enough to be the best American student because there are millions of students in China and India who are just as good, if not better.
Teaching diversity and understanding ones role in a global marketplace is the simplest to understand, but with the greatest impact to students. American students must understand different cultures to fully engage in the global marketplace. Educational leaders need to see the value in the classes that support this understanding and do as much as possible to keep that education a part of their overall experience.

Managing and Leading

Leaders, by definition, must have people that are willing to follow them. Most will not follow without trust; therefore; gaining the trust of the staff should be the central focus of a school leader. Blankenstein discusses the importance of gaining trust for school administrators. Not only do administrators need to lead the staff and students, but also must have the support of the community when making some difficult decisions. Strong leaders have the potential to create environments that develop student potential to new levels.
Managers on the other hand, develop systems in which the subordinates can function at a level that keeps order. Managers do not have the impact that leaders do, nor can they accomplish goals at the same level as a leader.
While reading Blankenstein’s book, I found myself thinking about the qualities of the administrator’s I have worked for throughout my career. There were specific traits that Blankenstein pointed out that rang true when describing what makes a great leader. I thought about an interim principal that was brought in during a time of crisis. He was most definitely a breath of fresh air; he did all of the things that Blankenstein suggested to gain the trust and respect of the staff. He walked the walk, he valued our opinions, he gave us praise for things we did well, and gave us suggestions to help us improve upon our weaknesses. What was even more impressive was he was in the hall interacting with the kids between every class. He learned the names of all of the students, something the former principal hadn’t been able to do in the four years I had been there. When asked what I wanted in a new principal, I basically told the interview committee that I wished he could be hired, because for the first time I felt valued and supported by the administrator. My suggestions were not taken and once again, I found myself in a position of frustration.
There are some people who are good managers and others who are leaders. I would hope that my experiences will propel me to become a leader that is trusted and respected because they know I have their best interest in mind.

Meeting the needs of all children

A primary concept of Blankenstein’s book, Failure is Not an Option, is the idea that school leaders must focus their attention on all students, not just those who are high achieving or in special education. The importance of providing a safe, stimulating, caring environment cannot be overlooked; it would be detrimental to all if we allow some students to fail without doing everything we can systemically to provide them with the best education possible.
Response to Intervention is a program that had originally been developed to help special education students achieve to their potential, developing a plan depending on their individual need. After success in special education, RTI has been introduced to general education. I believe this is a step forward for general education. I do not agree with labeling, as I feel it provides an excuse for some students for why they are not successful in school. I would like to see a system in which special education is no longer necessary because all students are given the tools they need to achieve their best. At this point I am not optimistic about the possibilities of the removal of special education because it has been so engrained into our education system.
I do however feel strongly about the importance of gifted and talented programs. Some students need that environment to allow them to reach much further than they would in a regular classroom. People develop at different rates. Those who develop intellectually at a faster rate than their peers should be given opportunities to expand their ideas, and I believe gifted and talented programs play an important role in the development of intellectually advanced students.
School leaders must have programs that cater to students of all academic levels. RTI has helped to even the playing field. Those students who need a challenged should be given the opportunity to show us how much potential they really have.

Current Issues in School Leadership

As a former charter school teacher, I am somewhat naïve about the current debate over teacher tenure. Because such things never affected me, I did not follow the process as it was being debated in the legislature. But I received an education about how it will affect administrators in the next few years. As I was sitting in my interview, I was asked why I wanted to become an administrator; as I began to explain my reasoning, my superintendent began to discuss how the new legislation will affect future administrators, and it sounds like a difficult situation. Although I can understand the legislator’s point of view, I really began to understand the personal aspect of such decision on veteran teachers who will the most affected by this change. While we discussed this issue in class, I could hear the anger and concern in the voices of those this will affect the most. It was at that point, that I realized the importance of understanding both sides of a situation is when making difficult decision. I needed to put my personal beliefs aside and listen with an open mind to truly grasp the concepts presented.
Technology also impacts the job of administrators. New procedures and regulations must be produced to keep up with these technological innovations. There is much debate over the use of social networking in the classroom. Recent studies show that students are more willing to communicate digitally with teachers than they are in more traditional ways. If a teacher is willing to put forth the effort to create such communication avenues appropriately, the administrator must give them the respect as a professional to allow them to reach these formally unreachable students.
New items of concerns will continue to add to the already immense stress and responsibility of an administrator. It is the job of all administrators to keep up with these new situations and head them off at the pass as best they can.

The Dilemmas of Principalship

The Free Dictionary defines a dilemma as a situation that requires a choice between options that are or seem equally unfavorable or mutually exclusive. As the school leader, principals are confronted by dilemmas every day; to make things more difficult; those dilemmas not only affect the person making the decision, but can also change the futures of countless people if not dealt with appropriately.
At this point in our history, budgetary concerns are the driving force behind many of the dilemmas facing school leaders. When cuts need to be made, it is the student interest which needs to be the focus of the decision made. But those decisions will always be the wrong decision for the people who are negatively affected.
In class, we discussed the emotional aspect of school principalship. The conversation focused around the idea that when some decisions are made, there may be aspects of the decision that must be kept classified from the general public. The decision may incorrectly paint the school leader in an unfavorable light. The dilemma not only is in the removal of the program, but also in understanding that your reputation could be redeemed if only the true facts were made public. Your choices are either stay quiet and have a tarnished reputation or speak up and possibly lose your job due to a break in protocol.
Although these dilemmas are inevitable, a school leader that is confident in their decision making process will not allow these dilemmas to have a negative impact on their performance. Blankenstein discussed the importance of a common mission, vision, and goals. As a school leader, I would assume that these commonalities could reduce the number of dilemmas encountered, because the path has already been established and if it is followed precisely, all those who subscribe to that vision should be satisfied by the decision made.