A positive school culture must be created and cultivated in order for reform to take root and grow. A culture can make or break school reform initiatives.
"Schools with toxic cultures lack a clear sense of purpose, have norms that reinforce inertia, blame students for lack of progress, discourage collaboration, and often have actively hostile relations among staff. These schools are not healthy for staff or students." (National Staff Development Council, JSD Summer 2002) School culture that is negative will have detrimental effects on student learning and achievement. Students deserve leadership that seeks to build positive school culture through ongoing, collaborative, and trusting school community relationships. As stated by Barth (2006), "Probably the most important and most difficult job of the school-based reformer is to the change the prevailing culture of a school.(Fullan, p. 159)" School cultures are resistant to change, but effective leaders know how to create the desire for change within difficult environments. Positive school cultures foster school environments that are responsive to the diverse needs of all students. They promote supportive environments where professional development opportunities are valued and welcomed. Shared efforts are sought after to assist with decision making and planning of effective reform practices. Positive school cultures cultivate a passion for life-long learning within all of its members. "If the first major purpose of school is to create and provide a culture hospitable to human learning, the second major purpose of a school is to make it likely that students and educators will become and remain life-long learners."(Bart,p.167) Schools must not only focus on standardized test results, but the true development of their students as life-long learners. I hope to cultivate this type of atmosphere within the school that I will be working this year.
How has what you have learned so far in the course shaped your concept of an effective leader?
Effective school leaders are people who can work collaboratively with others to establish a positive school culture and climate. They are focused on creating a school foundation grounded in student learning and success. Effective leaders know how to communicate effectively in order to mobilize others in the pursuit of academic and professional excellence. As a leader, I will strive to act as a leader who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk as well. I will keep Kouzes' and Posner's five characteristics of exemplary leadership as a set of principles to work from while establishing my role as a innovative and effective leader.
- Model the way
- Inspire a shared vision
- Challenge the process
- Enable others to act
- Encourage the heart
Successful leadership presents many challenges, but met with someone who is committed to educational reform and educating all children, it can be reached. Leaders must speak from the heart and a set of core values and guiding principles. Leaders are pioneers and will most often step out on the limb for the sake of establishing innovative reform efforts. They strive for personal and professional learning, growth and improvement. There are many hats that leaders must wear, but with integrity, honesty, and humility, they will find success in whatever they do. As a true educational innovator, I will continue to lead by modeling effective instructional practices as well as in my continued passion and dedication to student learning and 21st Century educational reform efforts. I take my educational oath very seriously. I will continue to stay true to my personal and professional convictions and values in providing the ongoing necessary support for productive 21st Century community learning environments.
Resources
The Jossey-Bass reader on educational leadership By Jossey-Bass Inc, Michael Fullan
7/30/09
Authentic Unheroic Leadership - Week 3
How has what you've learned so far in this course shaped your concept of an effective leader?
Over the past several weeks I have learned a wealth of valuable information about authentic administrative leadership. It is amazing to me that I was thinking many of the concepts mentioned in Burrello and Fullan. The passages about trust, honesty and integrity really hit home with me. I have always taken integrity seriously in every aspect of my life. Without integrity and honesty, you may lead a personally unfulfilled life. A person may go far professionally, but continue to search for something to fill the void where the lack of honesty and integrity has left the gap. People that lack both qualities, lead with ego not core beliefs. I have encountered many of these types of administrators that are not effective and normally face staff resistance and low staff and student morale. Administration that does not see the value in community involvement and others knowledge, skills and wisdom, risk constant conflict and resentment. If value is only placed on one's own ideas and initiatives, schools change or reform will most often not occur quickly or at all. In order to breed trust, honesty, respect, and loyalty, one must practice display and model these qualities as well. As a teacher, I have always communicated with students my relationship philosophy, "you get what you give" and this is a philosophy that I truly believe in and live by. If you give respect and practice honesty, integrity and loyalty, you will get in return. Authentic leaders, lead by example and use the unheroic skills to build a highly motivated transformative school community. Reculturing takes more than just a shared vision but a shared set of personal core qualities and beliefs.
Over the past several weeks I have learned a wealth of valuable information about authentic administrative leadership. It is amazing to me that I was thinking many of the concepts mentioned in Burrello and Fullan. The passages about trust, honesty and integrity really hit home with me. I have always taken integrity seriously in every aspect of my life. Without integrity and honesty, you may lead a personally unfulfilled life. A person may go far professionally, but continue to search for something to fill the void where the lack of honesty and integrity has left the gap. People that lack both qualities, lead with ego not core beliefs. I have encountered many of these types of administrators that are not effective and normally face staff resistance and low staff and student morale. Administration that does not see the value in community involvement and others knowledge, skills and wisdom, risk constant conflict and resentment. If value is only placed on one's own ideas and initiatives, schools change or reform will most often not occur quickly or at all. In order to breed trust, honesty, respect, and loyalty, one must practice display and model these qualities as well. As a teacher, I have always communicated with students my relationship philosophy, "you get what you give" and this is a philosophy that I truly believe in and live by. If you give respect and practice honesty, integrity and loyalty, you will get in return. Authentic leaders, lead by example and use the unheroic skills to build a highly motivated transformative school community. Reculturing takes more than just a shared vision but a shared set of personal core qualities and beliefs.
7/25/09
Transformational Leadership - JHU Week 2
• How do you define transformational leadership based on your reading?
Transformational leadership is an adaptive process in which school communities work together to build a cohesive understanding and collaborative actions to ensure the attainment of the school’s purpose, collective goals, and shared vision through the development and sustainability of a successful learning environment thereby promoting and supporting highly personalized, differentiated, student-centered, self-directed, educational learning experiences for all of its members.
• How can transformational leadership impact the way an administrator leads a school?
In order for administrators to lead a school community into a 21st Century reculturing, it is critical for them to create a democratic professional bureaucracy within the school environment. He or she must consider the collective intelligences of all school members and stakeholders. It is up to the administrator to identify how each school agent plays an essential role in student learning, achievement and success. An administrator will not lead anyone anywhere if he or she can not enroll others in the school’s shared vision and purpose. Through open dialogue and collaborative discussions, an administrator can begin to educate school community members to promote understanding of the school’s core values, purposes and vision. By allowing stakeholders ownership of a collective plan, they will more willingly enroll and openly commit to steps in moving their school forward. Administrators need mobilize people to accomplish tasks. A team concept is necessary for school and student success to be achieved.
Within the transformational leadership concept there are five linked attributes that are significant in fostering school environments that have the capacity to change. There is a true need for diverse interrelationships that can co-evolve through rigorous interchanges. Relationships between students and teachers, teachers and departments, departments and school and so on can heighten the level of communication and foster an environment where growth flourishes. A school can capitalize on its own diversity promote and support global awareness, understanding, tolerance, and relationships. Diversity is a school asset not a hindrance, and most often it is not seen in this way.
School environments should also be nonlinear in nature as change will become more rapid and innovative in these types of environments. Interactions in nonlinear environments are multidirectional and mutual and are key catalysts for transformation of student-centered schools. Through richer, diverse, more unstable learning conditions there is more potential for continual growth and learning to occur. Status quo mentalities and environments do not promote the necessary change or growth for effective learning to take place.
Student and teacher learning must also be given the opportunity to be more independent in nature. Student centered classroom environments allow for rich self-generated and self-guided learning opportunities. Assuming responsibility for ones own learning will attract a real desire to learn and grow. Promoting independent learning will foster growth and ultimately achieve the shared vision and goals. Administration, at any level, should support the continual school improvement towards district benchmarks, values, vision, goals and core technologies. (Burello, p. 41)
• How can transformational leadership impact the school administrator as he/she leads integrating technology with instruction?
As an administrator develops a continuous 21st Century transformation, they must take into consideration time and resource availability. Technology can assist with the overall democratic practice in sharing information with school community stakeholders. Innovative collaborative online networks could open up more dialogue and discussions about the school vision, goals, needs, accomplishments and overall progress. Technology can also make meeting synchronously or asynchronously much easier. Everyone can contribute at their own pace or conviction. The network can enhance open communications and build trust within the community. Administrators must be proactive in their own learning and need to develop skills to be superior users of innovative technologies. While modeling how to integrate these tools into real world situations, administrators will lead others to do the same. They can empower teachers to build open communications and create more democratic diverse learning communities within their own classrooms. It only takes a few teachers, parents and students to become excited about connecting, collaborating and sharing to create an environment that begins to inspire others behave the same.
Transformational leadership is an adaptive process in which school communities work together to build a cohesive understanding and collaborative actions to ensure the attainment of the school’s purpose, collective goals, and shared vision through the development and sustainability of a successful learning environment thereby promoting and supporting highly personalized, differentiated, student-centered, self-directed, educational learning experiences for all of its members.
• How can transformational leadership impact the way an administrator leads a school?
In order for administrators to lead a school community into a 21st Century reculturing, it is critical for them to create a democratic professional bureaucracy within the school environment. He or she must consider the collective intelligences of all school members and stakeholders. It is up to the administrator to identify how each school agent plays an essential role in student learning, achievement and success. An administrator will not lead anyone anywhere if he or she can not enroll others in the school’s shared vision and purpose. Through open dialogue and collaborative discussions, an administrator can begin to educate school community members to promote understanding of the school’s core values, purposes and vision. By allowing stakeholders ownership of a collective plan, they will more willingly enroll and openly commit to steps in moving their school forward. Administrators need mobilize people to accomplish tasks. A team concept is necessary for school and student success to be achieved.
Within the transformational leadership concept there are five linked attributes that are significant in fostering school environments that have the capacity to change. There is a true need for diverse interrelationships that can co-evolve through rigorous interchanges. Relationships between students and teachers, teachers and departments, departments and school and so on can heighten the level of communication and foster an environment where growth flourishes. A school can capitalize on its own diversity promote and support global awareness, understanding, tolerance, and relationships. Diversity is a school asset not a hindrance, and most often it is not seen in this way.
School environments should also be nonlinear in nature as change will become more rapid and innovative in these types of environments. Interactions in nonlinear environments are multidirectional and mutual and are key catalysts for transformation of student-centered schools. Through richer, diverse, more unstable learning conditions there is more potential for continual growth and learning to occur. Status quo mentalities and environments do not promote the necessary change or growth for effective learning to take place.
Student and teacher learning must also be given the opportunity to be more independent in nature. Student centered classroom environments allow for rich self-generated and self-guided learning opportunities. Assuming responsibility for ones own learning will attract a real desire to learn and grow. Promoting independent learning will foster growth and ultimately achieve the shared vision and goals. Administration, at any level, should support the continual school improvement towards district benchmarks, values, vision, goals and core technologies. (Burello, p. 41)
• How can transformational leadership impact the school administrator as he/she leads integrating technology with instruction?
As an administrator develops a continuous 21st Century transformation, they must take into consideration time and resource availability. Technology can assist with the overall democratic practice in sharing information with school community stakeholders. Innovative collaborative online networks could open up more dialogue and discussions about the school vision, goals, needs, accomplishments and overall progress. Technology can also make meeting synchronously or asynchronously much easier. Everyone can contribute at their own pace or conviction. The network can enhance open communications and build trust within the community. Administrators must be proactive in their own learning and need to develop skills to be superior users of innovative technologies. While modeling how to integrate these tools into real world situations, administrators will lead others to do the same. They can empower teachers to build open communications and create more democratic diverse learning communities within their own classrooms. It only takes a few teachers, parents and students to become excited about connecting, collaborating and sharing to create an environment that begins to inspire others behave the same.
6/8/09
JHU - Week 2 Reflection - Act. 4
Now that you have a good sense of the types of online activities and the rhythms of an active participant, what steps will you take to be successful in this program?
As an active participant in the JHU Program, I will strive to do my best in the online activities and communications. I will make sure to use my Outlook calendar and itouch to stay up-to-date with all activities, assignments and expectations.
How will you be a contributing member of your team? How will team activities impact your time management?
As a team member, I hope to contribute reliable, relevant and useful information and resources to teammates. I will make sure to read and respond to comments, perspectives and ideas with support and open mindedness. I am excited to learn from others and will take back a wealth of information by connecting, communicating and collaborating with others from around the globe.
What have you learned about your communication style? How will this impact you as an online learner?
After taking the communication style inventory, I found that I am a "feeler" communicator. The characteristics for Feelers fit me perfectly. I agree with the description and count on my communication style to assist me with effectively communicating and contributing to group discussions and activities.
Where do you still need additional support?
I am fine at this point and do feel that I need further support. I am so excited to be getting started with this program and learning from others expertise and experiences and sharing mine as well.
As an active participant in the JHU Program, I will strive to do my best in the online activities and communications. I will make sure to use my Outlook calendar and itouch to stay up-to-date with all activities, assignments and expectations.
How will you be a contributing member of your team? How will team activities impact your time management?
As a team member, I hope to contribute reliable, relevant and useful information and resources to teammates. I will make sure to read and respond to comments, perspectives and ideas with support and open mindedness. I am excited to learn from others and will take back a wealth of information by connecting, communicating and collaborating with others from around the globe.
What have you learned about your communication style? How will this impact you as an online learner?
After taking the communication style inventory, I found that I am a "feeler" communicator. The characteristics for Feelers fit me perfectly. I agree with the description and count on my communication style to assist me with effectively communicating and contributing to group discussions and activities.
Where do you still need additional support?
I am fine at this point and do feel that I need further support. I am so excited to be getting started with this program and learning from others expertise and experiences and sharing mine as well.
6/1/09
JHU / ISTE Cohort Post
I just started my coursework for Johns Hopkins University /ISTE Admin and Supervisory Certificate program. I just spent the past hour or so completing assignments and posting to the discussion forum inside the ELC system. I feel very comfortable with ELC and look forward to using it to complete my course requirements. I only have one concern about the online learning and that would be completion of assignments over the course of one year. I have never taken so many courses in a year so I hope it's not too difficult. I never mind hard work since it pays off in the end. I am excited about my learning opportunities and professional growth as well.
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