Tips for principals: Pressures that administrators can be under
http://www.teacherneedhelp.com/students/advice.htm
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
How my THINKING Was Challenged in EDL 670: Central Michigan University
My thinking was challenged when Dr. Jeffrey kept reiterating students are not "like a bad batch of steel or blueberries that you can send back" to the manufacturer. They are people that deserve to be treated with dignity and respect and given all of the opportunities possible. I know this is true and challenges your thinking and when you hear coworkers say, that is a bad class or a bad student-there is not much you can do with them but keep passing them to the next teacher or grade.
My thinking was further challenged when I heard the book report presentations on leaders today from my classmates. Everyone put their best foot forward presenting with passion that further established the positive effect the leader that they presented had on them, and to the world. I was impressed by how many different types of leaders there out there from Gandhi to Jesus including music artists, Dave Ramsey, Abraham Lincoln and Eleanor Roosevelt. The leaders were very different people personalty wise but many had a lot of things in common like having a dream or a vision and the ability to have sustainable leadership. Where Blankstein (2010) in our class text defined it as the, "length of the leaders impact over the long haul, beyond the individual leaders" (p219). All of these people showed courage and were willing to work hard to make a difference. Like when Lincoln stayed in a small room next to the telegraph to keep up with any current news on the Civil War. They were not afraid of change and sometimes had to push the limits to make an impact in the lives of people. Jesus died on the cross, Gandhi did political marches, Lincoln kept our country together in a time of turmoil and different opinions, Eleanor Roosevelt showed strength through her husband's illness and started programs for women and children that improved not just the people's lives at that time but ours too.
Group Dynamics: Stages of team developement
According to Blankstein (2010), "Collaboration is not natural or common in a school environment." He went on to say that teachers used to go in their rooms, shut their doors and acted as individual monarchs of their domains (p.159). More and more teachers are required to work with their grade level teams and collaborate everything including lessons plans, grade level goals, etc.
When a group or a team first forms they are polite to each other but are untrusting. They may begin to get to know each other by talking and asking questions like: Are you married, what do you do, where do you live, etc. The next phase is when people begin to communicate with each other on a deeper level but still feel separate and not a part of the team. They may even attack each other subtly stating their opinions like I do not like Chick-Fil-A or say it is not cold in a room if another says it is while guarding their own selves.
They then begin to form a team and accept each other's opposing viewpoints realizing together they can accomplish both the individual goals and team goals. This was shown today when everyone took part in helping Cassandra with her movie maker presentation. Finally the team works together in a trusting atmosphere where flexibility and hierarchy is of little importance. The team is working towards a common goal. I experienced this when I worked in a factory called JCI on a line making car parts. My line had seven great people an old guy, a heavier young guy, a Hispanic guy, a man from Chile, a 7th Day Adventist, a middle aged woman who was our mom and myself. Our goal: to make as many interior headliners with the least amount of defects in a shift. We did whatever it took to meet our goal, we laughed together, cried together and celebrated together with potlucks. Even though it was a factory I learned a lot about teamwork and celebrating the differences of others. How does this tie into education and leadership? I believe that a school learning community is a team and can not have success without working together. Blankstein (2010) also said building truly collaborative teams is difficult but necessary (p. 163). The leader must help teams develop and go through the phases of development and growth in order to achieve student achievement.
Communication: How to Improve
Effective communication is a critical characteristic of an effective school principal. Blankstein (2010) said, "It helps to clearly communicate one's own perspective or point of view-and to do it often" (p70). First and foremost you have to consider your audience before communicating and decide on the best means to deliver your message. There are many different ways that you can communicate: E-mail, newsletter, message boards, posters, meetings, blogs, websites, pod casts, etc. After choosing the appropriate method for message delivery it is important to get feedback on how your message came across to make sure it was effective and your message was understood in the way you intended it to be.
Somethings to consider when delivering your message in person are body language both from you and your receiving audience. While there are always exceptions to the rule with different life experiences and cultures, there are tell tale signs that show if a person is receiving your message, is disengaged or being defensive when are delivering your message. Defensiveness is when a persons arms are crossed, disengaged people tend me be looking down and away or doodling, a lying person has their hand in front of mouth, a person reflecting on what you said eyes look away and back to you or have their hand on their cheek.
One article I found on the web: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCS_85.htm
talks of the 7-C's of communication. They are being clear, concise, concrete, correct, coherent, complete and courteous. According to the article we all communicate every day, the better we communicate the more credibility we will have with our bosses, coworkers and every person we interact with.
Education: Globalization Article
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/10/AR2006101001245.html
This was an interesting read on schools and globalization. It began with saying that students who graduated from college in 1979 earned more than the high school graduate. Currently because of the gap in technology and globalization this has increased to 130%. However, the rise of college tuition has made it harder for those to attend. The opportunity for everyone to receive a quality education and go to college should be harnessed. This begins early in childhood where everyone is more malleable open to be educated. An experiment in Michigan with a Head Start Program in Michigan showed that there was a 8-10% increase in IQ scores when children were educated earlier. The article argues we should invest more into our children even though the cost of education looks higher than products like DVD players and cars are cheaper from other countries as a result of globalization.
This was an interesting read on schools and globalization. It began with saying that students who graduated from college in 1979 earned more than the high school graduate. Currently because of the gap in technology and globalization this has increased to 130%. However, the rise of college tuition has made it harder for those to attend. The opportunity for everyone to receive a quality education and go to college should be harnessed. This begins early in childhood where everyone is more malleable open to be educated. An experiment in Michigan with a Head Start Program in Michigan showed that there was a 8-10% increase in IQ scores when children were educated earlier. The article argues we should invest more into our children even though the cost of education looks higher than products like DVD players and cars are cheaper from other countries as a result of globalization.
Managing and Leading
What is the difference between managing and leading people? The biggest difference is the way they motivate people. Managers have a position of authority given to them by the company they work for and their subordinates do what they tell them to do. The subordinates do the work not because they are robots but because they have been promised something in return-usually a paycheck. I found this to be the case when I was an assistant manager at Wendy's and at McDonald's. My name badge and my uniform gave the the authority to tell my crew people what station they were going to work at, how much food to prepare and what tasks needed to be done before a given shift was over. Whereas leaders have voluntary followers who for one reason or another find appeal in the leader. Leaders are risk seeking and their followers are willing to also find some comfort in the risk because it resonates with their belief systems. According to one article I read many leaders had at one time or another some type of disability to overcome such as traumatic childhoods, or a handicap which taught them to have independent thinking and not to worry about what others think of them. Leaders have excitement for work whereas managers work for money. According to Blankstein (2010) leaders who "make a point to clarify the greater purpose" allows the organization to thrive and survive even after the departure of the leader and not leave a hole in their wake (p214).
Excceptional Children: Special Education
All children are different from each other. Some are short or tall, some are good at reading or math, some learn in different ways from each other. Most are able to connect to learning where they can grasp lessons together in some form or fashion. Some, however need individualized lessons and planning because they experience difficulties in learning or have a superior gift or knowledge. Therefore the term exceptional children can encompass children who have difficulties in learning as well as those with superior knowledge. It can also cover those with physical handicaps or behavior problems.
As school principal it is important to keep the special education classes into the mainstream of the school and to make the building as accessible as possible. It is also important to be aware of special education laws: The Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Education for all Handicapped Children, and IDEA among many others. Least restrictive environment and inclusion where the student is in a mainstream classroom with supports are the current trends in special education. The IEP is a contract between the school and the parents that drives instruction, monitoring, accountability and evaluation. The principal must be present at IEP meetings as a facilitator for the parents and teachers. Principals must keep in mind that gains made by special education students may be small but need to be recognized as they often come about through significant efforts of the students, teachers and parents.
For more information about exceptional children and things principals must keep in mind here is an Eric article: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED455624.pdf
As school principal it is important to keep the special education classes into the mainstream of the school and to make the building as accessible as possible. It is also important to be aware of special education laws: The Rehabilitation Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Education for all Handicapped Children, and IDEA among many others. Least restrictive environment and inclusion where the student is in a mainstream classroom with supports are the current trends in special education. The IEP is a contract between the school and the parents that drives instruction, monitoring, accountability and evaluation. The principal must be present at IEP meetings as a facilitator for the parents and teachers. Principals must keep in mind that gains made by special education students may be small but need to be recognized as they often come about through significant efforts of the students, teachers and parents.
For more information about exceptional children and things principals must keep in mind here is an Eric article: http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED455624.pdf
Current Events: Wisconsin Union Boycott
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/newsworldnation/909480-227/wisconsin-dems-boycott-vote-on-anti-union-budget.html
Government workers are boycotting a proposal to cut retirement benefits imposed by the union in Wisconsin. Currently the state of Wisconsin is broke and have been paying 100% of retirement and health care benefits, the proposal would make state employees more in align with the rest of the country and public sector equivalent where they pay part and their employer puts in part. The union claims they are not fighting over balancing the budget but to their right to collective bargain over these issues. Many are protesting including teachers who called in sick to attend boycotts. Some schools had 40% or more of their teachers not report to duty causing them to close school for a few days now. The state can fire the teachers that have attended the boycotts because state employees are not allowed to strike. If the state does not cut their Budget they will have to let go hundreds of their teachers impacting education. In my opinion, it is almost better to cut some of the benefits that teachers have been enjoying for the good of everyone including the students. While people hate to give up what they have been enjoying it is better to shave off a little than to cut the whole thing.
Government workers are boycotting a proposal to cut retirement benefits imposed by the union in Wisconsin. Currently the state of Wisconsin is broke and have been paying 100% of retirement and health care benefits, the proposal would make state employees more in align with the rest of the country and public sector equivalent where they pay part and their employer puts in part. The union claims they are not fighting over balancing the budget but to their right to collective bargain over these issues. Many are protesting including teachers who called in sick to attend boycotts. Some schools had 40% or more of their teachers not report to duty causing them to close school for a few days now. The state can fire the teachers that have attended the boycotts because state employees are not allowed to strike. If the state does not cut their Budget they will have to let go hundreds of their teachers impacting education. In my opinion, it is almost better to cut some of the benefits that teachers have been enjoying for the good of everyone including the students. While people hate to give up what they have been enjoying it is better to shave off a little than to cut the whole thing.
Understanding the Dilemmas of School Principalship
Principals have moral ethical dilemmas daily. They have an obligation to society, to the profession, to the school board, teachers, students and all of the stakeholders. It can sometimes be hard to distinguish between right and wrong, what perspective to take, or one ought to do. Therefore, a leader's conduct must overall be moral as they must look out for children who do not have a voice for themselves. A principal must keep moral thoughts in not only the day to day dilemmas but policies and procedures that have ethical implications.
Why a School Principal Would use a Blog
I feel that there are many ways that an educational leader could use a blog. First, and foremost would be to share the accomplishments of the teachers and students in their school to build morale. It is also a way to be transparent and to let the stakeholders know what is happening in your school. Blogging can help a leader to challenge themselves, continually grow as a transformational leader and to also give back to others who can learn from your experiences.
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