Reflections & Highlights

The following are snapshots taken from various parts of my culminating Capstone project for my Educational Leadership program. I thought I would share some interesting observations and commentary:


On Communication:

In a high stakes environment such as educational leadership, one does not have the luxury of being able to afford a mixed or unclear message going out to any stakeholder.  Whether it’s sharing student successes with community, introducing a new initiative or technique to the staff, or developing a novice or struggling teacher,  the Principal's ability to effectively and efficiently communicate through a variety of mediums will go a long way in determining the impact the message has.  Whether its an email, newsletter, blog, written report, meeting, conference, presentation, speech, interview, class, etc, the modern administrator must be comfortable and effective communicating a consistent and well articulated message under all circumstances.

On Supervision and Evaluation:

It is not a coincidence that the best coaches always have the best players, and school principals must actively and intently prioritize what goes into building and nurturing a highly effective and highly motivated team.  Beyond hiring new talent, the leadership team must be diligent in their promotion of and attention to the needs and growth of veteran staff.  Creating a culture of perpetual improvement and an endless quest toward perfection will keep older staff feeling young and younger staff feeling empowered. The principal has the ability to model and stimulate this kind of professional learning environment.

On Innovation & Risk Taking:

There has never been a better time to learn than right now, and we have never had access to so many ground breaking tools as we do today.  As the next big thing become old and outdated within a matter months, it’s extremely important for school leaders to remain on the cutting edge of new trends and theories.  A school leader who vigilantly remains in the know about these new trends will be able to differentiate between the latest fad and the next great educational practice.  A school leader who themselves are actively trying new methods and professionally growing will create an environment where students and teachers do the same.  A school leader who is able to honestly and openly reflect on what works and what does not will empower his learning community to evaluate their own work.  Simply telling folks that risk taking is promoted does not send the same message as showcasing and discussing the risks you are currently taking.  

Effective Leaders...

The last chapter of DuFour and Marzano's Leaders of Learning provides several distinct differentiations between effective and mediocre leadership at the school level and beyond. As I read, I found myself highlighting, underlining, and making notes several times per page. These 10 notes stand out to me as key points to consider for any leader at any position:

Effective leaders know the first step in leadership is convincing someone to follow. (193)

Effective leaders know they alone are not the solution. (197)

Effective leaders are busy doing what mediocre leaders are talking about. (198)

Effective leaders accept the responsibility for solving the existing problems and the possible blame for those problems going unresolved. (199)

Effective leaders know they do not have the luxury of letting personal motives and ideologoies stand in the way of the collective desires and visions of the school. (201)

Effective leaders build a staff filled with other leaders. (204)

Effective leaders aren’t afraid to share and even move out of the spotlight. (204)

Effective leaders aim to build a team that won’t need a central leader to improve and succeed. (207)

Effective leaders know that it’s not about them. (207)

Effective leaders do what others merely intend. (208)

I look forward to discussing these points and others during our #edfocus discussion of the second half of the book on Wednesday at 9:30p (eastern time)

Utilizing Social Media

Why aren’t districts vigorously promoting active use of online resources for Professional Development? Although school ended over a week ago my learning and pd has not slowed. Thanks to my social media and networking feeds I found ways to realize visions for next year, and received valuable feedback on a class presentation. Thanks to my Twitter feed I was acquainted with mrthread.com for student chats, set up a customized edmodo site for my AP class, and favorited articles on research tips for students in the fall.
I had fantastic discussion with educators from around the country on topics ranging from cross curricular instruction to using data to create professional development plans that led to better performance in my graduate class. I’m excited this week to start a book club via Twitter and look forward to sharing my thoughts. In the first two weeks of vacation I’ve had more PD than in all other summers combined, and it hasn’t cost me or my district a penny. No room in the budget for PD? No problem…

Jump Onboard

School is in a constant battle with countless other mediums over the attention of our students. In order for us to win we need to be in all of those competing outlets. We need to be in their smartphone! We need to be in their Twitter feed, Facebook wall, RSS, tumble roll, etc or else school will see its relevance in the lives of the students shrink each year. Learning can be a year round thing with modern communication and its time schools jump on board. Let’s embrace some of the outlets we’ve been pushing away.

Classical Innovation

Reblogged from my Tumblr, "Leading to Learn."

Traditional focus doesn't have to be boring or archaic. In reading Mike Schmoker's, Focus, I cannot help but to come to the conclusion that he is not calling for a rejection of modern technology and its integration in our schools, but rather the commitment to use of these technologies to foster the necessary characteristics of good teaching and good citizenry that have stood for over 2,000 years.  The fact that the mediums are more flashy doesn't change the fact that people with superior reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are far more equipped to be successful and active citizens than those without.  While much has been made of Focus equating to a shunning of much of the modern technology that exists in classrooms, I do not think it has to be one or the other.  Our most effective use of 21st century technology happens when its used to strengthen our instruction of the four pillars of language mastery that Schmoker insists we must focus on. For reading skills, we can use Livebinder, Diigo, Dropbox, Colornote, etc to enhance and organize the bookmarking and notetaking process for students.  We can use Google Docs, Blogging, MrThread, and other online chat forums to allow students to articulate themselves exclusively in writing during class with immediate feedback from peers and the instructor.  We have Flip cameras and Voice Thread to allow students to self assess their own speaking and presenting skills, and Skype presents incredible opportunities for students to academically and professionally interact with other students in sister classes.  Teachers can use textthemob and Twitter to enhance that critical interaction between student and teacher good classes have had since the days of Socrates.  Focusing on literacy the way Schmoker suggests does not mean abandoning the integration of technology in the classroom. It means using it in the best possible way to achieve our objectives.

Aspiring Educational Leader Reading List

Reposted from my Tumblr blog...

I have found these books particularly helpful in my preparation to shift my role as an educator from classroom teacher to administrator.  Myself an aspiring secondary instructional leader who has yet to serve in the role, these works make me feel ready to thrive in that new position when the time comes. I recommend these reads to any teacher thinking of moving into any kind of leadership position within the school community, and offer a brief note on each.

Harvey Alvy & Pam Robbins, Learning From Lincoln, 2010-As an inexperienced president, Lincoln relied on two things: His values/judgment & the team around him. New leaders in any position can benefit from the lesson from Lincoln.

Alan M. Blankstein, Failure is Not an Option, 2004- If Bank of America is too big to fail, why aren't schools? Why is that not our mentality?

ed. Heidi Hayes Jacobs, Curriculum 21, 2010- Great collection of essays on where education is heading. I particularly liked, "A Classroom as Wide as the World."

Thomas Hoerr, The Art of School Leadership, 2005- Examines types of leadership styles, and is filled with teacher anecdotes about what they look for in a leader.

Robert Marzano, Timothy Waters, & Brian McNulty, School Leadership that Works, 2005- Great stuff as always from Marzano. The title says it all.

William J. Reese, America’s Public Schools, 2005- Provides a general history of pubic schools in the United States from the early republic to No Child Left Behind. I found the chapter about LBJ's Great Society very interesting, which spawned a different research project specifically about the ed reforms of the 1960s.

Jon Saphier, How to Make Supervision & Evaluation Really Work, 1993- A real useful and growth centered way to learn about teacher evaluations and supervision. Even if I do not become an administrator this upcoming year, the material in this book made me a better classroom teacher as well. It allowed me to see my own teaching from the perspective of an evaluator.

Mike Schmoker, Focus, 2011- Even with all of the new technologies and fads out there, the four pillars of language remain the ability to read, write, speak, and listen effectively. Schmoker reminds us that as leaders its important to avoid jumping on every new trend until we first identify how it will improve literacy.

Marilyn Tallerico, Supporting & Sustaining Teachers’ Professional Development, 2005- Great stuff on adult learning theory in here. Transitioning from classroom to administration also means a shift in who we are primarily working with. Adults are different than children, obviously, which means a need for a different way of working.

Tony Wagner, The Global Achievement Gap, 2008- Discusses similar issues as Curriculum 21, but still a great and very quick read.

Anne Wescott Dodd & Jean L. Konzal, How Communities Build Stronger Schools, 2002-Community relations are paramount to the success of practically all public enterprises, and schools are certainly no exception. Many anecdotes provide clear lessons in both good and bad PR from various schools in this book.

Todd Whitaker, Leading School Change, 2010- Whitaker is a fantastic resource for all educators, and I recommend any of his books.  He offers practical solutions to some of the most basic interpersonal problems that occur in schools and plague leadership posts. I enjoyed this book thoroughly.

Todd Whitaker, What Great Principals Do Differently, 2003- The title says it all. See above.