PowerPoint Presentation
Educational Leadership PlatformCourtney HuffSpring 2011Great
administrators are like great chefs. They both spend an inordinate
amount of time preparing, planning, and visioning, before they even
begin to cook or implement. During this time, they keep their focus
on the outcomes and the clients. They continuously re-adjust,
refocus, and re-evaluate their plans and efforts. - Neila A.
ConnorsPhilosophy of EducationIn his book, Schools Cannot Do It
Alone, Jamie Vollmer states:For the first time in history, our
security, our prosperity, and the health of our nation depend upon
our ability to unfold the full creative potential of every child.
Not just the easy ones, not just the top twenty five percent of the
class (4).
Purpose of EducationI believe:One of the most important jobs in
creating a successful, thriving society is to educate our students
and families.Learning is lifelong and never-ending.Schools along
with families play vital roles in creating community thinkers,
leaders, and workers, without these we have a society dependent
upon the welfare and criminal justice system.Importance of Schools
to Society
I first watched this video at the Professional Learning
Communities Institute in Atlanta, Georgia. From that point on, I
have used it over and over againPhilosophy of LeadershipIn his
book, Leadership and Sustainability, Michael Fullan states:In a
nutshell, we need a critical mass of leaders at all levels of the
system who are explicitly cognizant of and committed to pursuing in
practice the implementation of the eight elements of sustainability
(29). The elements are:Public service with a moral
purposeCommitment to changing context at all levelsLateral capacity
building through networksIntelligent accountability and vertical
relationshipsDeep learningDual commitment to short-term and
long-term resultsCyclical energizingThe long lever of
leadership
Leading with a Moral PurposeAs an educational leader, I will
Ensure all students will learn and grow to their fullest potential
failure is no longer an option.Treat everyone with respect, care,
and responsiveness.Create learning environments that are safe,
healthy, and positive.
Commitment to ChangeLeading a school in the 21st century, I
understand that:Change takes time and much effort I will encourage
and celebrate the small successes along the way. New beliefs can be
easily implemented and supported when a community of learning is
created.
Managing Complex ChangeSource: Ambrose, Adapted from Villa and
Thousand (1995)
Networking is a MUST!In order to be an effective leader, it is
necessary for me to:Learn from others who are in a similar role as
me through a variety of resources.Encourage and support teachers to
observe and collaborate with each other in regards to student
learning (Professional Learning Communities.)Research powerful
networks in relation to the mission and vision of my school
district.Accountability: A Balanced ApproachAs a leader, this
statement from Fullan provides me with insight in terms of
balancing accountability practices effectively: Too much intrusion
demotivates people; too little permits drift or worse (20).Self
reflections along with outside observations and evaluations need to
be balanced and used to promote best practices.
Deep LearningLeaders continuously facilitate and participate in
learning in order to improve as a school team, here are some
critical points to keep in mind:The power of failing intelligently
You must learn to fail intelligently. Failing is one of the
greatest arts in the world. One fails forward towards success.
Thomas EdisonUsing data to constantly monitor student learning,
asking key questions to analyze and respond toCreating a culture of
inquiry amongst students, staff, and the community
Short Term and Long Term ResultsLeading a school involves:Having
a vision and missionCreating SMART goals/objectives in relation to
the schools missionUsing the school improvement plan to provide
focused professional development that positively affects student
achievementSetting short term goals to build trust and positive
environment for staffCyclical EnergizingFrom a leadership
perspective, it is important to keep in mind the power of energy. I
will: Facilitate practices that involve the staff in working
smarter, not harder Sustain momentum when goals are met and promote
continuous learningModel the power of positive energy versus
negative energy
Levering Leadership PracticesThe eighth element of
sustainability combines the first seven and in order to create
sustainability leadership must be enhanced on all levels. I believe
it is necessary to seek out and encourage leaders
amongst:TeachersParentsCommunity MembersBusinesses
Vision of LearnersThe only source of knowledge is experience.
Albert EinsteinChildren learn through a variety of experiences and
at different rates.They need to be in an environment that is
positive, engaging, safe, and responsive. Children thrive in
classrooms and communities that promote creativity, collaboration,
and critical thinking. Technology is integrated into daily
practices.Leading and Learning By ExampleWe embrace explicitly the
proposition that effective practice and popular practice are very
likely two different things. - Douglas ReevesIn order to promote my
beliefs of best practices for teaching students, I need to model
those practices for my staff in a variety of ways. Staff
MeetingsDay-to-day conversations and interactionsCommunications via
e-mail, newsletters, etc.
Why Learning for All?In his book, Schools Cannot Do It Alone,
Jamie Vollmer states: If we are serious about preparing all
children to succeed in the 21st century, then our schools must
change. We cant keep doing the same thing weve always done and
expect to get a different result. The time has come to replace the
rigid selecting and sorting process with a flexible approach to
teaching and learning that is designed to produce one result:
student success (155).Vision for TeachersDont tell me you believe
all kids can learn tell me what youre doing about the kids who
arent learning. - Richard DuFour taken from the book, Pyramid
Response to Intervention by Buffum, Mattos, and Weber Teachers need
to be given time to reflect on the following questions:What exactly
do we expect students to learn?How will we know if they learned it?
How will we respond when some students dont learn?How will we
respond when some students have already learned?
How do we impact culture?Begin by focusing on changing
BEHAVIORS.Attitudes follow behavior. That means people accept new
beliefs as a result of changing their behavior. (Fullan)Behaviors
and emotions change before beliefs so we need to act in a new way
before we get insights and feelings related to new
beliefs.Supporting the Work of TeachersCreate sufficient time for
teachers to collaborate:the failure of leaders to provide
sufficient time is almost certainly fatal to reform efforts
(45).Provide effective feedback and monitoring for
teachers:Previous research on monitoring practices suggests that
leaders must provide monitoring that focuses on adult actions (not
merely on student test scores), that is frequent, and that is
constructive (45).(from Transforming Professional Development into
Student Resutls by Douglas Reeves)Professional Learning with
StaffIn his book, Transforming Professional Development into
Student Results, Douglas Reeves states:Compelling evidence suggests
that teachers, schools leaders, and students are much better served
when professional learning is focused on the deep and consistent
implementation of a few things (53).Professional learning needs to
be :Focused, not frantic or scatteredTransformed from a vision to
implementationPracticed, over and over againdeliberately
Focus on Leadershipleaders must be the architects of systems and
schedules that lead to professional learning (Reeves, 70).
Effective leaders must ask themselves:Are the teaching practices,
curriculum, and assessment strategies we are using working to
improve student learning?Are the learning targets clear and common
for the content, frequency, and review of formative assessments?How
can I create more teacher leaders in my building?
Vision for a School
This keynote speaker from Dallas, TX puts the purpose of school
into perspective. Believe!Leading a 21st Century SchoolLeadership
Making happen that in which you believe. Roland BarthProviding
focus for staff and students on:Implementing teamwork, technology,
and thinking in the daily practices of the core areas of reading,
writing and mathematicsCreating an environment that is positive,
safe, and welcoming to the communityShowcasing evidence of student
achievement through a variety of measures proving all students can
learn
Moving Visions into ImplementationUse the eight sustainability
elements from Fullans model along with positive influences and
experiences to put visions into actions. Just as chefs would follow
the steps of a recipe - effective leaders remember to focus on the
outcome and client - making adjustments along the way.Keep in mind
that the process of improving teaching and learning is never-ending
and leaders will always need visions and action
plans.ResourcesReeves, Douglas B. Transforming Professional
Development into Student Results. Alexandria: ASCD, 2010.
Print.Connors, Neila A. If You Don't Feed the Teachers, They Eat
the Students. Nashville: Incentive Publications, 2000. Print.
Fullan, Michael. Leadership and Sustainability. Thousand Oaks:
Corwin Press, 2005. Print. Vollmer, Jamie. Schools Cannot Do It
Alone. Fairfield: Enlightenment Press, 2010. Print. Buffum, Austin,
Mike Mattos, and Chris Weber. Pyramid Response to Intervention.
Bloomington: Solution Tree, 2009. Print. Mattos, Mike, dir. Time
Bomb Ticking. 2009. Web. 18 Aug. 2009. "Dallas Keynote Speaker." 5
Sept. 2008. Web. 18 Mar. 2011. .