Directions: Take some time to reflect on all your learning experiences, the artifacts you've provided in the portfolio and the reflections under each outcome. Review the knowledge, skills, and disposition (KSD's) statements for the Wisconsin Administrative standards. Review the results of surveys you've taken during your course of study at Marian, such as disposition surveys, leadership style surveys, and others.
Write an integrative essay, summarizing how this portfolio reflects your growth, personal learning, and skill. What did you learn about yourself and your ability as a leader?
Revised 5-2015
Vision
I have learned that in order to be successful, I must know what I am trying to accomplish and my means for getting there. In order to do this, I must have an idea of where I am and where I am going.
One thing that I really took home from Patrick Saunders was the fact that everything (decisions, policies, and even the budget) should somehow relate back to my mission and vision. All types of decisions and choices must support my vision. Also, I must realize that visions can change. Schools should not be static, but change as the culture and new educational pedagogy changes. When this occurs, everyone must understand the new vision and mission. When creating a budget or analyzing a budget, I plan to use this philosophy. What you are planning to purchase; does it support our/your/school vision? If the answer is yes, it is justified. I also will make decisions based on the mission and vision of the school or district.
Another area of focus is the fact that many people do not even know what the mission of the school is. I spoke at a school board meeting recently and explained that I wanted our mission painted on the wall in the new gymnasium, hallway, or entrance, so that it would be seen by many, and eventually become a part of their memory. It was very apparent that others did not feel the same way about this and were too focused on their own personal agendas. I truly feel that this is one of the reasons why our school referendum didn’t pass, and why the overall morale of the school is turning south. Nobody has a clear idea of what they are doing or what their goals are. There is little to no communication between staff and administration, and the future is very unclear for many. To strengthen this, I have written six letters or recommendation; in a staff of 27, that is a high percentage.
Using democratic leadership, I will allow others to create and take ownership in our vision, thus inspiring them to work harder as individuals and be more productive. As their leader, I will try to be proactive, begin with the end in mind, and always think win-win.
Student/Staff Success
The first thing that I aspire to do as a principal is to understand everyone that I am working with. I believe that having a good relationship with your followers is essential to success. I plan to meet with each person of my school and understand their strengths, weaknesses, and get an idea of where they have come from and what they would like to accomplish. I also plan on letting them know that I truly care about their successes. Therefore, I would like to know what tools I can give them in order to be successful. In my Principal Supervision Class, I learned from an individual in the principal panel in how he met with each staff member before the school year began. He went to each staff member’s house and had a 10 to 15 minute conversation with them. He felt that this was extremely important and that this was one of the reasons for his success at his school. He allowed them to talk, and he tried to understand them. This really stuck with me, and is reinforced as one of Covey’s effective habits, “First understand, then be understood.”
I have learned that Educator Effectiveness should be a collaborative effort. I believe that Educator Effectiveness can be productive if the principal uses it as a growing opportunity. Through management, I believe that both the principal and staff member should have collective goals for improvement. When each person (evaluator and evaluatee) understands what is expected of them, then the process of evaluation is simplified. I currently work under an administration that is not clear and has little to no collaboration. Evaluation is a nightmare, and those who are being evaluated have no idea of what they should be doing. This creates animosity and tension among the administration and sometimes staff members. As principal, I will never wait until the last minute to evaluate someone. Evaluation should not only be an ongoing process, but a process for growth and productivity for all parties/individuals involved. The evaluator and evaluatee must work together. As principal, I will better understand the staff members, their strengths and weaknesses, and what tools or development opportunities are needed to for improvement.
When considering inservices and professional development opportunities, I will have purpose and structure to them. Many times, inservices do not have a meaning or purpose. Therefore, many teachers feel that it does not pertain to them. Also, I feel that support staff need to be included in professional development. They have interactions with students just like teachers, and they too need to improve themselves. All of this should reflect mission, goals, state requirements, and evaluations. Last, inservices need to have official closure, or be ongoing. Weeks or months later, staff should again meet to assess what changes have been implemented and how they have worked.
Management
Managing your staff is one way principals can better understand their strengths and weaknesses. Overall, simple management by walking around encourages conversations. Quick conversations are necessary for immediate knowledge or quick informal feedback. By managing by walking around, you are visible and allow others to talk and interact with you. Oftentimes, problems can be prevented or better understood. That is when principals actually know what is going on in their building.
The extreme to this would be micromanaging. I will not be a principal who has to stick my nose into everything and make suggestions. Rather, I aspire to be a principal who is well informed and knows what is going on in his building. When there are meetings, I would like a brief outline, agenda, or meeting minutes to better understand what the committee’s views or suggestions are. Being well informed limits surprises and better prepares the principal for preventing future problems.
I really like some of the Formal Management setups other members shared with us in our supervision class. I like the 2-3 minute daily walkthroughs, two full class formal observations, and five informal observations. Being clear on how your staff will be evaluated and understanding that the process is ongoing are essential and a non-negotiable. Professional development opportunities are available and required for improvement. I will help individuals, guide them to what is best for them, and help them incorporate these opportunities into their Educator Effectiveness or Professional Development Plans. An individual who knows his or her expectations and is willing to improve him- or herself will be an individual who is a part of my team. I will hold them accountable and coach them the best that I can.
In my current role, the administrator is not consistent with his decision making, and he does not treat everyone fairly/equally. The evaluations are viewed as a burden, and therefore are not used effectively. The evaluation process is simply a requirement, but is not used to support action plans, professional development, or inservices. Because of this, the staff is very unclear on what their expectations exactly are. Some staff who are intrinsically motivated do extra, while others meet bare minimum requirements. Because there is a lack of feedback, praise, criticism, and accountability, staff morale has suffered, and people have slowly turned against each other. The lack of trust and guidance from the administrator is to blame. I do not want to be authoritative, but democratic. However, I do feel at times that the staff needs to understand that if they are not being a positive supporter, or they are not “pulling their weight,” they will be put on an improvement plan. Feedback, either positive or negative, is not only necessary but required by any good leader.
As principal, organization is necessary. During my practicum, I got caught up in specific activities and lost track of time. Quick decisions had to be made when considering if what I was currently involved in was more important that what I actually should be doing. I clearly understand that principals must prioritize what is important. Specific issues require immediate attention, while other issues do not. I realized that paperwork must wait, but people will not. Being prompt shows respect. Sitting in an office all day is not the job that I desire. I do understand that reporting and paperwork must be done; however, I will schedule times for this. I want to be in the classrooms, interacting with teachers and students, recognizing where improvements can be made, and celebrating accomplishments. I also clearly remember many of my professors stated, “Hiring good secretaries is essential. They will take care of a lot of the miniscule work for you.”
Collaboration
My “black book of effective leadership” clearly states, “BE VISIBLE.” Being visible allows for interactions and for collaboration to take place. I will be a principal who walks around the school, greets people as they enter the school, and tells them to have a good day when they leave. I will be a principal who is visible at extracurricular events (both athletic and non-athletic) and supports all members within my school. Being visible shows people that you know what is going on and that you are willing to talk, socialize, and listen to concerns.
Whether it be a Professional Learning Community, inservice, an email, a website or Facebook post, etc. positive communication is the key to success. Secondly, knowing what type of information should passed over these various types media is necessary to limit confusion and misunderstanding. I will encourage face-to-face and verbal communication with parents, and limit digital communication (other than informational).
Working with your parents and community is essential for success. Within two of my artifacts, I mentioned that I actively sought out community members and received their input. In the technology initiative, I learned that having the community fully understand the intent and purpose of technology was integral in the success of the initiative. Secondly, when I planned the open house, I made sure that the event fit the needs of both the school/teachers and the community/parents. I know there is room for improvements for each, but for first time overall success, I truly feel that listening to others’ ideas and opinions were extremely important. I also understand that I need to have the “people of importance” support my school efforts. These could include local business owners, churches, or clubs. Working together and helping each other is so important for outreach and success of a school.
Our school just failed in referendum. I truly feel that the only reason the referendum failed was due to the lack of communication. I understanding that many voters do not have direct ties to the school, and they need to be convinced to support the referendum. Secondly, the school board did not actively search out these “people of power” in the community and ask for their help/support. These individuals did not necessarily disagree with the referendum, but many of them took it personally. When they were not given the opportunity to voice their opinions about the referendum, they convinced others that the referendum was not a good idea as it was currently planned. Even though this was not entirely true, the voices of these individuals resonated across the community, and thus the referendum failed.
Ethics
Understanding the culture of your school is so important in decision making. After attending a Conference Principal Meeting, I quickly understood that what works in one school many not work in others. Knowing the rituals and history of your school help the principal predict the future and/also changes that needs to be made to ensure a successful future. Understanding your school’s past also makes it very clear what rituals should be kept and celebrated.
I also understand that consistency is very important. I remember a sign in my seventh grade science teacher’s classroom. It stated, “I say what I mean, mean what I say, and do what I say I’ll do.” I didn’t know this then, but saying what you mean, and then actually following through is extremely important. This builds respect and integrity. Overall, I know I need to make good decisions that are supported by evidence or data, and I need to stick with my decisions. If I have made a poor decision, I also understand the need to take ownership, explain that I had made a mistake, and try to correct the situation and learn from the experience. I also have learned that principals need to be very clear on where they stand on certain issues. If the principal wants to start an anti-swearing initiative, they need to be very clear that all teachers will follow procedures and be consistent with each other. If a staff member is not abiding by the anti-swearing initiative, then he or she will be held accountable. On the other hand, staff must understand that equal is not fair and the context of the situation and those involved might affect the decision making process. One item that we have dealt with at my current school is, “professional dress.” Professional dress for a physical education teacher is much different than a science, English, or technical education teacher. In this situation, the context of fair is more important than equal.
When it comes to ethical judgements of evaluations, I feel that most of it should be “clear cut.” Focus on the behaviors, not the person, and always do it appropriately. Holding people accountable is a way that others understand that they cannot make the same as their peers. Also, the same mistakes made over and over again will not be tolerated. I do not want to be known as a “pushover” or a “tyrant,” but someone who has a clear vision of what he is trying to accomplish. I will expect the same of my staff and help them through the improvement and the development of their skills.
Final Considerations
Knowing when to lead with the head, heart, and hand is extremely important. I remember Larry Lewis telling us that sometimes there is a need to raise your voice when disciplining, and other times you need to hug, reach out a hand, and cry. I also remember Bradd Stucky telling us that sometimes you need to make decisions that follow policy, and other times you need to make decisions that are best for the school/individual/group. A balance of these three is extremely important; it shows your staff that you are intelligent, caring, and helpful.
The biggest thing that I have learned through this process is to have a clear vision and see the big picture. Having others understand what they are trying to do and knowing what the end result should look like provides not only a path for understanding but focus. Many times staff members want things that benefit themselves, without understanding how it could hurt or harm others. When needed, I will make this decision myself; however, consulting others, voting democratically, or having a good discussion is also important in the decision-making process. Knowing when to ask for help on big issues is extremely important. Ultimately, make decisions that will benefit the majority and support your mission and vision.