Using a Framework to Look Toward the New Year

Alas, another year has come and gone and it has done so very quickly I might add. So far this year, I have been a graduate student, an administrative intern, an adjunct professor at local university, a teacher on special assignment as an administrator, and an assistant principal in a district that I have loved for fourteen years, and finally I became the principal of a UPK program as well as the Director of Curriculum and Instruction in a new district altogether. As one year ends and a new one begins most of us find ourselves thinking of new goals and ways in which we can identify and implement them. Whether these goals be personal or professional, or a combination of both, establishing goals and effective ways in which to reach them within a set time frame requires a great deal of personal reflection and strategic planning.

Reflection is hard work because it requires us to really look honestly and deeply at ourselves and our practices. Many do it when they have a minute or when they exercise, take a walk, mow the lawn, etc. One of things I like best about being a writer at heart and my connection to the web 2.0 world is that it has helped me to reflect in a much more powerful and lasting way-- in writing. I did weekly as a classroom teacher and I still do it weekly as an adminstrator. Sometimes it's not easy to find the time, but the professional growth I experience as a result is well worth it.

When we reflect, we must examine our personal strengths and weaknesses as well as things that we have accomplished and done well and things that we know or wish we could have done better, while all the while keeping in mind what is at the heart of all we do as educators and educational leaders, the students we serve. The number of students we directly affect varies according to our particular assignments, but the important thing to remember is that the social, emotional, and academic growth of our students is at the heart of all that we do. That being said, the first questions we should be asking ourselves when we reflect on the year that has passed are: How well did I serve my students? How do I know I was successful at serving them? What data can I reference to show that I have done my job well and have helped students to grow?

Other questions I'm considering in my dual roles are: How effective am I as a leader? How well am I supporting teachers and encouraging them to grow in their practices? In what ways am I modeling for teachers the practices and habits I feel support student achievement? What kind of data can I reference to prove my effectiveness?

Heavy stuff, huh? As I said, reflection is hard work because it requires us to be honest with ourselves. I'm going to start here, with these questions, and from there, identify some areas of improvement for the coming year. I will use a SMART goal format and document it all so that I can reflect on my progress at identified intervals throughout the year. In the best interest of the students and teachers I serve, I hope this is a successful year for all of us!

Happy New Year to you and yours! May you, too, find time to reflect on the passing year and have a happy, healthy, and successful 2009.

Leading With Heart

Why is it that so many school leaders or administrators are viewed as being far removed from the classroom and children? If you ask the teachers "in the trenches," many have the perspective that administrators have long forgotten what it is like to be in a real classroom with kids. Sadly, administrators are viewed as being leaders who are not grounded in what is the true reality of teaching kids in today's world. Whether they seem to impose impossible goals and objectives for teaching learners who are far different from those of ten or even five years ago, or they are seen as the omniscient voice who imposes regulations from a lofty existence, many leaders are viewed by both teachers and students alike as people who have no idea what it is like to be a student in today's world.

Faye Wattleton, the first African American and youngest president of Planned Parenthood, once said, "Whoever is providing leadership needs to be as fresh and thoughtful and reflective as possible to make the very best fight." This is an important aspect to address in regards to educational leadership today as, in schools, many leaders are so occupied with the immediacy of things that take place on a daily basis that they have little time to devote to true leadership. Sadly, the nature of educational leadership, especially for those in building leader positions, is often occupied with "putting out fires" or managing crises that arise at any given moment.

However, the recent focus in educational leadership is for those in building and in district office positions to become instructional leaders. Lord knows that instructional leaders are what is needed in schools today, but finding and managing the time to devote to being a true instructional leader is something that many administrators, including myself, struggle with on a daily basis. How does one find that balance in being a manager of operations and being an inspirational and effective leader?

A friend and educational leader from Western New York, Theresa Gray, has written a recent post that is very provocative which addresses this concept of leadership being a difficult balance between leader, manager, and mentor. It is this balance that I struggle with each and every day in my new position. I need to manage the curriculum, departments, and grade levels among several buildings while building relationships with school administrators and teachers along the way. I must inspire all staff and leaders to reflect on their practices and help them to find new ways to be open and willing to learn new approaches that will challenge the status quo in order to improve student engagement and achievement. I must find ways to help others see the value in analyzing data to improve daily classroom practices in effective ways that result in real world applications for kids who can see the relevance of their classroom learning that applies to their own lives.

Why is that most teachers, parents, and, sadly, our students think that educational leaders have forgotten that what we do is ultimately about kids? How can leaders like myself impress upon teachers, parents, and students that we have not forgotten that what we do is in the best interest of our students? I vow to work to re-establish this ideal in the minds and hearts of those I serve...the teachers, the parents, and most especially the students. Albus Dumbledore said in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, "A child's voice, however honest and true, is meaningless to those who have forgotten how to listen." Well, it is high time we started listening to children and begin to identify their needs and meaningful ways to address them. My New Year's Resolution is to listen more closely to children, parents, and teachers in an effort to understand their needs as learners and how to serve them best.