Educational and Leadership Philosophy
Success for All
There is no better motivator and booster to morale than accomplishing ambitious goals. This idea, so self-evident, is sometimes lost within the complex demands of schooling, yet it must be maintained as the focus; furthermore, building a genuine cohesive learning community depends on being able to share in the sense of accomplishment that comes from helping all students find success. A mentor of mine once acknowledged that significant time must be spent developing clarity around the work so that, as he states, there is “unanimity of purpose.” Within the drive to improve, there must also be room to learn from mistakes and to avoid the notion that constant perfection is the best path. Administrators, teachers, and students can reflect on their progress together and celebrate the accomplishments that arise from being engaged and sharing a sense of purpose.
Leadership
Great leadership entails self-awareness, courage, and intention; it inspires others to lead, and creates the realization of a shared vision. Effective leaders find the delicate balance of being a listener while maintaining the ability to be authoritative. As a new leader, it is critical to build productive relationships with key stakeholders, assess existing resources, and build consensus on points for needed reform and tuning. The empowerment of others creates distributed leadership. It is important to view all stakeholders as leaders, and to find innovative ways to let even the most reserved members have their ideas heard during debates and planning. There should be articulated systems for decision making that include appropriate voices. Dynamic growth oriented energy is fostered by recognizing the contributions of teachers, students, and families. Good leadership lays the foundations for success by thinking systemically and developing organizational capacity for sustainability.
Focus on Learning
Maintaining a focus on student learning as the bottom line leads to effective learning communities. Leaders help develop clarity about the work that will allow each student to succeed. They use data and a careful synthesis of ideas to create understanding. Leaders model best practice and encourage creativity by establishing an environment where continuous learning and reflective practice is the norm. They have high expectations, and support the collaboration of teaching teams in order to create a purposeful and interconnected curriculum. Leaders guide a shared vision through deliberate decision-making, and build community through the satisfaction of knowing school-wide achievement goals have been accomplished.
Relationships
Building team spirit and a community of trust is the only way to ensure that hard work and enthusiasm are sustained. Forging relationships takes time, but it is vital to creating a culture of educational risk taking based on thoughtful planning. Maintaining such relationships requires care and sincerity. Leaders must be willing to listen and show that they can learn from their own mistakes. Relationships should extend to students, their families, and the community that the school serves. Leaders can make connections by being visible and involved. An alert and open mind will facilitate leaders in gaining the confidence needed to move a school forward.
There is no better motivator and booster to morale than accomplishing ambitious goals. This idea, so self-evident, is sometimes lost within the complex demands of schooling, yet it must be maintained as the focus; furthermore, building a genuine cohesive learning community depends on being able to share in the sense of accomplishment that comes from helping all students find success. A mentor of mine once acknowledged that significant time must be spent developing clarity around the work so that, as he states, there is “unanimity of purpose.” Within the drive to improve, there must also be room to learn from mistakes and to avoid the notion that constant perfection is the best path. Administrators, teachers, and students can reflect on their progress together and celebrate the accomplishments that arise from being engaged and sharing a sense of purpose.
Leadership
Great leadership entails self-awareness, courage, and intention; it inspires others to lead, and creates the realization of a shared vision. Effective leaders find the delicate balance of being a listener while maintaining the ability to be authoritative. As a new leader, it is critical to build productive relationships with key stakeholders, assess existing resources, and build consensus on points for needed reform and tuning. The empowerment of others creates distributed leadership. It is important to view all stakeholders as leaders, and to find innovative ways to let even the most reserved members have their ideas heard during debates and planning. There should be articulated systems for decision making that include appropriate voices. Dynamic growth oriented energy is fostered by recognizing the contributions of teachers, students, and families. Good leadership lays the foundations for success by thinking systemically and developing organizational capacity for sustainability.
Focus on Learning
Maintaining a focus on student learning as the bottom line leads to effective learning communities. Leaders help develop clarity about the work that will allow each student to succeed. They use data and a careful synthesis of ideas to create understanding. Leaders model best practice and encourage creativity by establishing an environment where continuous learning and reflective practice is the norm. They have high expectations, and support the collaboration of teaching teams in order to create a purposeful and interconnected curriculum. Leaders guide a shared vision through deliberate decision-making, and build community through the satisfaction of knowing school-wide achievement goals have been accomplished.
Relationships
Building team spirit and a community of trust is the only way to ensure that hard work and enthusiasm are sustained. Forging relationships takes time, but it is vital to creating a culture of educational risk taking based on thoughtful planning. Maintaining such relationships requires care and sincerity. Leaders must be willing to listen and show that they can learn from their own mistakes. Relationships should extend to students, their families, and the community that the school serves. Leaders can make connections by being visible and involved. An alert and open mind will facilitate leaders in gaining the confidence needed to move a school forward.