How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader is the first book that I've read about leadership in schools. There are lots of books on leadership in general, but I haven't seem many about leadership in schools. Many elements of leadership are the same no matter what environment you're in, but schools are a unique environment.
Leadership is largely about people skills. The author relayed a story where a leader attempted to solve problems immediately instead of thinking carefully. As a result, the leader portrayed an image of not considering teammates thoughts or alternative solutions. I've been very guilty of the same thing. Early in my career I thought solving problems immediately was the right thing to do. Solving problems quickly - isn't that what leaders do? I've learned that most situations don't need to addressed immediately. It generally bodes well to consider alternative solutions and if appropriate, consult multiple perspectives, and then make a decision.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
CED 565 Week 2
What can I say - I love data! I love to collect it and look at it in many different ways. Still, data is only valuable if it's being used to help kids. We should never lose sight that children aren't numbers. Data should be used for their direct benefit.
Our district is working hard to put more data in the hands of teachers. Our district hasn't always had a strong data culture. The conversation has begun to turn. I'm now having more frequent conversations with administration to co-ordinate the integration of data into our culture.
Our district is working hard to put more data in the hands of teachers. Our district hasn't always had a strong data culture. The conversation has begun to turn. I'm now having more frequent conversations with administration to co-ordinate the integration of data into our culture.
Friday, May 14, 2010
CED 565 Week 1
Leadership in my position can be varied. I'm currently the Data Manager for my school district. When I came into the position, I discovered that we were duplicating data entry and people weren't able to obtain the student data that they needed in order to accomplish their daily tasks. Access to student data was kept under very tight control and people had to constantly go to a select few people to get what they needed. I carefully reviewed what needed to be under tight control and what didn't. I strongly believe in building capacity in others. So I give up control of what I can and support others in learning how to make their own tasks easier.
Sometimes we find that our student information system and grade books don't have all the functionality that we need. I often have to look 6 months to a year into the future to obtain the functionality. I use my strong relationship with the company that makes the software to get what we need. This often involves visiting the company and working with higher level executives. The administration and teachers don't often see the results until a year later. In order to obtain what our teachers and administrators need, and avoid paying for it, I have to be very persistent and work well with others.
Sometimes we find that our student information system and grade books don't have all the functionality that we need. I often have to look 6 months to a year into the future to obtain the functionality. I use my strong relationship with the company that makes the software to get what we need. This often involves visiting the company and working with higher level executives. The administration and teachers don't often see the results until a year later. In order to obtain what our teachers and administrators need, and avoid paying for it, I have to be very persistent and work well with others.
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