As a future leader, I never fully understood, until now, how much influence and power principals have on the lives of their students. You often hear that once you become a principal there is very little interaction with students and you lose that connection. However, as a leader, I will not lose the connection, but strengthen it and play a very important role in the educational process and its social significance to society.
In the last three years, there have been major changes in the way I view education and leadership. At first I wanted to become a principal because I had ideas and opinions of the way a school should work; and I was frustrated that I wasn’t being heard and that leadership in the building was stale. I began this program excited, nervous, and embraced the program whole-heartedly. It is because of these changes that I realize the importance of developing an Educational Platform which is built upon my core values, and is supported by the 6 ISLLC Standards.
As I learn more about the Standards for Educational Leadership, the more overlap I see between leadership, and teaching. The standards that support my Educational Platform and core values (belonging, competence, integrity) in regards to the vision and direction of the school community are ISLLC Standards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In order to create a “living vision” a school needs to create a mission that supports and models core values, and includes all the stakeholders. Including the stakeholders promotes a positive school culture and collaboration with families empowering all represented members of the school community.
Having a vision for a school is of little worth without an accompanying plan of action to guide progress; it's one thing to set the goal of raising test scores, but quite another to figure out exactly how that will happen. Before a vision is established, I would carry out a dialogue with all stakeholders to get a broad sense of the direction in which the collective group would like to go, and then work that into the plans for the school.
As a leader, I believe that through the many functions and purposes a school can serve, its leading purpose should be a learning environment in which all students belong, feel safe, and are afforded equal opportunity to grow and develop intellectually, physically, and emotionally, while maintaining integrity. To accomplish this, I believe that the students must be provided with the highest quality materials, facilities, and personnel. It will be my job as the principal to figure out how to overcome obstacles, such as budget limitations, and local politics, to meet these goals.
Educational leaders must learn to navigate the system in order to provide their students and staff with the highest quality educational environment. Standard 2 supports this philosophy most directly. The promotion of a positive school culture , boosts confidence (and, presumably, performance) among students and staff alike, while an effective instructional program and use of best practices ensures that the students will be receiving the most current and effective instructional strategies. As a leader who is devoted to education of my students, I will also be devoted to the education of my faculty and staff. Standard 2 encourages educational leaders not only to allow for professional development, but also to actively seek out and implement such opportunities, as well as to provide constructive feedback in the evaluation process.
Students can have the most highly qualified instructors, the most current educational technology, and the most beautiful facilities available to them, but without a sense of belonging and security, students will struggle to succeed. Establishing a safe learning environment is crucial on two levels: a student cannot learn while fearing for his physical safety, and high-achieving students do so best in an environment of academic or intellectual security. By this, I don't mean that everyone must agree and no challenges ever take place; rather, students must feel safe taking academic risks, asking questions, and engaging in discussion without fearing ridicule, either from peers or from instructors. The best way I can see to move toward this goal is to establish and reinforce a strong sense of community among faculty, staff, and students.
Standard 2 speaks strongly to the need for school leaders to actively support professional development initiatives for school personnel. This could mean seeking out relevant opportunities for staff, approving leave time to attend workshops, or paying for registration costs. Encouraging teachers to think about how they teach and what they could do better or differently can only benefit the organization, creating a culture of collaboration, examination, and openness of ideas.
Educators who wish to cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers take this same approach. The connection between administrator and learning style comes when we examine the relationship between administrator and teacher: when leadership theory is put into practice, educators change their actions to follow suit. In that sense, ideally, a more community-based management style creates more critical thinking in the classroom which can only benefit the learning process. This speaks not only to Standard 1 but also to Standard 2 & 5, which is the promotion of a positive school culture and fair action with the intent of helping all students succeed.
As a leader, I believe, rather than choose one set style of management at all times, it is important to have the ability to change leadership styles dependent upon the situation at hand. The ability to plan, act, and react encourages me to engage in different combinations of behavior depending on the situation and those involved. Standard 4 emphasizes the positive relationships a school leader can develop between the school and the community, as well as within the building. When these relational values are tested with the managerial practices in Standard 3 and put to practice to achieve my vision to keep the school moving forward, it is less likely I will see resistance. Resistance will always be there, but if the relationships are nurtured and maintained, I will have a better chance directing my school.
In the last three years, there have been major changes in the way I view education and leadership. At first I wanted to become a principal because I had ideas and opinions of the way a school should work; and I was frustrated that I wasn’t being heard and that leadership in the building was stale. I began this program excited, nervous, and embraced the program whole-heartedly. It is because of these changes that I realize the importance of developing an Educational Platform which is built upon my core values, and is supported by the 6 ISLLC Standards.
As I learn more about the Standards for Educational Leadership, the more overlap I see between leadership, and teaching. The standards that support my Educational Platform and core values (belonging, competence, integrity) in regards to the vision and direction of the school community are ISLLC Standards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. In order to create a “living vision” a school needs to create a mission that supports and models core values, and includes all the stakeholders. Including the stakeholders promotes a positive school culture and collaboration with families empowering all represented members of the school community.
Having a vision for a school is of little worth without an accompanying plan of action to guide progress; it's one thing to set the goal of raising test scores, but quite another to figure out exactly how that will happen. Before a vision is established, I would carry out a dialogue with all stakeholders to get a broad sense of the direction in which the collective group would like to go, and then work that into the plans for the school.
As a leader, I believe that through the many functions and purposes a school can serve, its leading purpose should be a learning environment in which all students belong, feel safe, and are afforded equal opportunity to grow and develop intellectually, physically, and emotionally, while maintaining integrity. To accomplish this, I believe that the students must be provided with the highest quality materials, facilities, and personnel. It will be my job as the principal to figure out how to overcome obstacles, such as budget limitations, and local politics, to meet these goals.
Educational leaders must learn to navigate the system in order to provide their students and staff with the highest quality educational environment. Standard 2 supports this philosophy most directly. The promotion of a positive school culture , boosts confidence (and, presumably, performance) among students and staff alike, while an effective instructional program and use of best practices ensures that the students will be receiving the most current and effective instructional strategies. As a leader who is devoted to education of my students, I will also be devoted to the education of my faculty and staff. Standard 2 encourages educational leaders not only to allow for professional development, but also to actively seek out and implement such opportunities, as well as to provide constructive feedback in the evaluation process.
Students can have the most highly qualified instructors, the most current educational technology, and the most beautiful facilities available to them, but without a sense of belonging and security, students will struggle to succeed. Establishing a safe learning environment is crucial on two levels: a student cannot learn while fearing for his physical safety, and high-achieving students do so best in an environment of academic or intellectual security. By this, I don't mean that everyone must agree and no challenges ever take place; rather, students must feel safe taking academic risks, asking questions, and engaging in discussion without fearing ridicule, either from peers or from instructors. The best way I can see to move toward this goal is to establish and reinforce a strong sense of community among faculty, staff, and students.
Standard 2 speaks strongly to the need for school leaders to actively support professional development initiatives for school personnel. This could mean seeking out relevant opportunities for staff, approving leave time to attend workshops, or paying for registration costs. Encouraging teachers to think about how they teach and what they could do better or differently can only benefit the organization, creating a culture of collaboration, examination, and openness of ideas.
Educators who wish to cultivate the next generation of critical thinkers take this same approach. The connection between administrator and learning style comes when we examine the relationship between administrator and teacher: when leadership theory is put into practice, educators change their actions to follow suit. In that sense, ideally, a more community-based management style creates more critical thinking in the classroom which can only benefit the learning process. This speaks not only to Standard 1 but also to Standard 2 & 5, which is the promotion of a positive school culture and fair action with the intent of helping all students succeed.
As a leader, I believe, rather than choose one set style of management at all times, it is important to have the ability to change leadership styles dependent upon the situation at hand. The ability to plan, act, and react encourages me to engage in different combinations of behavior depending on the situation and those involved. Standard 4 emphasizes the positive relationships a school leader can develop between the school and the community, as well as within the building. When these relational values are tested with the managerial practices in Standard 3 and put to practice to achieve my vision to keep the school moving forward, it is less likely I will see resistance. Resistance will always be there, but if the relationships are nurtured and maintained, I will have a better chance directing my school.
Education Platform
Nicole Rattay
Certified Business & Technology Educator
Certified Educational Leader
Certified Business & Technology Educator
Certified Educational Leader