After reading the description of McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y provided in our readings, I realized that my attitude towards leadership is definitely Theory Y. Theory Y leaders believe that committed employees can be self-directed and self-motivated to achieve organizational objectives when they are given responsibility and allowed to use creativity to solve organizational problems. In contrast, Theory X leaders assume that employees are lazy and need to be directed and coerced to achieve organizational objectives. As a current teacher and future administrator, I believe teachers will be more motivated to achieve organizational objectives under Theory Y leadership. Theory X leadership is synonymous with control, not motivation.
In my current capacity as a teacher, I value the personal challenge of helping my students learn and I am self-directed and motivated to find new and creative ways of doing so. I believe most teachers are well-educated individuals who have demonstrated a certain amount of self-direction by completing their college degree. As teachers mature professionally, they gain competency in curriculum and instructional approaches. I believe that teachers who have demonstrated professional competency and the ability to be self-directed will perform best under Theory Y leadership. On occasion, I may have to direct some teachers who have not yet achieved professional competency, but my goal will be to move these teachers towards self-direction. Based on my interactions with other teachers, I assume most teachers also prefer Theory Y leadership to Theory X leadership. As an administrator, I will use a Theory Y leadership approach to empower, motivate, and challenge teachers to achieve organizational objectives.
EDUL 6014
Shared Governance in Schools
A sample of some of my reflections from course EDUL 6014 on the concept of shared governance:
Shared governance is a leadership approach based on teacher empowerment and teacher involvement in decision making (Blase & Blase, 2001). Teacher empowerment is the essential first step towards shared governance. To empower teachers, it is essential that principals gain the trust of teachers and support teacher growth (Blase & Blase, 2001). As a future school leader, my first administrative efforts will be focused on achieving a “degree of readiness” for shared decision making in my school (Blase & Blase, 2001). I will establish the framework for teacher empowerment in my school by demonstrating leadership behaviors that promote trust and encourage self-direction in professional development. My personal reflections will focus on how my time as an administrator will be spent promoting trust and supporting teacher growth for the purpose of teacher empowerment.
As an aspiring administrator, I want my teachers to have a sense of empowerment and involvement in all aspects of school. To encourage teacher empowerment, I must build organizational trust so that teachers can communicate effectively and make decisions together that benefit students. To establish trust, I will let my teachers and staff know that they are respected, valued, and considered knowledgeable in their particular fields. As an administrator, I believe it will be my job to model effective interpersonal communication techniques to my teachers and staff. I want to spend time each day talking and encouraging people. In my daily interactions with teachers and staff, I must be aware that my position power as an administrator may intimidate some teachers. To overcome this barrier to communication, I must be open, supportive, and accepting of others. I will seek to gain understanding when communicating by using active listening skills, checking for meaning, and expressing my thoughts in non-threatening ways.
I want to be seen as a supporter and colleague rather than a manager of teacher behavior. I will encourage teachers to try new things and to not be fearful of failure. I will promote cooperation by encouraging teamwork between individuals and groups. I will engage in dialogue with teachers daily as we work together to create a shared vision for the school and develop a plan for school improvement. By working collaboratively with teachers, I hope to create an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust that will facilitate shared decision making.
References
Blase, J., & Blase, J. (2001). Empowering teachers: What successful principals do (2nd ed.).
Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
EDUL 6015
Total Quality Management in Schools
Assignment 5 from course EDUL 6015.
Directions:
You have been asked by your principal to develop a plan to implement a shared governance model in your school based on Deming's Fourteen Principles. Using the Plan, Do, Check, Act, (PDCA) cycle, develop an implementation plan. Include who would be involved in each of the four phases of the PDCA cycle. Your answer should be in outline form.
Implementation of a shared governance model in my school based on Deming’s fourteen principles
I. Plan
A. Conduct a faculty/staff meeting to communicate the shared governance model for ongoing schoolwide change.
1. Present constancy of purpose (Deming Point #1), new philosophy (Deming Point #2), and idea of continuous improvement (Deming Point #5) to all faculty and staff.
• “We will implement a shared governance model in our school to drive our efforts towards continuous school improvement”.
2. Establish premises of the shared governance model with all faculty/staff through the following training topics: (Deming Point #6).
• “Involvement in schoolwide change decision-making is open to all faculty/staff”.
• “Faculty/staff members can choose not to be involved in schoolwide change decision-making”.
• “After decisions are made regarding schoolwide change, all faculty/staff must help implement the decisions made”.
3. Establish principles of the shared governance model with all faculty/staff through the following training topics: (Deming Point #6).
• “Each person represents one vote regardless of title”.
• “Decision-making will focus on changes within the scope of our school”.
• “Shared governance will exist through the establishment small groups of teams” (Break down barriers between staff. Deming Point #9).
4. Establish other goals of the shared governance model with all faculty/ staff through the following training topics: (Deming Point #6).
• “To focus on improving the educational processes and operations of the school and remove barriers to school improvement” (Deming Point #3 and Deming Point #12).
• “To base decisions on improving quality rather than simply cost-effectiveness” (Deming Point #4).
• “To establish teams of school employees who will have a voice in decision-making” (Drive out fear. Deming Point #8).
• “To institute leadership by creating an organization which encourages employee participation in the school improvement decision-making process” (Institute leadership. Deming Point #7).
• ‘To allow school personnel to set their own goals for school improvement” (Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the workforce. Deming Point # 10) (Eliminate numerical quotas. Deming Point #11).
• “To institute training on teamwork and continuous improvement as an ongoing process” (Deming Point #13).
II. Do
A. Implement the improvement plan by establishing three groups of teams.
1. Organize faculty/staff who want to participate in the decision making process into site liaison teams by random assignment.
• Liaison teams will consist of teachers, staff, and one executive council representative.
• Liaison teams will elect one member of team to serve as an executive council team member.
• Liaison teams will have between seven and eight members.
• Liaison teams give voice to faculty/staff ideas and opinions about school improvement.
2. Organize executive council team based on liaison team appointments.
• The executive council team will consist of appointed liaison team leaders and all school administrators (7 to 11 members).
• The executive council will monitor and approve school improvement suggestions.
3. Organize task force teams of volunteers to address topics of schoolwide improvement as necessary.
• Each task force will consist of seven to eight faculty/staff members who have a specialized interest in a particular topic of school improvement.
• When formed, task forces will research school improvement suggestions and make recommendations to the executive council after researching the suggestion.
B. Based on liaison team input, select one major topic of school improvement to test the shared governance process.
1. All liaison teams will meet to discuss specific school improvement recommendations for the executive council to consider.
2, All liaison team leaders present their liaison team’s school improvement recommendations in the executive council meeting.
3. The executive council will organize a task force of volunteers to research one major school improvement recommendation.
4. The task force will research the major school improvement suggestion and make recommendations to the executive council after research has concluded.
5. The executive council will discuss the task force team’s recommendation and receive input from liaison teams.
6. After receiving input from all liaison teams, the executive council will decide whether or not to implement the school improvement suggestion.
7. If the executive council chooses to implement the suggestion, it will implement the plan and announce acceptance of new school improvement strategy to the entire school.
8. New school improvement strategy will be implemented schoolwide.
III. Check
A. Evaluate the results of the improvement
1. The executive council will monitor and collect data on the implementation of the new school improvement strategy.
2. Based on the data collected, the executive council will evaluate if the new school improvement strategy is achieving desired results.
IV. Act
A. If the new approach is successful, the new school improvement strategy becomes a normal part of the educational strategy used in the school (Take action to accomplish the transformation. Deming Point #14). The executive council will continue to monitor the school improvement strategy.
B. If the new approach is deemed unsuccessful by the executive council, the new school improvement strategy is sent back to the “Do” stage of the PDCA cycle.
C. Repeat shared governance process as part of school’s continuous improvement efforts.
EDUL 6016
School Personnel Selection and Evaluation
Assignment 2 from course EDUL 6016.
Directions:
Assume that you are an assistant principal and that you have been assigned the task of developing a mentoring program for your school. Begin by stating the rationale you have for initiating the program, then identify and explain the criteria you will use to select the mentors.
Rationale: Teacher attrition is a major problem in education. Statistics show that approximately half of all teachers leave the occupation with five or less years of experience. Schools spend a considerable amount of time interviewing and selecting the best candidates available for teaching positions, yet little time is devoted to helping new teachers develop the skills they will need to realize their potential once they are placed on the job. Teaching in today’s educational environment of accountability is demanding and new teachers are expected to perform at a high level at the beginning of their employment. We want to help our new teachers overcome the numerous obstacles and challenges they will face during the first few years of employment so that they may develop into quality teachers. We want our new teachers to clearly understand what is expected of them. Some common areas of concern for new teachers are: classroom management, teaching strategies, student evaluation, orientation to the school, and special needs students. To address the needs of new teachers, we have developed a mentorship program to help them develop their skills through experience and interactions with a skilled mentor teacher. Our goal is to hire the best teachers available, develop their skills through mentorship, and retain them for a long period of time.
Mentor Selection Criteria: The following criteria will be used to select effective mentors for new teachers in our school on a case-by-case basis.
1. Experience- To serve as a mentor, a teacher must have a minimum of six years of teaching experience at our school.
• We selected six years as a minimum experience level because teachers at this stage in their career have significant experience in the classroom and knowledge of school policies and procedures. Also, a teacher with six years of experience has made it past the five year teacher attrition mark. Six years of experience may seem minimal to some, but we believe that in some cases teachers with six years of experience may be better able to relate to new teachers than more experienced, veteran teachers. Memories of being a first year teacher are still fresh in the mind of a six year veteran teacher.
2. Recognition by department chair and administration- To serve as a mentor, a teacher must be recognized as a competent teacher and a good mentor candidate by both school administration and the chair of his or her department.
• At our school, department chairs conduct meetings with teachers in their department and engage in various collaborative efforts to improve instructional outcomes. Through this process, department leaders can identify mentor candidates that best demonstrate the qualities of an effective teacher for their particular subject matter. Department chairs will also give insight into a mentor candidate’s particular strengths and weaknesses. For example, a department chair may take note of a mentor candidate’s professionalism or their ability to easily relate to other adults in a work setting.
• Administrators are the instructional leaders of the school. When performing teacher evaluations, administrators should take note of teachers who demonstrate the characteristics of an effective teacher in the context of our particular school.
3. Willingness to mentor- To serve as a mentor, a teacher must be enthusiastic about participating in the mentor program and willing to receive mentor training.
• This is a key factor. We do not want to force teachers to participate in the program. Mentoring a new teacher will include additional job duties and the mentor must have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. Our mentor teachers must embrace the idea of helping a new teacher learn to be successful and willingly accept the responsibilities of mentorship. Mentor teachers must have a positive attitude for the program to be a success.
4. Content Match- To serve as a mentor, a teacher must have a similar teaching assignment or past experience working with the content area in which the new teacher will be placed.
• A mentor teacher needs to know and have experience with the expectations of the new teacher’s teaching assignment. Although a perfect match of content areas will not always possible, we will strive to place new teachers with mentors who have experience with their assigned subject area.
EDUL 6017
School Staff Development
A sample of some of my reflections from course EDUL 6017.
One critical insight I have learned from this class is the importance of collaboration in a learning community. By collaborating in groups, teachers can engage in staff development activities on a regular basis. Collaborative groups share information and learn from each other how to improve instructional strategies and outcomes for students. Collaboration also teaches staff members to trust each other and puts the focus squarely on school improvement. Collaboration supports teamwork, mentoring, and a sense of belonging to a school community. As a future administrator, I will encourage teachers to collaborate by subject area and identify staff development needs together. To promote open communication throughout the school, I will also encourage collaborative groups to share their practices with the entire learning community.
Another critical insight I have learned is the importance of shared leadership. Shared leadership requires administrators to involve staff members in the creation of the school mission and vision. Once these common ideals and goals are established, staff in the learning community will begin to take ownership of their own professional development. In a learning community with shared leadership, teachers work together to determine their staff development needs and develop strategies for school improvement. As a future administrator, I will work hard to promote the school vision and encourage teacher ownership of professional development.
A third critical insight I have gained is knowledge of the characteristics of a good professional development program. Good professional development must always be linked to curriculum standards and focused on improving outcomes for students. In a learning community, professional development will be collaborative, job-embedded, school-based, and continuous. As adult learners, teachers have the need to be self-directed and prefer staff development that is directly applicable to their work. As an administrator, I will encourage teachers to take an active role in planning, monitoring, and evaluating their own professional development.
EDUL 6019
Techniques for Teacher Observation
An abbreviated sample of some of my work from Clinical Cycle One and reflections.
Pre-conference
In the pre-conference, Veteran Teacher expressed that she was interested in the instructional issue of leading students to engage in higher-level thinking. She suggested that I observe her encouraging critical thinking in her class. We agreed that the observation would focus on the use of the following strategies to encourage critical thinking: 1) group discussions by posing questions, and 2) pairing students into small, collaborative pairs. We decided that data would be collected using a detached open-ended narrative.
Observation
I conducted a 40 minute observation of a class with 16 students. First, Veteran Teacher used a combination of lecture, demonstration, and group discussion to present the information to students. Veteran Teacher introduced the material to students and used both open-ended and closed-ended questions to encourage students to be involved in the class discussion. Next, students were partnered in small, collaborative pairs to discuss, reflect, and provide written examples of lesson’s focus as it related to three sports they enjoyed. After that, students shared examples with the class. Veteran Teacher elaborated on student examples and asked questions to encourage additional critical thinking.
Post-conference
I analyzed the data collected by preparing a short summary report of what I observed. A copy of the summary report was given to Veteran Teacher for her to review before the post-conference. My strategy was to discuss the summary report of the observation with Veteran Teacher and use nondirective leadership behaviors to encourage her to interpret the data and identify her own instructional improvement goals. At the post-conference, we used the summary report to generate discussion on different aspects of the lesson. For an instructional improvement opportunity, Veteran Teacher said she was satisfied with the lesson but for an additional lesson she would encourage higher levels of critical thinking by having students discuss more critical, difficult questions in a small group format. When asked about the value of the clinical cycle, she said the pre-conference was most valuable for her because it set the tone for the observation and encouraged her to prepare more than usual. She appreciated the detail of the summary report and said that all three stages of the clinical cycle would be very helpful for a new teacher.
From my perspective, I think the clinical cycle was a success. The pre-conference set the tone for the observation, the summary report of the observation accurately described behaviors that were observed during the observation, and I used nondirective behaviors during the post-conference to encourage Veteran Teacher to identify her own instructional improvement goals. As an administrator, I would strive to keep Veteran Teacher working at my school as long as possible. She is experienced, skilled, self-directed, and motivated. Most importantly, Veteran Teacher has a positive attitude towards helping students learn.
My Reflections
I learned many things from this class. Previously, I viewed teacher observation as a judgmental process that was used to make personnel decisions. I learned that teacher observation can also be a nonjudgmental process with the aim of helping teacher’s improve instruction and educational outcomes for students. As a future administrator and a natural optimist, I want to use observation as a tool to help teachers develop and succeed. I learned to focus on behaviors first during observation. I learned that teacher experience, skill, and motivation will determine the supervisory behaviors I will use with my teachers. I learned to focus on positive things first before discussing the critical aspects of instructional improvement. I learned that teachers are very receptive to nonjudgmental feedback that is focused on instructional improvement. As I gain experience as an administrator, I plan to improve by building on these experiences and further developing my interpersonal and leadership skills through practice.
EDUL 6032
Building School Culture
A sample of some of my reflections from course EDUL 6032 on the concept of school culture.