Reflection #1
EDA 505
Reflection #1
While preparing for our first class by completing the readings, I found myself agreeing with and making connections to many of the concepts being discussed. While self-reflecting on my experiences along with my educational practices, those exhibited by my colleagues, and the overall school community, I came to the harsh realization that we are not as amazing as everyone thinks. !! Dr. Hawkins hit the nail on the head for me when discussing the gap that exists between what people say they do and the actions that actually transpire on a day-to-day basis. Of course, the espoused theory states, “sure, we are a professional learning community,” and “of course we are the primary reason why our students perform well on standardized tests.” However, when examining the theory in use through a different lens, I cannot help but ask myself, “Aare we, though?” I know that most teachers I work with definitely work hard and do the best that they can to support the students sitting in front of them every day, and I truly believe all teachers want to be great, but perhaps they are not being set up for greatness. We cannot confuse activity with results!!!!! This is where the role of leadership becomes more influential than ever. (ELCC 2.1, 2.2, 2.3).
One of Dr. Hawkins’ tattoos states that leaders are supposed to generate creative tension, rather than emotional tension. As he used the rubber band to demonstrate the type of tension we want, it became clear to me that strong, effective leaders help their staff move from where they are to where they want to be, and that tension can ultimately be relieved re-tuned once you are successful. Once the tension stops, everyone restsRazik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D., (2010) would argue that the best way to enhance the effectiveness of school leaders would be by helping them understand systems thinking. In fact, they go as far to say that, systems thinking hasthe potential to be a significant basis for current reforms in education(Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D., 2010). Currently, we have a system that sets our students up for failure. As discussed in the multi-text, systems typically tend toward openness or closeness(Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D., 2010), but we have to remember that our schools are extremely complex, open systems that are fluid and thus, should be forever changing.!!!! Unfortunately, schools here in the United States are not keeping up with the times and it is not only hurting our global standing, but more importantly, it is negatively impacting our students. It seems rather obvious that the goal of teaching in the 21st century should be to equip students with the skills and know-how to succeed in the 21st century, and yet, we continue to put our students at a disadvantage against their counterparts and against themselves by not preparing them for what lies ahead. (ELCC 1.1, 1.4, 6.1).
As Dr. Hawkins stated in class, it is important for us to understand that simply moving the trash, rather than actually taking it out, supports the inaccurate assumption that, adding or subtracting will not damage the larger picture (Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D., 2010). The text goes on to explain that a true systems thinker will anticipate such problems and stay ahead of them, rather than walking around like a firefighter, and simply putting out the flames. !!!! We need to figure out a way in which we can develop leaders that can actually assist in changing the systems, rather than trying to simply get by. Unfortunately, these types of leaders are few far and few far between, and we tend to experience a more top-down, “do it because I said so,” type of leadership. As discussed in the multi-text (Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D., 2010), the integrated model hold parents, teachers, students, and everyone accountable for success;therefore, making everyone a true stakeholder, as opposed to simply being compliant (which according to Dr. Hawkins’ tattoo), “never leads to greatness.” Until we change the way our leaders lead and the way our teachers teach, we will continue to do our students a massive disservice. (ELCC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, & 4.1).
In class, we learned that mental models about leadership are based on experiences; you are what you have experienced. Ones’ mental model is neither good or bad, it is simply the sum of every life experience you have ever had, and it is completely natural for people to develop these feelings and let them influence their decisions. However, as discussed in class, in order for us to enable growth, we have to break down the structural barriers that are restricting us. A strong leader makes a plan, everyone knows it, and is able to follow it. This is most successful when staff members are a part of the decision making process. Unfortunately, I have had plenty of experiences with administrators asking for input regarding topics such as upcoming professional development opportunities, resources the school would benefit from purchasing, and worthwhile inquiry topics, but ultimately, the boss has had the final say. According to Dr. Hawkins, leaders should not tell their staff what to do, but instead ask questions to show teachers that they are a valued member of the school, and while doing so, the administrator is still able to get their point across. Out of the three most important roles of leadership: design, teach, and steward, what I find most frustrating is when administrators are unable to actually teach their staff. I have dealt with countless administrators/supervisors who stay in their office all day, send memos dictating what they want done, and when they actually come into your classroom, they have no idea what is going on. To be an effective leader that helps their staff get better, no one is saying that you have to be an expert in all content areas, but leaders should be familiar with effective teaching strategies, theories, methods, and tools that can be used to support teachers and their students. (ELCC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 3.2, 6.2).
Regardless of the systems put in place, in order to be successful, leaders must foster a professional learning community (PLC). As discussed in the text, a PLC is not a verb; it is not something that you do, but rather, it is what you are !!!!(DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. E., 2008). In order to be a true PLC, there must be a shared mission, or purpose, a shared vision that reflects the path that will be taken to get there, shared values and shared goals (DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. E., 2008). As mentioned earlier, if you asked anyone at my school, they would probably tell you that we are a PLC, and follow it up by telling you that we do inquiry work every Thursday. However, I would argue that we do not have a collaborative staff, sharing one common goal. These teachers, competitive in nature, often hold back from sharing the great things they are doing in their class. They will say things like, “There is no way I am submitting this months’ newsletter; nobody looks at it.” Sure enough, they submit that newsletter the very next day. Oy How juvenille The same holds true for lesson plan formats, data submission, and many other factors. The problem is, although everyone wants to do well and wants to be seen as a “highly effective” teacher, they do not know exactly what is required. If we all had a shared vision and an agreed upon path for how we can get there, we would have more consistency and continuity throughout the school. Instead of having ownership over what goes on in the school, teachers simply “buy-in” to whatever they are being told to do, often times without any clear indication regarding why we are doing it. (ELCC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 2.3, 3.2).
Another issue that I see in my school that aligns with this weeks’ readings deals with the mental models and biases that many teachers have. Unfortunately, these biases do more harm than good, and create some form ofa handicap for the students who have been labeled and stigmatized throughout their schooling careers. Myths such as, “I have always done it this way, and I have been successful” (DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. E., 2008) and, “it is the parents fault; all they worry about is their kid wearing the newest pair of Jordan’s” only aid to distort the PLC concept.!! In my school, I have taught 4th grade “Gifted and Talented” for four years. Although I am skeptical of the fact that 50% of my current grade is in a G & T setting, I cannot deny the fact that I have some very intelligent, motivated, capable students. Therefore, I make sure to not forget about these students whom are thriving and have a true passion for learning, and do my best to keep them enriched and engaged. In order to do so, I do not give them “extra” worksheets or have them tutor a struggling peer, or do anything else that I deem as meaningless for them. When creating such assignments, I share this information with my colleagues with the hopes that they can use them to reach the students in their class who are too ready for a real challenge. When I do this, I am often greeted with, “my kids cannot do that,” and “my kids need me to show them how to do it,” and “exploratory learning is too much for my kids,” and “I do not have to give a pre-assessment; I know that they all need every math lesson.” Geez I see too many students with untapped potential, sitting and rotting in classrooms, not because they are lazy and unwilling, but because their teacher is; their teacher is not committed to continuous improvement and perpetual learning, a staple of a strong PLC(DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. E., 2008). I think it is disgraceful that students are not able to show themselves and others what they are capable of due to the fact that their teacher is scared to go off script and unable to deviate from the teachers’ guides. (ELCC 2.2, 2.3, 3.3).
As Dr. Hawkins contests, students should not be subject to biases, which are a result of being placed in categories and labeled with headings such as, special education, or ADHD, etc. Furthermore, we have to stop blaming external factors such as poverty, being an ELL, having ADHD, being a male, etc. as a justifiable excuse for setting low expectations. According to Dr. Hawkins, rather than having these factors impact our expectations, they should impact the strategies that we use to reach our kids and help them overcome these factors. Until everyone is held accountable and a systematic monitoring of student learning is in place with a committed group of educators sharing one goal, and “working collaboratively in ongoingprocesses of collective inquiry and action research to achieve better results for the students they serve,” (DuFour, R., DuFour, R., & Eaker, R. E., 2008), no school building will truly bea PLC (ELCC 1.3, 1.4, 5.1, 5.2).
As it is, education already has to deal with many outside factors that influence the way schools operate (Hanson, K. L., & Hanson, K. L., 2009). There is a major imbalance in U.S. schools; for example, there is inequity in the amount of money spent per child, inconsistencies in the ways teachers are trained and rated, different methodsof assessing student learning, and no agreed upon performance standards, to name a few (Hanson, K. L., & Hanson, K. L., 2009). This goes to show just how much we are affected by standard politics and local politics. Unfortunately, all of the factors listed above are currently out of our control, and everyone wonders why our school systems are failing. As Dr. Hawkins put it, there is something wrong with the design and yet, we are continuing to replicate this design and somehow expecting different results. Ultimately, the issue stems from replicating a system we created about two hundred years ago. Sir Ken Robinson’s video did a great job of examining this issue, as he points out how our school system is basically predicated on production line thinking, which may have worked in the 18th century, but is no longer appropriate for those of us living in the 21st century. I was particularly surprised and upset by the part of the video that focused on divergent thinking, in which Robinson demonstrates the fact that there is an indirect correlation between one’s ability to test as a genius level at divergent thinking and the number of years spent in school. I find it embarrassing to think that we are taking away our students’ capacity to be divergent thinkers and that we are the reason why this is deteriorating. Unfortunately, I see this mentality far too often in my school, with teachers who are unwilling to try something new because they fear that they will not understand it or because they will actually have to create a new worksheet or lesson plan. (ELCC 2.1, 6.1, 6.3).
For guidance on how to improve the education system here in America, we can look to Deming’s 14 points, which highlight the most important responsibilities of top management. For me, driving out fear and building trust is extremely important (Delavigne, K. T., & Robertson, J. D., 1994). In every system, it is important to develop a culture of rapport and respect. Once this is established, cooperation and collaboration can take place in a meaningful way. As an administrator, I will not care whether or not I am liked; I honestly feel that nobody should truly like their boss, but I will emphasize the importance of respect by modeling this behavior with my staff, the students, parents, and the entire school community. Once my staff understands that I am not there to “get them” or bully them by constantly barking orders, we will be able to build a relationship where we trust one another and respect what everyone has to offer. I also believe it is important to institute a vigorous program of self-improvement (Delavigne, K. T., & Robertson, J. D., 1994). As an administrator, as a leader, it is important to constantly require the best from your staff. As a principal, I will expect the same work ethic and output from teachers once they have tenure, as they exhibited during their probationary period when they were working toward their tenure. As an avid sports fan, I have always had the, “what have you done for me lately?” mentality, and as a leader, I will be the same way. Once again, riding your staff and making demands is not enough; I will make it clear to my staff that I hold myself to the same, if not higher, standard and will make sure to model this behavior. !(ELCC 1.1, 1.3, 1.4, 2.1, 5.1).
As discussed by Delavigne, K. T., & Robertson, J. D., (1994), much change is needed in the way we work together; rather than having everyone work for their own personal interests and motivations, leaders need to promote collaboration amongst colleagues for a unified goal. Leaders also need to understand that we will not see this change until workers actually believe in the schools’ vision, and that a change is possible by teaching and stewarding in an attempt to show how that goal can be achieved (Delavigne, K. T., & Robertson, J. D., 1994). As Dr. Hawkins put it, as a leader you need to make sure you are not playing firefighter by running around and putting our flames that serve as a quick fix, rather than a long lasting change. (ELCC 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4).
Content / 1 / .50 / .0Leadership lens / Demonstrates thoughtful insight as a future leader / Some insight shown as a future leader / Limited or no insight offered regarding topic
Class discussions / Includes and integrates meaningful insights garnered from class discussions / Includes and integrates some insights garnered from class discussions / Includes and integrates few insights garnered from class discussions
Readings / Includes and integratesall assigned readings / Includes and integrates some readings / Includes and integrates few readings
Summary / Includes a summary paragraph which synthesizesallof the major, identifiable themes within and among the readings and class discussions and your most significant learning(s). / Includes a summary paragraph which synthesizes some of the major, identifiable themes within and among the readings and class discussions and your most significant learning(s). / Limited identification of themes. Limited ability to synthesize key learning.
Reveals limited evidence of significant learning(s).
XXXXXXXXX / .50 / .25 / .00
Standards / Cited and made accurate connections to the ISLLC/ELCC standards and elements / Cited and made some connections to the ISLLC/ELCC standards and elements / Cited and made limited or no connections to the ISLLC/ELCC standards and elements
Grammar/APA format / No punctuation or grammatical errors. Follows APA format. Includes complete bibliography / Some punctuation and/or grammatical errors.
Follows some APA format.
Includes incomplete bibliography. / Punctuation and grammatical errors interfered with the reader’s understanding of the paper.
Limited understanding of APA.
Incomplete or Minimal bibliography.
Total / Grade Ranges:5 - 4.5 = A; 4.25 – 3.75 = A-; 3.5 – 3= B+; 2.75 = B
Self –Assessment: / Students should highlight each box in yellow that reflects their personal assessment of their work.
Self-assessment Score: ____5_____Agreed
Bibliography
You write well and your Depth Of Understanding (DOU) key concepts is strong. Good connections between text, class and experiences. Solid use of ELCC standards. Great start Keep it up!