MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION

My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Critical Element Paper #1 Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership and Postsecondary Education University of Northern Iowa

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Master of Arts in Education

by Amy L. Miehe Waterloo East High School November 16, 2011

Dr. Tim Gilson

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION Because, as you know, in some cases, youre all weve got. Youre the ones who feed us, who wipe our tears, who hold our hands or hug us when we need it. Youre the ones who love us when sometimes it feels like no else does and when we need it the most (Sherman,

2008). This quote has greatly inspired me since I heard it two years ago. It reminds me of why I am in education; to improve the lives of children and have fun while doing so. To improve the lives of children, we must develop and maintain a respectful environment amongst staff, students and the community. I also believe it is important to build relationships with staff, student and the community as well. Additionally, a vision must be developed and all stakeholders must be able to work together collaboratively to meet it. Furthermore, I believe we must create a culture that is safe and welcoming and one that students, staff and the community want to come to. Lastly, I believe it is important inspire students, staff and the community to be lifelong learners.

Respect is vital to creating an effective relationship between staff, students and the community in a school. Respect is something that is earned and then must be modeled by educators to allow children to understand and practice it. The real challenge is to treat everyone with respect every dayand great principals do (Whitaker, 2003, p.21). This describes how difficult it may be to treat everyone respectfully every day, but stresses that a good principal will accomplish it. It begins with having character and a desire to promote success in stakeholders. A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner (Wilmore, 2002, p.80). This describes standard 5 from the ELCC (Educational Leadership Constituent Council) and clearly defines the importance of integrity, fairness and ethical practices in educational leaders. Integrity is achieved by developing trust with students, staff and the community. We must work hard to earn trust so all stakeholders know we care about them. Honesty is another important factor to earn

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION respect. We must base our decisions on what is best for student interests and not be afraid to make mistakes. Students, staff and the community must know that we will support them regardless of the circumstances. It is imperative that children understand the importance of

respect so they can communicate effectively with others throughout their lives. As educators, we must strive to treat all people with respect every day.

A positive relationship between staff, students and the community is an essential component of a successful school. To build a positive relationship, it is important that we communicate regularly with these key stakeholders. Effective principals are effective managers. They must communicate and develop relationships with teachers, assistant principals, custodians, secretaries, counselors, librarians, students, cafeteria workers, parents, transportation workers and central office and security personnel (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, p.11). One way to effectively communicate with the community is by sending out regular newsletters that address progress, positive information, volunteer opportunities, etc. It is important to let the community know how they can support and be involved in the school. One way to effectively communicate with staff is to provide honest feedback and stay on track with district evaluations. Furthermore, staff meetings and information shared with staff should be valuable to them. Students also need to know that the principal cares about them. It is important that we make our presence known and get to know them by name. Positive relationships will create a welcoming environment which is necessary for success. A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a school or district vision of learning that is shared by the school community (Wilmore, 2002, p.19).

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION Collaboration is essential to create a successful school atmosphere. First, a vision must be identified for all stakeholders to collaboratively agree up and strive for. All staff, students and the community must commit to working together towards the vision. As Covey says, begin with the end in mind (as cited in Wilmore, 2002, p.20). All the decisions beyond this point should focus on the achievement of the vision. We must be specific with goals we want to meet to reach the vision. ONeill and Conzemius (2002) stated, Schools showing continuous improvement in student results are those whose cultures are permeated by: shared focus; reflective practices; collaboration and partnerships; and an ever increasing leadership capacity (as cited in Robbins & Alvy, 2009, pp.110-111). This shows the effectiveness of working together for a common goal and the focus being to ultimately impact students. As educational leaders, we must expect opposition at first, but if we have already established positive relationships, they will be more willing to try.

Once the vision is developed and all stakeholders support it, a culture must be created that values enhanced performance. According to Wilmore (2002), an educational leader continues to promote the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining the school culture that was developed through goals that surround the vision. We can create this atmosphere by celebrating and honoring small achievements accomplished by all stakeholders. It is up to the principal to facilitate a learning community that values the heritage, culture, values and diversity of the school and communityincluding language, disabilities, gender race, and socioeconomic status (p.34). We are responsible for the continuous movement towards achieving the vision and all stakeholders must have continued support towards it. Instructional programs need to be identified within the vision to know what to aim for.

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION

If the principal is to help teachers improve what they do, the principal must continuously be learning to improve what he or she is doing (Robbins & Alvy, 2009, p.2). I believe it is important for both principals and teachers to practice lifelong learning through development and demonstration of effective teaching practices. A principal must be collaborative with teachers about teaching, learning and assessment so the most effective process can be adopted and practiced consistently. The principal must also have an effective supervision process to produce an effective teacher. Learning about not only behaviors and activities that facilitate student and teacher learning but also behaviors and strategies that enhance the principals effectiveness in the supervisory process (p.3). It is important that principals and teachers communicate throughout this process to improve instruction. Another effective strategy to improve teacher effectiveness is for teachers to observe and experience their colleagues classrooms. Additional effective practices a principal can participate in to increase quality teachers are: teach demonstration lessons, such as, technology, share research with teachers and parents, and participate in professional development sessions.

In conclusion, it is evident there are many ways to improve the lives of children but I especially believe some are crucial compared to others. I will continue to be inspired by Dalton Shermans speech on the importance of our role as teachers as well as the effective practices in education. A respectful environment must be established and maintained amongst staff, students and the community. In order to create and maintain a respectful environment, relationships must be built amongst staff, students and the community. The development of a vision is vital and in order to meet it, key stakeholders must collaboratively work together. It is also important to create an atmosphere that is welcoming to all staff, students and the community to want to come to. The culture of a school is imperative to set the tone of the school. Finally, we must all strive

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION to be lifelong learners to create the most and best of the school. Teachers must be dedicated to and love their work to make an impact in the lives of children.

MY PHILOSPHY ON EDUCATION References

Sherman, D. (2008). Do You Believe? Retrieved from: http://www.schooltube.com/video/70dd826ff5664d968e05/Do-You-BelieveDalton-Sherman.

Robbins, P. & Alvy, H.B. (2009). The principals companion: Strategies for making the job easier. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Wilmore, E.L. (2002). Principal leadership: Applying the new Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Whitaker, T. (2003). What great principals do differently: Fifteen things that matter most. Larchmont, N.Y.: Eye on Education.