Managing a School Effectively

The responsibility of preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s future involves more than orchestrating the curriculum students learn and the teachers who teach it. It involves the ability to employ the leadership styles fluently based on the everyday demands of running a school (Goleman, 2000). Informed by both research and real-world application, the Wallace Foundation identified five key functions of a successful leader: “shaping a vision of academic success for all students, creating a climate hospitable to education, cultivating leadership in others, improving instruction, [and] managing people, data, and processes to foster school improvement” (Harvey, 2013, pg. 4). To be an effective 21st century educational leader, one must cultivate a sustainable vision and school culture which are globally-minded, yet locally applicable to the community they serve.

Leadership is a process whereby a person influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal. A principal is a vital position because it ultimately leads to student achievement. As a principal I must be a culture manager, change agent, community builder, and ethical leader in my school. Being an effective principal requires setting a clear vision and mission statement, providing shared leadership in the school so that collaboration and mutual decisions are happening daily, producing an environment that all students feel safe and secure in while learning, and many more other important duties that are student focused.

Who school leaders are – what they do, attend to, or seem to appreciate is constantly watched by students, teachers, parents, and members of the community. Their interests and actions send powerful messages. They signal the values they hold. Above all else, leaders are cultural “teachers” in the best sense of the word. (Deal & Peterson, 1990, p. 201)

A1. Leadership Style Upon conducting research, it is clear that the definition of “leadership” is not agreed upon. It is fluid, based upon many perceptions, situations, and surroundings. According to Robinson (2010), adopting a specific style of leadership is rather futile as it is, “contingent on the personal traits of the leader, the people being led, and the nature of the activity.” Tools are available to help guide potential leaders in determining a preferred style of leadership. For example, utilizing the “Leadership Self-Assessment

Kymberli is an example of a teacher who does not treat her job as a checklist of duties to complete, but rather as an opportunity to inspire, challenge, and enrich the lives of those around her. She is a powerful model to her students. Daily she puts her message into action- as an ideal educator and citizen. Kymberli is a leader in the classroom for Onaway High School, but she is also well known outside of the classroom. She has helped spearhead the districts integration of technology through the Technology Readiness Infrastructure Grant (TRIG). She also serves in a leadership role for her school’s

Above all else, I view leadership within the school system as essential for its success. My cumulative experiences provide a strong background that will allow me to excel as a school leader. I possess an understanding of the challenges and intricacies of a wide variety of school systems, ranging from small rural programs to inner-city and sub-urban high schools to research universities. My experience teaching at the college level gives me a unique perspective that will allow me to guide a program aimed at cultivating high school students capable of excelling in their educational endeavors. In addition, I believe that to be a truly successful leader, one must have a clear understanding of the challenges faced by educators. My years as a high school teacher have provided me a keen perspective in this regard. University of Northern Colorado’s Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Program will be an invaluable avenue for me to learn from experienced educators as I hone my leadership abilities with the goal of using my life to lead improvements in the public education system. I look forward to the opportunity to develop as an educator,

Educational leaders play significant roles in the modern society. Their effectiveness depends on their strengths. Primarily, it is vital having a comprehensive understanding of who is an educational

Demski, J. (2012, June; 2013/11). The seven habits of highly effective tech-leading principals: Un wrapping the key attributes that transform principals into effective technology leaders in their schools and in their districts. T H E Journal (Technological Horizons In Education), 39 (5), 48-55Dexter, S. (2011). School technology leadership: Artifacts in systems of practice. Journal of School Leadership, 21,

As a perspective principal, there is a wealth of knowledge to gain from abiding by the guidelines of domain III, which pertains to administrative leadership. Although I was somewhat oblivious to the intricacies of this position, I was eager to develop new perspective in this area of expertise. The amount of coordination it takes for an influential leader to operate a school is fascinating. I am more equipped with a realistic approach to encourage positive change.

Successful in a public school environment will pave the way to success in adulthood. By promoting inclusion teaching self advocating skills and by adapting the curriculum to support each individuals abilities.

“The Quality School: Managing Students Without Coercion” is a book that should be read by anyone considering going into the field of education. The book was written by William Glasser, not a teacher but a psychiatrist. In his own words, “the purpose of this book is to explain how to manage students so that a substantial majority do high-quality schoolwork” (Glasser 1). He uses his knowledge of psychiatry and personal experience of over thirty years including his work with Johnson CIty Schools. With his experience Glasser was able to use real life examples in his book to show how to implement his ideas.

Completing the main project for this course has been an interesting exercise forcing me to challenge some of my long-held beliefs of both my personality and management style. Each survey I took revealed some interesting aspects of educational leadership that I will apply when given the opportunity as an educational administrator. This section of the paper will summarize the key findings for each of the aforementioned surveys.

Unfortunately, the rash of external mandates such as transitioning to the Common Core, delivery of PARCC testing and implementation of HIB legislation has overshadowed what an exciting time it is to be in education. The Digital Age has ushered in an ever- expanding digital infrastructure where access and the ability to connect is becoming ubiquitous. Furthermore, the democratization of the web offers individuals opportunity to not only act as critical consumers of information, but also exist as trusted producers of public content. As Chris Anderson states in Makers: The New Industrial Revolution, “Today we are spoiled by the easy pickings of the web. Any kid with an idea and a laptop can create the seeds of a world-changing company- just look at Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.” As opposed to erecting a barrier to the outside world, schools that embrace the Digital Age and more importantly, provide stakeholders equitable access to a connected world, open spaces of possibility inside classrooms.

Schoology proposes to work closely with Oxford School District to implement a digital learning environment that promotes learning, communication, and collaboration inside and outside of the classroom.

Bossert, P. J. (1999). Growing up digital: The rise of the net generation. National Association of Secondary School Principals.NASSP Bulletin, 83(607), 86-88. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/216032026?accountid=32521