Week 1 Blog 5

For my final blog of the week I had a couple of topics in mind. I've noticed that lately I have been very anti-administrator in some of my comments and some of my stories. I don't mean to come off that way, but let's face it, bad administration and leadership is just more fun to talk about. I was reading through Lambert and I found the writings on page 6 interesting because they seem to be the "way it should be" examples of school leadership. Unfortunately I find that very few of these examples of "individuals working together in collaborative teams." Including student teaching and long-term subbing I have had the pleasure of working in three different schools and I feel that in all cases teachers, departments, and the staff as a whole were not unified. I mean, with each other. Forget unifying with administration, two of the three schools haven't even gotten that far. I wonder why it is that some staffs can join together and create a positive direction and some staffs just seem to want to "survive" the day and hope to make it through the next. That latter group never talks of change and always seems to be trying to keep up with the current plan.

The other paragraph that I found interesting is right below it. The Principal's Vision. I don't think in any of the three schools that I've ever gotten a clear view of their vision. I really don't know what any of my Principals have stood for. I consider two of them good leaders, but I feel incomplete. I feel that as a teacher I want to be lead. I want to follow a great principal into battle and do great things. Not sure if I'll ever get the chance.

Week 1 Post 4

I was reflecting back on my first week of this class and I started to wonder how much this class is going to change me. I think that all classes have an impact on a student and I know that this teacher runs a good class and that I can expect to get some good content and exercises during our time. Here's the thing I've been wrestling with. I feel that I an a flexible person and open to change, but the topic of leadership is one that typically I have some strong feelings about and I don't anticipate changing my mind. You see, I'm one of those people that feels that leaders aren't made, they're born. I feel that there is just something inherent in a person that when coached or if that is triggered in some way, they will use their leadership qualities to their full ability. I just don't think that you can make this. I don't see myself as one of those people. I think that my leadership traits just don't have as high a ceiling as some other people. I find that I typically lead out of necessity. When I feel that something has to be done MY way, I feel the need to lead whatever it might be. It was yearbook in high school, or my adult hockey team, I felt like I had to be an outspoken pain in the behind to get my way. But in other academic and athletic arenas, I was not a dominant personality and hardly ever spoke up. I guess my point is, I think we all have a finite amount of leadership potential in all of us. Some people have a lot and some don't have any.

 

JH

Week 1 Post 3

Now that I’ve had some time to reflect on my “how we define leadership defines how people will participate in it,” quote I have more to add. Let’s just say that a personal situation has arrived and it involves people in a leadership position being unethical. The short story is that this is a case of people abusing their power and leadership position to get something that they want personally. Obviously, this is not the right thing to do but I feel as if sometimes people in these positions fail to see the impact that this has on their staff. It creates an aura of mistrust and even if you are willing to help someone in that manner, it still shows that you are capable of unethical actions. You can see it resonate throughout an entire building.
I used to think that it was teachers that ran a school and gave it direction. I now realize that there are so many things that happen that teachers aren’t even aware of. There is no question that a schools direction, achievement, and atmosphere are a direct result of it’s administration. The sad part of this in the State of Wisconsin is that there are so many districts that are having superintendent troubles. Either they can’t find them or they have problems keeping them. I was recently in Kenosha and was able to witness a district that was basically refusing to let it’s superintendent retire. Racine had also had issues with their job search. So many of these districts are in flux and it’s hard to send a consistent positive message when you have continual turnover at the most important position in the district.

Week 1 Post 2

I found something that I disagree with and something that I do agree with in Lambert's assumptions of leadership (Lambert pg. 4).

First, I believe that the statement everyone has the right, responsibility, and capability to be a leader is a half-truth. Sure, I believe that in some way at some small level we are all "leaders," but I don't think that everyone in education has the "capability" of leadership. I think that we are made of our experiences and some people just don't have it in them to lead in education. That doesn't diminish their worth, because a room full of leaders can be problematic. I also don't think that it is everyone responsibility to be a leader either. Sometimes people need to step back from leadership and allow someone else to grow into that role. That can be students or colleagues. I just believe that some teachers were meant to teach students, while some teachers reach a point in their careers where they are better served by leaving the classroom and becoming a district leader and helping the teachers better serve their students.

I do believe in the assumption that how we define leadership defines how people will participate in it. This is my current leadership situation in my school. We as teachers follow the leadership that is set before us. Right now my Principal does very little delegating of authority and we as a staff follow that lead. The strength of a district really is in it's leadership. If a school board and superintendent are weak, the district will follow. If that district has fantastic leadership, the district will follow it in that direction.

 

JH

Week 1 Post 1 – Tenets of Classical Leadership

I would like to start my first blog by informing the audience that I am married to an administrator and that has been a source of great humor, learning and understanding in my relationship with my wife and my administrators that I work with.

Leaders should have formal authority and overarching roles

I have to confess that I had no idea what "overarching" meant. The word encompassing came up in the definition and I think I've got it. I think to give an appropriate answer to what I think of this I need to rephrase it. "Should people with formal authority and overarching roles be considered leaders?" I don't think many people would agree with my statement.

Leaders have superior expertise and information

I would say no. I've had plenty of students that I would consider leaders in my classroom, but wouldn't have expertise or information because they are students.

Leaders manage a rational system of management that takes into account structures, routine, outcomes, personnel and action.

I initially wanted to say no, but leaders have a way of doing things that make people want to follow. Perhaps it's because they do these things intentionally or unintentionally. It would seem to me that a leader would be able to manage structures, routine, outcomes, personnel and action because you can't really fall short in those areas and still be considered to be a good leader.

Leaders control students and staff (educational setting) or all employees

I don't like the word control. That implies that the leader is able to manipulate the students and staff at will and that's not what leadership is about. Leadership is about helping your staff be the best teacher or student that they can be. Leadership isn't about control, it's about guidance.