As I reflect on Administrator Standards #'s 1-3 at the conclusion of my management class, I have a new perspective as to the importance management plays in making a school conducive to student learning. Standards 1 and 2 are extremely important as far as setting a path/goal for students and stakeholders to achieve. However, having management tasks refined and orderly is of utmost importance as they are the foundation that we will then build upon.
One of the most important management tasks is ensuring student safety in the school. This is the most fundamental ingredient which can be built upon leading to a positive school culture and togetherness. If a school can provide a safe learning environment and positive culture, achieving a shared vision of learning becomes much more attainable.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Management tasks and functions contributions to student learning
These days the term "management" is almost considered a bad word in the education realm when referring to school principals. It seems that if a principal focuses too much on management issues they are shirking their duties as educational leaders. As we did an activity during class considering the 21 Competencies for School Administrators this theory seemed to ring true as we rated where specific tasks fell between management or leadership tasks. After completing the activity the class seemed much more accepting of the importance of management vs. educational leadership. To be successful a principal must somehow find a balance that will allow both to be done effectively.
Management tasks are extremely important in schools and although they may not seem to directly affect learning you can be assured that they have an influence. One of the most important management tasks is providing a safe learning environment for students. Providing a safe learning environment naturally creates a positive culture for students, and parents certainly appreciate knowing their children are safe. With this positive learning environment and culture creating a shared vision with all stakeholders becomes much more realistic.
Another management task that cannot be overlooked is discipline. An administrator who lacks a backbone when dealing with unruly students and their parents can truly do a disservice to student learning and teacher morale. If students know that there are not any real consequences coming from the principal, their behavior is not likely to change. If this is the case, the classroom teacher loses respect for the principal and the child's behavior continues during class. As a huge side-effect, classmates lose out on instructional time and in some cases have their safety jeopardized. These are but a few examples of how management tasks can affect student learning. The importance of management tasks and how they affect student learning cannot be underestimated.
Management tasks are extremely important in schools and although they may not seem to directly affect learning you can be assured that they have an influence. One of the most important management tasks is providing a safe learning environment for students. Providing a safe learning environment naturally creates a positive culture for students, and parents certainly appreciate knowing their children are safe. With this positive learning environment and culture creating a shared vision with all stakeholders becomes much more realistic.
Another management task that cannot be overlooked is discipline. An administrator who lacks a backbone when dealing with unruly students and their parents can truly do a disservice to student learning and teacher morale. If students know that there are not any real consequences coming from the principal, their behavior is not likely to change. If this is the case, the classroom teacher loses respect for the principal and the child's behavior continues during class. As a huge side-effect, classmates lose out on instructional time and in some cases have their safety jeopardized. These are but a few examples of how management tasks can affect student learning. The importance of management tasks and how they affect student learning cannot be underestimated.
Weekend 3: Reflection
One of the learning experiences for the final weekend of class was working with a group to place students and staff throughout a building that was not laid out the best and lacked adequate numbers of cubbies and lockers for the students. This reminded me of a saying that has something to do with trying to fit 10lbs. of stuff in a 5lb bag. As a group I feel we had a decent layout for what we were given but when we met with another group that had the same task another one or two items came up to think about that we had not thought about and vice versa for them. For me, this was another good example of the importance of working with others on some tasks as it presents an opportunity to explore others' thinking as they may bring up pros or cons that working alone may not have presented.
I also learned the importance of having a core group of administrators and staff to work with in the event of a crisis happening at school. There were two scenarios assigned to groups, both of which I had never heard of happening, much less given any thought. One of the ideas I picked up from this, other than the importance of a great supporting cast, is the speed at which a crisis can happen and the number of important decisions to be made in a timely manner in order to do what's right for students and staff, as well as keeping the families and public informed with appropriately relevant information. In addition, this needs to be accomplished in a compassionate yet calm manner.
I also learned the importance of having a core group of administrators and staff to work with in the event of a crisis happening at school. There were two scenarios assigned to groups, both of which I had never heard of happening, much less given any thought. One of the ideas I picked up from this, other than the importance of a great supporting cast, is the speed at which a crisis can happen and the number of important decisions to be made in a timely manner in order to do what's right for students and staff, as well as keeping the families and public informed with appropriately relevant information. In addition, this needs to be accomplished in a compassionate yet calm manner.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Cyberbullying: Another management issue for schools
The article I am basing my blog on was tweeted by a Munich Re (US) Focus On: Cyberbullying/Sexting in Schools http://bit.ly/ryCRUn
As an administrator we will have many aspects of management to devote ourselves to as we work to keep the school functioning in a manner that will allow for a productive learning environment. Arguably one of the most important areas will be providing/promoting a positive school culture where students feels safe. As a parent myself, knowing that my kids are not being tormented physically or mentally while at school is extremely important to us. They have a love of learning and of school and it would be tragic if a bully/bullies took that away from them.
This article discussed what constitutes cyberbullying/sexting and the myriad of issues an administrator faces in dealing with them. Schools have the authority to regulate student speech if it poses a substantial disruption at school or interferes with the rights of other students to be secure(Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969) or is considered obscene, sexually vulgar, or indecent (Bethel School District v. Fraser 1986). However, often these cyberbullying incidents happen outside the school environment. If bullying happens off campus but poses a threat to student safety or disrupts the learning environment the schools may intervene. With the 1:1 initiative at our school, I wonder if we would have authority to act on issues posted outside of school if they are using school equipment as they bully on Facebook, etc.? Obscene, vulgar or indecent exposure issues are generally outside the administrator's authority.
Liability is another consideration. Did the administrator do enough? Did they do too much? Were 1st amendment rights infringed upon? According to the article - Civil liberties groups are very active monitoring incidents where free speech issues are present and are very quick to challenge any government agency that may be prohibiting speech.
So how will we handle these issues as an administrator? Obviously, we need to always keep these rules and regulations in mind so we don't get ourselves or the district in trouble. Along with that, documentation and communication are paramount. Lastly, I am going to try and think about every case as if my child was the one being bullied or harassed.
As an administrator we will have many aspects of management to devote ourselves to as we work to keep the school functioning in a manner that will allow for a productive learning environment. Arguably one of the most important areas will be providing/promoting a positive school culture where students feels safe. As a parent myself, knowing that my kids are not being tormented physically or mentally while at school is extremely important to us. They have a love of learning and of school and it would be tragic if a bully/bullies took that away from them.
This article discussed what constitutes cyberbullying/sexting and the myriad of issues an administrator faces in dealing with them. Schools have the authority to regulate student speech if it poses a substantial disruption at school or interferes with the rights of other students to be secure(Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District 1969) or is considered obscene, sexually vulgar, or indecent (Bethel School District v. Fraser 1986). However, often these cyberbullying incidents happen outside the school environment. If bullying happens off campus but poses a threat to student safety or disrupts the learning environment the schools may intervene. With the 1:1 initiative at our school, I wonder if we would have authority to act on issues posted outside of school if they are using school equipment as they bully on Facebook, etc.? Obscene, vulgar or indecent exposure issues are generally outside the administrator's authority.
Liability is another consideration. Did the administrator do enough? Did they do too much? Were 1st amendment rights infringed upon? According to the article - Civil liberties groups are very active monitoring incidents where free speech issues are present and are very quick to challenge any government agency that may be prohibiting speech.
So how will we handle these issues as an administrator? Obviously, we need to always keep these rules and regulations in mind so we don't get ourselves or the district in trouble. Along with that, documentation and communication are paramount. Lastly, I am going to try and think about every case as if my child was the one being bullied or harassed.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Instructional Leadership Issues
According to an article I read, on students dropping out of the science and math fields, it seems that some universities are attempting to change how they deliver instruction to these students in order to improve retention rates in these fields of study. http://nyti.ms/sciencemajors The article gives evidence of the need for inquiry based/hands-on learning even at the collegiate level. In this article it discusses the attrition rate of engineering and science majors (40%) and pre-medical students (60%). Part of the problem was described as the math and science "death march" students encounter as soon as they get on campus along with lectures with 400 people followed by one to two years of abstract courses leading to senior research or design projects. I am guessing that for most students this would be the area/work that led them into the field. Why do they have to wait until they are seniors to work on this portion of their craft?
Progress is being made at some universities as they attempt to adjust their curriculum in this field in a manner that will hopefully mitigate the loss of their top prospects in these fields. At the University of Notre Dame, freshman engineering students creating design projects and lectures have gone from 400 students to groups of 80. As an outsider looking in, I would think that these two changes would do a lot for student morale and serve as a reminder of why they had chosen this field in the first place.
A question we, as K-12 educators, might ask ourselves is what else can we do to help prepare these students for these fields of study? One thing that was pointed out was how these are generally the high achieving students who have taken advanced placement courses and/or scored very high on the ACT or SAT. One thing I see as an elementary teacher is the high achieving or gifted student not truly being challenged as we try to make sure no child gets left behind. Some of these students eventually settle in to this routine of not working hard and accept it, and develop poor study habits along the way. When we don't differentiate for these students to find their appropriate level of learning they never fully reach their potential. And what about the bright students who completely lose all ambition in elementary school due to their boredom and don't even attempt to go into these fields? I like what the universities are doing to make the studies more hands on from the beginning, but we can also do more on our end to prevent these bright minds from withdrawing from learning while they are under our care.
Progress is being made at some universities as they attempt to adjust their curriculum in this field in a manner that will hopefully mitigate the loss of their top prospects in these fields. At the University of Notre Dame, freshman engineering students creating design projects and lectures have gone from 400 students to groups of 80. As an outsider looking in, I would think that these two changes would do a lot for student morale and serve as a reminder of why they had chosen this field in the first place.
A question we, as K-12 educators, might ask ourselves is what else can we do to help prepare these students for these fields of study? One thing that was pointed out was how these are generally the high achieving students who have taken advanced placement courses and/or scored very high on the ACT or SAT. One thing I see as an elementary teacher is the high achieving or gifted student not truly being challenged as we try to make sure no child gets left behind. Some of these students eventually settle in to this routine of not working hard and accept it, and develop poor study habits along the way. When we don't differentiate for these students to find their appropriate level of learning they never fully reach their potential. And what about the bright students who completely lose all ambition in elementary school due to their boredom and don't even attempt to go into these fields? I like what the universities are doing to make the studies more hands on from the beginning, but we can also do more on our end to prevent these bright minds from withdrawing from learning while they are under our care.
Technology in Schools
Are the majority of schools around the state and nation sacrificing student potential and creativity by pushing technology into the classrooms and instruction? A tweet sent by Semi-Linear LLC had an article article attached that caught my eye. http://nyti.ms/uzpErN The article, published by Matt Richtel, Grading the Digital School: A Silicon Valley School That Doesn't Compute, an argument may be made that schools' technology push may be more detrimental to student achievement/development than it is helpful. This story focused on instruction techniques at the Waldorf School of the Peninsula, in California, where three-quarters of the students have parents with strong high-tech connections, yet there is not a computer to be found, nor are they allowed, in the classrooms.
Is the current system of high stakes testing, infusing technology into classroom instruction and learning squashing creativity and problem solving skills? Parents and leaders at the Waldorf schools, where physical activity and learning through creative, hands-on tasks, would say yes. In fact, they believe computers inhibit creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans. Waldorf parents ask the question, "What's the rush, given how easy it is to pick up those skills?" A Mr. Eagle states, "At Google, and all these places, we make technology as brain-dead easy to use as possible. There's no reason why kids can't figure it out when they get older."
Personally, I have seen some of the negative effects of technology. Yes, they can keep kids "engaged?" for hours, but how much are they missing out on socially and critically thinking wise while they are technologically engaged? What are these leaders of tomorrow going to do when issues arise that a computer cannot fix for them?
Is the current system of high stakes testing, infusing technology into classroom instruction and learning squashing creativity and problem solving skills? Parents and leaders at the Waldorf schools, where physical activity and learning through creative, hands-on tasks, would say yes. In fact, they believe computers inhibit creative thinking, movement, human interaction and attention spans. Waldorf parents ask the question, "What's the rush, given how easy it is to pick up those skills?" A Mr. Eagle states, "At Google, and all these places, we make technology as brain-dead easy to use as possible. There's no reason why kids can't figure it out when they get older."
Personally, I have seen some of the negative effects of technology. Yes, they can keep kids "engaged?" for hours, but how much are they missing out on socially and critically thinking wise while they are technologically engaged? What are these leaders of tomorrow going to do when issues arise that a computer cannot fix for them?
Weekend 2: Reflections
After Jason Glass came to speak to our class about his education blueprint I find myself understanding where he is coming from on some aspects and yet am unsettled on others. I think improving the field-based experiences including student teaching would be very beneficial. The student teacher that Terry had in his class last year must be very grateful, I am assuming, for all the data and general feedback Terry gave him throughout the experience. There may be some validity in attracting some good teaching candidates by raising starting teacher pay and the requirements for entry into teacher-preparation programs. However, if these candidates are unable to relate to students they may still struggle with improving student achievement.
I think the tiered teacher compensation system may have some issues within, and outside of, the school walls. As I imagine this being implemented into my district I can pick out quite a few grade levels and individuals with whom this would go beyond competition, become personal and negatively affect one aspect of our school climate. Will the benefits of this system outweigh the potential negatives? Why would we spend the money to test all 11th grade students on the ACT or SAT if they are not interested in taking the test or going on to college? I assume the powers that be will be looking at these scores to gauge yearly improvement. How valid will the results be if the previously mentioned students intentionally give 0% effort on the test? College is not for everyone.
I also enjoyed our two assistant principal guest speakers (Lara Justman- Urbandale MS, Adam Tjeerdsma-St. Francis, West Des Moines) over the weekend, as although I was a little confused by the apparent differing work loads. I was happy that someone asked during our visit to Urbandale something along the lines of inquiring about the good things about these administrative jobs. Lara had been talking about how much time she spends at work and then the hours she works at home going through email, etc. We have also heard from others in the profession how it can negatively affect your home life as you can get so engulfed in the endless work. When Adam spoke to us he said he really separates work and home life which is great. What surprised me is how he is able to show up and leave at reasonable times while rarely taking work home. If I were to make an assumption or two, I would say their extremely low IEP numbers and behavior issues would have a lot to do with this kind of a schedule working. Even though we do not have super high IEP and behavior issues at my district compared to others, I can vouch for my principal spending great amounts of time on them daily. A big question for me is: How do I do my job as an administrator to the best of my ability without potentially sacrificing my family?
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