Reflection on my Post-Observation Conference

Watching the video of my post-conference was very enlightening.  As a whole, I'd say I used mainly the Listening and Encouraging behaviors.  As you will see, these behaviors were the most appropriate because Barbie is a very capable teacher and doesn't need much direction in order to grow professionally. 

I was very pleased with the environment and tone of the conference which was  very collegial; there was a nice exchange of ideas and information between the two of us.  We sat next to each other in order to look at each other's notes and share information.  When looking at my body language, it seemed relaxed, and we both had good eye contact.  The only "quirk" I noticed was that I kept my hands clasped at the beginning of the conference.  Not sure if that's because I was nervous, but as the conference continued, I became more animated and used my hands more. 

I felt that there was a lot of actions of encouragement and agreement.  For examples,  when Barbie would present one explaination, sometimes I'd echo her thoughts with another example, or "piggyback" on her idea with a similar idea.   Another way I feel Barbie felt encouraged was when I suggested that share her "N2" idea with the rest of the school.  I think that was a good way to make her feel important and acknowledged in the school.  Although the conference was designed to have a formal tone, because Barbie and I know each other well, I did catch my self saying many "you know's", or sometimes even ending a phrase in mid-sentence. 

When looking at strategies to improve instruction, various points stand out.  First, during the conference, you could see the strength of the data tool I chose (purposeful observation tool). We referred to this tool on multiple occasions.  In fact, at one point I used it to suggest some more collaboration time, and Barbie asked more more information using the tool.  She seemed interested in seeing how the break down of activities and the amount of time spent on each one.  The tool definitely helped drive our conversation and gave us something to refer to when discussing different aspects of the lesson.   The other tool that was useful to discuss instructional improvements was simply, the seating chart.  Barbie had asked me for data regarding on-task/engaged behavior, and the seating chart clearly showed clusters of students who were less on-task. With this data in hand, changing seating is a very easy solution in order to find the most appropriate seating for these students. 

I also saw the importance of having a pre-conference before the observation.  We referred to this discussion often during the post conference and the information I learned during the pre-conference helped me to focus my observation on relevant aspects of the classroom.  We also discussed different things I knew about her classroom and/or the curriculum because of previous observations or other meetings we had had in the past.  I believe that is another important part of the culture of the school.  Teachers and administrators must feel able to discuss classroom/curriculum issues at any time, not just in the evaluative process.

In sum, I thought this conference, while perhaps a little informal, was a very positive, constructive session.  I learned a lot about her teaching style, and she was very exited about  opportunities to try new things.  I was very happy with how it went!

Classroom Walkthroughs

While walking through the classrooms in my school, I had one main reaction, “wow, not much has changed in the last 20 years”.  I popped into 10 classrooms and here’s what I found

·      Direct Instruction (teacher talking, kids listening)- 5/10

·      Kids working independently – 2/10

·      Discussion-  teacher led- 1/10

·      Group work-  2/10

The interesting thing about this was that this did not correlate to how the room was set up. For example, two of the five classes that had the direct instruction were set up in tables of four (which you would think would facilitate discussion or group work).  To be fair, these were quick walk-troughs and the fact that the teacher had them set up that way would indicate to me that he/she wants the kids to work in groups more often, but maybe wasn’t doing it at the exact time that I was there.  Also interesting was that the classroom discussion (led by the teacher) was set up in straight rows.  That to me didn’t seem the best way to have a room set up to facilitate discussion. 

Of the ten rooms I walked into, there was only one that really seemed differentiated and set up for cooperation.  This was a reading classroom in which they were doing guided reading.  There the teacher was working with a small group of students while rest of the class was working in centers.  This was the classroom I was most impressed with. I had heard that when you walk into a classroom, you can just tell when it feels right.  This was a good example of that.  The atmosphere was calm and quiet, there was room to work, and the students were set up in small groups in which they could talk easily and work together. 

One other point stood out to me while walking through the classrooms; accommodations for students with special needs.  Because of our AYP status, we have gotten to the point that in pretty much every classroom I walked into, there was at least two adults (a teacher and aide, two teachers, etc).  This is a great situation, but often the second adult was standing to the side, just watching the “lead teacher” do the work. There were two  exceptions to this- was in the group with the guided reading where the aide was working with a small group of students and a second classroom where the aide was redirecting students to pay attention.  

As for technology, our school is in a weird place.  We have just spent a lot of money on updated our labs and getting teachers laptops. However, the classroom computers are outdated and almost unusable.  Therefore, although there were 2-3 computers in each classroom, most were in the corner, off, and sometimes even unplugged.  There was one teacher who had a projector in his room, but the rest of the teachers were using overheads or whiteboards.  Although I think this is a problem, it is a problem that is (for the most part) out of the teachers’ hands.  Teachers do make use of the labs and try to incorporate technology into their classroom as best as they can.  One resource that is not being used is the teachers’ laptops. They see them as “theirs” even though the plan specifically called for them to be used with students as well.  They have a generic student account that could be used for students to access the internet, etc. 

         In general, I was disappointed but not surprised by the traditional (old fashioned) makeup of the classrooms.  I’m not sure what will change it, because most of the teachers in the school are younger and have been exposed to methods such as cooperative learning or centers.  I am hopeful that some of the classrooms might transform into places where more active learning occurs. 

Second Order Change

Based on your understanding of the Marzano reading, which of the 21 responsibilities and day-to-day management of a school are most necessary for second-order change? How does the complexity of second order change demand a very thoughtful and flexible administrator?



Second Order Change is defined a "deep change".  Marzano lists seven responsibilities related to this deep change, and in my opinion there are three that are the most important.

3-  Ideals/Beliefs- If this type of change is going to happen, it cannot happen superficially.  It has to happen because the leader truly believes these changes are important.  This is especially true given the losses that could occur during this change process (culture, communication, order, and input).  If the leader is willing to give up these things, he/she must truly believe that the deep change must happen.

2-  Optimizer-  Not only does the leader have to believe in the change, he/she needs to be its biggest cheerleader.  People won't follow unless someone is truly leading, and showing the reasons why this change is needed .

and, to me the most important responsibility is......

1-  Change Agent- This responsibility sums up what it means to make second order change.  The leader is taking a risk an asking others to take a risk with him/her.  It is possible that this change might not work, or even that it can make things worse.  It is also possible that the leader might ruffle some feathers in the process.  Again, if the change is worth it, the leader has to "be the sand in the oyster". 

These are just a few reasons that the administrator has to be thoughtful and flexible.  Things won't always go perfectly and if the leader gets rattled or thrown off by problems, it can lead to everyone becoming derailed.  Therefore, the leader needs to put his heart and soul (and brain) into making this happen!

Positive School Culture

This week's question asked What impact does the creation of a positive school culture have on school reform.  And I would answer by saying that a positive school culture is really probably the most important aspect in reform.  The best way to explain this is by comparing two schools I am familiar with, my husband's and mine.

My husband works in a suburban high school.  It is a large school, with a lot of pressure on the staff.  The school district has been on strike 5 times in the history of the school.  There is a lot of animosity between the teachers and the adminsitration.  Because of this, no matter what the district initiatiive is, there is a fight between the administration and staff.  When my husband comes home and tells me things the district wants to do, I can see that their ideas the match those of a PLC .  But, because of the hard feelings between the groups, it is seen as forced change and an attack on the teachers.  There is no sense of collaboration nor group goals.  Reform is very difficult there.

On the other hand, my school district's staff members just agreed to a temporary pay freeze in order to save jobs for staff members and to maintain the current offerings for students. Once the teachers agreed to that, the board made an "executive decision" to freeze the pay of all the administrators even though each of those contracts is individually negotiated.  Our district has a culture of "always doing what's best for the kids" and we all work together to do that.  That's why I believe concepts such as PLCs and other types of school reform are accepted and collaborated on by teachers.  Of course, there are desenters, but for the most part we realize that we are a team that gives our colleagues the benefit of the doubt.

In the end, it is the students who win in these types of situations.  School culture can make or break progress and reform, therefore it must be taken very seriously!

What is an Effective School Leader

So far this course has had a profound effect on my thoughts on the qualities of an effective leader in many ways.  To begin, I realized that an effective leader must be a “lamb”.  I would imagine it is easy for leaders to get trapped in the “superman” trap, the feeling that he/she must be everything to everyone.  To avoid this trap, I believe it is important to  have a strong leadership team and empower everyone in the school.  

Additionally, it has been very eye opening to see the many “hats” an effective leader must play. As mentioned in the voice thread, it seems that an effective leader has to be everything from a counselor, to a parent, to an architect.   However, perhaps  tthe most important leadership skills are mentioned by Murphy when he discusses being a member of the community who respects and doesn’t “ignore the unheroic side of lower level staff” and his idea of reciprocity; the realization that “if you don’t listen to others, they won’t listen to you”. 

After years in a building with this type of leader, I can see the importance of these skills. It is this type of leader who builds a we and us type of community instead of an us and them feeling.   In my district, the teachers just agreed to a pay freeze for the next four years because they knew that the alternative would hurt the students and the district as a whole.  We realize that although there may be differences of opinions, we all are in it together.  My husband works in a district with an us and them type of feeling and it is very disheartening.  Decisions are seen as imposed instead of discussed.  The teachers have been on strike nine times in 35 years.  It is a well-paid position, the school provides a lot for the students, but he hates it.  He hates going to work and doesn’t feel effective or respected in the district.  And, what makes it worse is he has an EdD and could be seen as a resource and staff leader.

I believe the top three characteristics a leader must have are vision, integrity, and savvy. 

·      Vision:  Vision is essential for a leader and for the entire school community.  But, for a vision to be authentic, it there are a few essential characteristics.  I agree with Murphy’s description of the vision as a blueprint.  But, a blueprint isn’t a final version.  I believe that the vision should be clearly communicated to the staff, but again it is essential to respect and hear the other staff members.  As Murphy discusses, the principal can/should be a driving force, but “involve other key actors while clarifying and synthesizing views”, thus creating a truly shared vision.

·      Integrity-  I think this is the characteristic that is the most transparent.  Leaders must, as Evans points out stand for something and live and breathe that value.  I think one of the most discouraging things to see is a leader who is blown by the wind and doesn’t seem to know what they believe in, perhaps being just a messenger from voices above.  Of course, the district vision must be upheld, but just as the principal should hear the teachers, principals and upper leadership should express their viewpoint in the district.

·      Savvy  -  Although this characteristic is important, I’m not sure it can be taught or learned by anything except experience or time.  Just as teachers learn the “art” of teaching, I believe a true leader begins to learn the art of leadership through experience and continuous learning.  Leaders must learn to balance the roles and use different skills at different times.  They most also learn to rely on others who possess skills that they be lacking.

Obviously, my thoughts on being an effective leader will change throughout the course, program, and experience.  But, at its core, I believe that these skills or characteristics are the ones that will help a leader rise to his/her utmost ability

21 Leadership Responsibilities Analyzed

Analyzing the Responsibilities of the School Leader Self-Assessment was very interesting. The areas in which I need to continue to work were very obvious after looking at the results of the online assessment. However, in reality, none of these results were overly surprising. In fact, my self-assessment correlates very closely to the actual results of the survey.

As evidenced in the attached 21 Responsibilities table, both sets of results show me that my strengths lie in the “softer” sides of leadership, such as relationships, input, communication, etc. This really didn’t surprise me because I’ve always enjoyed working in groups and trying to work as a team. One thing that did surprise me is how these have a lesser correlation with student achievement. I have very mixed feelings about this. Of course, makes me realize that some of my “weaker” areas are things I’m going to have to work harder at. However, I thought two of Marzano’s points were especially interesting. The first issue he noted was that each of the responsibilities is important and that each has an effect on achievement. So, even the areas that might have a lower correlation with student achievement still have an effect. The other point that stood out to me was how the rank order changes as the responsibilities are looked at from another perspective. For example, many of the areas that I feel that I am stronger in would lead to (I believe) a more positive, open school culture. That type of culture definitely leads to learning and growth in the school. Therefore, even though some of the areas that I am stronger in are not as directly correlated to student achievement, I still believe they are important.

That said, in schools we obviously do want students to achieve. So, this gives me food for thought. I can’t use the idea of “well my strengths are good too” to get me by. I’m going to need to start thinking more about the areas in which I scored lower. In particular, Marzano highlights the area of situational awareness - an area in which I scored lower. If it is true that situational awareness is more highly related to student achievement, I will need to spend time this year taking this into account while in different schools. One issue that affects me particularly is the fact that in my current position I move between 12 schools, so it’s hard to get a good grasp on the issues of one particular school. I hope that by working with a school-based principal, I can get more experience with this type of responsibility.

Finally, I think that this survey helps me realize the importance of a strong leadership team. Obviously, there are areas of responsibility that would be more difficult for me, and that’s why I believe that a leadership team needs to work together to collectively hit each of these responsibilities. In a school, a team of principal, assistant principal, dean, social workers, learning coaches, etc, would be able to very effectively create a unit that would address all of these responsibilities.

Transformational Leadership

            Although it seems strange, when I think of transformational leadership, the TV show Friends comes to mind.  Friends were truly an ensemble cast.  If someone were to ask you who the star was, it was different each week, depending on the theme, or problem of the episode.  And, the actors seemed to truly care about and value each other both on the set and off.  One example of this was when negotiations began the cast members insisted that no one actor earned more than the others.  Somewhere, behind the scenes there was a director and producer guiding the group but rarely getting attention for it.   From what I read, transformational leadership leads to the same type of atmosphere- a group of people working together, with a common vision, working together , as described by James MacGregor Burns, to “raise one another to higher levels of motivation and morality.” And, like the director/producer in the Friends example, there is a leader there, but he/she doesn’t need to be in the spotlight.  In fact, no one needs to be in the spotlight.  All members would work together to work for the collective, each member putting forth his/her strengths to help this community.  Ideally, like Friends, the group as a whole work together to put produce a school community that is positive, remembered, and of great quality. 

            Even though the “director” is behind the scenes and doesn’t really need to be noticed, his/her transformational leadership strongly impacts the way an administrator leads a school.  As stated by Kenneth Leitwood, there are basically three categories of practices that the leader most complete; setting directions,  developing people, and redesigning the organization.  Each of these aspects is important, but perhaps the most important two are the setting of direction and developing people.  Really, if the school doesn’t have a vision, it’s almost as dangerous as letting the reigns loose on a horse.  Things in the school will “move” but you don’t know if it’s forward, sideways, or even backward.  As mentioned by Colonel Mark Homrig, transformational leaders have an “inspirational vision” and the followers share that vision.  With a common vision, the “leader” and “followers” can work together and, as Burns states, become “ennobled”.  Leitwood states, interestingly that the second practice is to “develop people”.  The word people is very deliberate and telling.  When the transformational leader works with people, he sees them as people.  Not as staff, or as employees, or as teachers.  It shows that the transformational leader is able to have, as Homrig mentions, general interest in followers.  This practice is empowering to the followers and strengthening to the community as a whole.            

            Of course, all of these benefits are enhanced when incorporated technology into mix.  Many of the “Web 2.0” type programs/websites highlight the ideas of collaboration and communication.  Using wikis and blogs in these transformational schools would increase communication, give teachers a place to collaborate and even offer possibilities of professional development with online learning course and/or discussions.

            The TV show Friends ended over six years ago. Yet, people still speak of it. It is seen as a model of collaboration, where an ensemble got together and created something fresh, new, and exciting.  I believe that 21^st century schools can do the same when lead in a transformational way!

           

            

Reflect and Look Ahead

Now that we are approaching the end of the of the online orientation weeks, I feel much more comfortable with the organization and format of the program.  First, I want to say that I am very impressed with how simple it has been to become familiarize myself with the online format.  It is very visually appealing and enjoyable.  Now that I am more familiar with with the rhythms of this program, I  think the best plan for me is to log in each night after my kids go to sleep.  Doing this will keep me up to date with announcements and discussions in the discussion boards. It will also allow me to do the activities in little chunks, making it much more manageable.  Obviously if there's a synchronous chat, I will need to log on for that as well, but as a rule post bedtime is a great, quiet time for me to work on these activities.   


As for my expectations for the program, I really have three main expectations.  First,  I hope to expand my horizons.  One of the things that most attracted me to this program was the opportunity to collaborate with like-minded (and not so like-minded) people from different places and backgrounds.  Since I have worked in the same district for the last 13 years, it's easy to believe there is only one correct way to think.  Another expectation I have is to learn more about different technology tools available.  I am pretty familiar with current technologies for the classroom but as we know, things are rapidly changing and this program provides me with an opportunity to expand my horizons and learn new things.  Obviously, the third goal I have for this program is to learn what it takes to be a good leader in the educational setting.  Like everyone, I have worked with good and not so good school leaders, and I hope to learn methods and theories regarding leadership. 


Honestly, right now I don't think I need any additional support.  All of the materials, activities and expectations are very easy to find/follow.  The only part of the program that is a little awkward for me is not being able to put faces/ideas with names. I figure, though, that once we all meet in Denver, it will solve this problem for the most part. 


So, now I'm excited to get more into the "meat" of this program.y.  Can't wait to meet everyone in Denver!