Leaders know and understand what it means and what it takes to be a leader

According to the School Superintendents Association (AASA) Code of Ethics, (2007)

there are standards that professional leaders follow. The first two standards are as follows:

makes the education and well-being of students the fundamental value of all decision making

(p. 1) and fulfills all professional duties with honesty and integrity and always acts in a

trustworthy and responsible manner (p. 1). It would seem that these standards would be

naturally inherent to all educators and educational leaders. As an educator, my students and their

safety are always my top priority. I always push my students to fulfill their academic potential.

Depending on the students functioning level, their needs may be different, however what

matters to me the most is meeting the needs of the students I teach and/or the students within my

building. I chose to become an educator and presently an administrator not only to teach my

students but to also show them the values of working hard and striving to do their best.

Administrators are not in the classroom daily, like a teacher, however their job within the

school building is extremely important to a school community. They are responsible for all

students within their building, their academic needs as well as their social/emotional needs.

During the school day, students safety is the number one priority. It is important for parents to

know that when their children are in school the administrators are making sure their children are

in a safe and secure academic environment. Administrators bear heavy responsibilities upon their

shoulders. They need to be a voice for their teachers and students and also create an atmosphere

of learning and mutual respect. The administrator is someone who teachers can go to for

instructional support, guidance and use as a resource for questions regarding students, parents,

and any situations that may arise. Students can also go to their administrator not only for their

academic needs but to ensure that they feel safe when they are in school.

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 As I reflect on my shadowing experience, I think about how a principal wears many hats.

When walking through the hallways, it is obvious that the principal knows her students by name

and is able to discuss personal matters with them. She is able to have conversations with

teachers and remember key details. She is strict and maintains order while at the same time

shows kindness and compassion. She is aware of what is going on at all times. In watching her

interactions with her cabinet, she is able to delegate to her assistant principals but is always

cognizant of the functioning of her building. When attending an instructional team meeting, I

could see the principal act as a member of the team and exhibit confidence in her staff to be

participants active in their own learning. She is always respectful of her teachers privacy and

keeps confidentiality.

Being a leader is a multi-faceted role. In leading a building, one is responsible for

managing students, teachers, nurses, custodial staff, cafeteria staff, secretarial staff, guidance

counselors, and psychologists. It is imperative to always listen and not rush to judgments or

make decisions too quickly. A principals reactions to any situation requires the response to be

knowledgeable and articulate. I feel that a principal is constantly balancing the thin line between

expressing emotions and feelings but also maintaining professionalism at all times.

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 Leaders have a vision for schools that they constantly share and promote

What does it mean to have a vision? A teacher has a vision for their class. They want all

students to reach their potential and have a positive mindset throughout the school year. An

administrator has a vision for their school in which they want to ensure academic success for all

students and a positive work environment for all staff. A leaders vision is multi-faceted. A

leader who is in charge of a school building has many responsibilities. According to Kantner

(2011), an administrators vision is compared to a camera that has the function to zoom in or

zoom out. The lens that an administrator looks through is crucial to daily tasks as well as in

making snap judgements when a crisis arises. The aspects of zooming in and zooming out are

crucial when used in sync but detrimental when used in isolation.

At JHS 194 the mission statement of our building was derived from the New York Times

bestseller, Angela Duckworth. We pride ourselves on the value of GRIT; our students and staff

strive to be Genuine, Resilient, Independent and Tolerant. This idea that the principal, Mrs.

Miller, pioneered in her entry to the building six years ago has had lasting effects. By being an

integral part of this change peaked my curiosity as to how the principal was able to embody

GRIT. She models for the staff the character that she envisioned within the mission statement.

She expressed her commitment by saying good morning to staff, students, and parents daily to

create a welcoming start to the day. In her office she has an open door policy that she tries to

always maintain. In conversations she does her best to have a genuine discussion where she can

see the other persons perspective. She tries to remain respectful at all times and be responsive to

emails sent to her to the best of her ability. She tries to do this in a timely manner with a

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respectful tone. She wants to always be transparent and open to her staff community as well as

maintaining a willingness to listen to new opinions.

One of the reasons why the mission statement has become a long-lasting school vision

was because Mrs. Miller did not tell the staff they needed to follow it. This vision came to

fruition as a school-wide change that everyone adopted. There were many meetings that took

place to support this work as a staff. Once the staff had collaborated and agreed upon this shared

vision then it was natural for the students to adopt it as well. According to Toll (2017), Instead

of pursuing their interest in "getting" someone to do something, leaders might rework their

interest to consider how they can collaborate with others around the topic or problem at hand.

By doing this together, teachers and leaders can develop a plan that is owned by all (p. 31).

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 Leaders collaborate and cooperate with others

One of the most important jobs of a principal is to listen to all the constituents of a school

and to then make decisions based on the needs of the school community. According to Safir

(2017), Rather than declare a vision, the listening leader constructs one through a dynamic

process in which dissenting perspectives are welcome. He or she also views students, staff and

parent voices as vital sources of data (p.18). I feel that in order to create a positive school

climate it is imperative that the principal be a good listener and a collaborator. When I think

about how leaders collaborate, I think about the ways in which Principal Miller involves the

school community into her decision making. She includes students, parents, and staff when

feasible. One way she has given the students a voice is by creating a student council. Each

grade level has one representative from each homeroom that meets with the principal once a

month. They decide on such issues as class trips, different kinds of school incentives, dances etc.

Mrs. Miller empowers her students to bring pertinent issues to the table so the students have a

voice.

In terms of the teaching staff, there are many different initiatives that Mrs. Miller

establishes. There is a Professional Development committee that helps plan professional

learning experiences that will be held throughout the school year by department and school-wide.

Another example that comes to mind is when the principal hosted a professional development

series on the Danielson rubric. During this learning experience Mrs. Miller discovered there was

varied conversations around the room surrounding the term rigor and its definition. As a

result of the confusion experienced she asked the staff for feedback regarding how rigor should

be defined. Over the course of three weeks the staff and administration collaboratively came

together to cultivate a definition of rigor. We have since re-evaluated the term and made

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revisions two years later as our needs have evolved. According to Tschannen-Moran (2014)

When principals exchange thoughts and ideas freely with teachers, it not only enhances

perceptions of those leaders trustworthiness but leads to greater openness on the part of teachers

as well (p 29).

Principal Millers relationship with parents is impressive. This is evidenced in our

School Leadership Team (SLT), as a member of the SLT I have witnessed the principal

collaborate and cooperate with parents, staff, and administrators on a monthly basis.

Responsibilities of the SLT included developing school-based educational policies, and ensuring

that resources and budget were aligned to implement those policies. The principal not only

displayed the importance of parent involvement in the decision making process during SLT

meetings but at the Parent Teacher Association meetings as well. Another way Mrs. Miller

included parents was to make time over the course of the year where parents were invited to

come into the building and attend classes with their children.

As I reflect on collaborative leadership, I see that the stakeholders in decision-making,

include administrators, students, teachers, and parents. Tschannen-Moran (2014) state

Principals and other school leaders need to earn the trust of the stakeholders in their school

community if they are to be successful. They need to understand how trust is built and how it is

lost (p. 8). Mrs. Miller facilitates that each meeting be comprised of stakeholders whose

opinions, ideas, and thoughts matter. Everyone who is a part of the meeting walks away with the

feeling that what they brought to the meeting is valuable and will make changes for the

advancement of the school.

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 Leaders support, develop, and nurture staff

One of the ways to lead a successful school is to make sure that the needs of the staff are

being met. It is important for staff members to feel that they are part of a community. Each

member has to know when he/she enters the school that the principal always has the best interest

of the faculty. According to Lunenburg & Ornstein (2012), A supportive leader is friendly,

approachable, and concerned with the needs, status, and well-being of subordinates (p. 115).

The one thing that I have learned from my principal, Mrs. Miller, is the importance of

being open with staff members and giving them the freedom to grow. There were many points

throughout my career that I spoke with her in regard to an idea, thought, or initiative that she

encouraged me to act upon. She gave me the freedom to create what we discussed without

critiquing the process. I have been pushed to challenge myself while being supported and given

the confidence to accomplish whatever I desired. Before I made the decision to begin the

administration program, Mrs. Miller took the time to explain the coursework and exams. She

encouraged me to apply to the program and stated that I had great potential in a middle school

setting.

Mrs. Miller shows her whole staff how supportive she is by praising departments when

they achieve milestones. Her staff meetings demonstrate how a leader can provide positive

feedback while still empowering individuals to reach his/her potential. Mrs. Miller is always

providing her staff with opportunities for professional learning outside of the building, asking

teachers to create new clubs, or encouraging teachers to apply for leadership positions within the

school. She has created an atmosphere of mutual respect and whole-school collaboration.

A principal has a responsibility to student learning but at the same time has an even

greater obligation to her teachers. According to Fiarman (2017) it is imperative to build teacher

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leadership within the schools culture. One of the ways to change the school culture is to help

the teachers go beyond the thinking of individual classrooms and think of the school as a whole.

Another way is to allow for shared responsibility in decision making. Mrs. Miller opened up the

possibility of book clubs allowing teachers to broaden their pedagogy. Teachers in any

department could choose their focus and were given time to meet within the clubs. The books

were provided for teachers and proved to be a successful endeavor. According to Fiarman

(2017), ...as principals provide support and give meaningful decisions back to teachers, we

should expect to see more innovation and a greater sense of professional success among teachers

as they lead the way in improving student learning (p. 27).

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 References

AASA, The School Superintendents Association. (2007, March 1). Code of Ethics: AASA's
Statement of Ethics for Educational Leaders. Retrieved from
http://www.aasa.org/content.aspx?id=1326

Fiarman, S.E. (2017). Building schoolwide leadership mindset. Educational Leadership,

74(8), 22-27.

Kanter, R.M. (2011, March). Managing yourself: Zoom in, zoom out. Harvard Business Review,
112-116.

Lunenburg, F.C., & Ornstein, A.C. (2012). Educational administration: concepts and practices
(6th ed.). Belmont, CA:Wadsworth.

Safir, S. (2017). Learning to listen. Educational Leadership, 74(8), 16-21.

Toll, C.A. (2017). Five perspectives for leadership success. Educational Leadership, 74(8),
28-31.

Tschannen-Moran, M. (2014). Trust matters: Leadership for successful schools (2nd ed.). San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.