Things Change!

~Individual Reflection Log #3~

I had previously considered the principal to be the manager of the building. Through readings and discussions, I now see the teachers, students, secretaries and custodians as managers of the building - all under the direction of the principal. The principal is the leader of the show, as is the conductor for a well run orchestra. In both cases, the leader/conductor works hard to get all parts of the organization/orchestra to work together to make beautiful music.
I've generally considered myself to be very efficient at getting things done, and also effective at moving things forward. In the past, I might have considered these qualities enough to be a leader. I noticed over at The Edge of Tomorrow, Ben Grey states that he'd prefer to be an exceptional leader. I've given that some thought and looked around for a word that described the type of leader I'd like to be and I came up with ~ surprising. I'd like to be a surprising leader. Not surprising in the sense of being unpredictable, but surprising in the sense of being refreshing and invigorating.

I want to be the leader that promotes positivity with a feeling of shared community in a familial type environment. I want to work with staff that focus on student learning in ways that are best for students. In order to be this type of leader, I will be open and honest, as transparent as possible, support change as needed, and support staff through changes. I will lead from the front, so to speak.

These leadership goals lead right into the impact that a positive school culture would have on efforts at school reform. The culture of a school needs to be positive and supportive as school reform needs the support of the entire community. A school culture that is respectful of differences, but keeps the focus on student learning will be better equipped to work together through a school reform program that will certainly be challenging. School reform is not easy and often requires folks to rethink their practices. A culture that is able to support itself from within will be more capable of sustaining efforts at systemic change.

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