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Assignment 4.1: Leading with Emotion, Chapter 5, Instructional Leadership: The New
Challenge
(Please note that Part One referred to pages from the book that were not provided but my
response is based on previous discussions, assignments, and readings we have had on this topic.)
Part One:
If we closely examine the role of Mission, Vision, Core Values and Beliefs in the school
improvement process, we should be able to clearly see a positive impact if these components are
developed and implemented in a purposeful and meaningful way. Such statements are meant to
unite and direct the staff and stakeholders of a school and its community. The purpose of a
school is spelled out when the mission, vision and values are clearly stated. These elements give
a backbone to the strategic direction that enables a successful improvement process to take place.
Our values and beliefs are the foundational supports that set the tone thus creating the school
climate. Core values should act as guiding principles that connect those involved on the most
basic level. Common values and shared beliefs must be acknowledged and recognized as
essential building blocks of the foundation before real work can be done. With these, a sense of
trust among stakeholders can be achieved thus forming the relationships necessary to moving
forward. Our values and beliefs should be illustrated through the vision and carried out through
the mission. Without such flow, a school will not reach the pinnacle of success much less
experience any real growth. These core components help to set the direction, form the identity,
and create the culture of a school. The mission defines what we seek to accomplish and our
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vision describes what the future of our school looks like if our mission is accomplished. Our
values and beliefs map out the quest. At the heart of any successful improvement plan must be a
Part Two:
“How much should a school leader need to know about teaching and learning in order
to be an effective school leader?” is a complex question. Addressing this from a personal
experience perspective leads me to say that it is important to have some level of competence
about subject matter and content but more important is classroom experience and instructional
knowledge. When I reflect on my past administrators, those that I felt were most effective were
the ones that were transparent about their strengths and weaknesses when it came to curriculum.
They did not pretend to have all the answers but were skilled at being resourceful and effective
in their coaching role. Years of experience in varied classroom settings, without a doubt, offers a
critical element to the a leader’s overall effectiveness but alone does not ensure impending
success. As a new teacher, it was important to me to feel that my administrators and evaluators
were well experienced and successful during their stints in the classroom. It validated the
feedback that they offered me. I can recall several post conferences where an administrator was
not able to offer me any constructive suggestions and only gave positive feedback for my
observations. Experiences such as these only served to discredit them as an effective leader in
my mind.
My mindset has shifted over the years and though I still feel that classroom experience is an
essential element to building trust and relationships with both staff and students, I have also
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come to understand that an effective leader simply knows good teaching when he/she sees it.
Even if the principal could not begin to explain the difference between mitosis and meiosis,
he/she can evaluate if the teacher covering the material understands the content and is conveying
and assessing it in a way that both engages and intellectually grows the students. Staying abreast
of current teaching trends, research, and instructional strategies keeps administrators in the loop
and ahead of the game. As a future administrator, a constant struggle for me has been coming to
terms with the feeling of inadequacy when it comes to being a leader in every sense of the word.
I have the classroom experience but still feel I fall short when it comes to various areas of
academia such as writing and complex math. By knowing your shortfalls and recognizing your
strengths, I think effective leaders manage their jobs by surrounding themselves with the right
people and that has very little to do with how much content you know.
Part Three:
I agree with the statement “helping teachers improve their effectiveness is the most important
and challenging task instructional leaders face. In fact, it is the number one responsibility of an
instructional leader. If a teacher is the most decisive element in the classroom then we as
administrators determine who those decisive elements are. Administrators are not directly
delivering student instruction and must rely on teachers to do so. As an instructional leader, the
first step is to do the very best you can to fill your classrooms with quality people, people who
are willing to learn and grow in the direction of the school’s mission and vision. People who
share the same values and beliefs. An effective leader knows that it takes time and energy to help
teachers grow their potential and develop professionally. It is not just the new teachers that need
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to be nurtured but the seasoned ones also need to be encouraged to keep growing professionally.
Like high achieving students, I can imagine it is hard to show growth in effective teachers.
However, just like with our students, we owe our “accomplished” and “distinguished” teachers
the opportunity for continued growth. We cannot just invest all of our energy in those teachers
that need the most improvement. For one group will certainly affect the other. As school leaders,
we are only as effective as those who are helping us carry out our mission.
Part 1:
I visited the Iredell-Statesville homepage and selected more than three different schools for
Part 2:
The very first thing that I noticed as I looked over the listing of all of the schools and their
plans was that there were some schools with one comprehensive SIP and some schools that
posted separate plans (sections). There was no consistency among those that had multiple plans
though none listed more than three. Focus areas of the plans included but were not limited to
Reading, Math, STEM, Attendance, and Behavior. I also noticed that there was not one set
format that all plans followed however the majority that I looked at did follow the Plan, Do,
Study, Act Model (PDSA). Most plans also adhered to two main goals as their focus for the two
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year improvement process. By using the PDSA format, it made it easy to find specific
information within the plan. I think it also helps lazer the focus to the key information that is
needed. One problem I have noticed with SIPs previously is there is so much fluff that it takes
time to locate the crucial parts of the plan that need to be constantly monitored and attended to.
One particular plan that I reviewed, was very simple and formated as a matrix. It was easy to
read and to the point but did not follow the PDSA style. I actually prefered this one. One page,
two goals (though the goals were unrealistic in that they set the measurable data at 100%),
strategies, resources, and a place for ongoing assessment of progress and revisions. This seemed
to me to be the best example of a “hyper-focused” plan because it was straight forward and
covered all the areas in less space and and with fewer words.
I did not note any standout weaknesses in the plans I reviewed other than some of the goals
seemed lofty while some seemed to focus on issues that I would not have deemed as crucial to
instructional outcomes as others. There were some programs and resources that a few referred to
that were not familiar to me. The inclusion of an appendix with an explanation of those
I am beginning to understand that the more strategic you are in the planning and executing of
development, the more effective your instructional leadership will be. Streamlining a SIP that
included input from stakeholders other than just an administrative team and rooted in sound data
can guide a school, slowly but surely through the improvement process. Currently, my school
and the other schools in my district are using the NC Star program to drive our SIP process.
Though we were not mandated by the state to use this format, our system is requiring it since
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they feel it will be forth coming as a mandate for low performing schools. NC Star was modeled
after the PDCA format. The only difference is the “Check” verses the “Study” component of
PDSA.