Running Head: SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 1

Shadow an Administrator

Brittany Woznick

EDL 650/651 Spring 2020

SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 2

Shadow an Administrator

Morning Experience

At the beginning of the school day the chairperson for English Language Arts, English as

a New Language and Literacy was in his office when a new teacher in his department was

trying to contact him about substitute teacher plans that were not accessible. The teacher

needed to have computer access in order for these plans to be. The teacher contacted the

English chairperson the night before via email, and then called him again the next morning after

realizing that the plans would not work. The English chairperson knew that the teacher had a

period one class, so he made it a number one priority to address the situation. He went to the

main office to ask the secretary to obtain coverage for the teacher that had access to a

computer. This was accomplished rather quickly, and then he contacted the technology

department to create a login, so that the substitute teacher could access the plans that were left.

However, shortly after the substitute teacher realized that the projector was not working and the

film could not be played. The English chairperson stepped in again to secure a technician to fix

the projector. The English chairperson contacted the co-teacher for the other class periods and

let them know of the situation. He was able to resolve the problem quickly and timely, so that

the substitute teacher would be able to carry on for the rest of the day with the initial plans that

were provided by the absentee teacher. This was a spontaneous situation that the English

chairperson did not anticipate but handled efficiently and accordingly.

This situation can be related to the strategy of delegating work to key people in order to

accomplish a given task. According to Marshall (2008), some leaders may have an urge to do

everything themselves, which in reality is impossible, or can put too much stress on themselves

to actually get work done. In this last minute situation, with a teacher needing help with their

substitute teacher plans while being out of the building, prompted the English chairperson to
SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 3

delegate duties to others in order to get the class up and running for the day. To be effective as

an administrator, you have to have the right type of people in the right positions, who are able to

complete the tasks given to them. In this situation, the English chairperson was able to direct

the secretary to secure substitute teacher and also delegate responsibilities to the technology

department to ameliorate the technology problems. All of these people were able to carry out

tasks that allowed the English chairperson to accomplish what was necessary to provide

meaningful instruction to the students. He was able to have these two groups of people

successfully ensure that the classroom of the absent teacher was established for the day with

little notice and time.

Following this and at this time of year, the English chairperson is responsible for

advertising for new positions for his department. Presently, there are a few positions that will

need to be filled. He is working on typing up the information for the postings. This has been a

time consuming process. Once he is able to verify all the information, he will then post the

positions and begin the hiring process. However, he first needs the approval from his

supervisors including the assistant superintendent before posting for new hires. He is just

beginning the process now and will continue with it once he gets the approval he needs.

The English chairperson is also focusing on scheduling and completing observations for

teachers in his department with in the building and the other schools in the district. He spent

some time contacting teachers, arranging observation dates, and also, finalizing paperwork for

the observations that he had already completed. He would seek out teachers to obtain

signatures or to ask a quick question. Rather than emailing, he would make it a point to ask

people in person, since he believed that he could get the information in a more timely manner

by doing this, and it helped him get out of his office and walk around for a bit. He was also

working on submitting a tenure review for one teacher in his department. He was gathering all
SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 4

the information about this teacher and composing a paragraph about the teacher to submit to

the principal. He has a specific format that he must follow and also must submit this information

using an online system. He had been working on this for a few months now, but with the

deadlines approaching, he had to make sure all the information is correct and in order, so that

the teacher could be reviewed for tenure. He had a well-organized list of the observations that

he had completed, and continued to fill in information as well as identified items that he still

needed to accomplish. He tries to get all of his observations out of the way, so that the school

year can end on a smooth note, instead of waiting until the last minute.

This director’s approach to his responsibilities can be associated with the best

management strategies for principals. According to Marshall (2008), “Visibility and accessibility

really matter in this job.” This statement is so true as I witnessed the English chairperson make

it a point to leave his office and speak with teachers about observations, instead of simply

sending an email. This happens all too frequently, as for other administrators it seems easier

and more timely to communicate by sending an email or even a text message. The English

chairperson really took this into account by making sure to have a direct conversation with

teachers, who were within his vicinity. He would also speak directly with the assistant

superintendent about the new job postings, if he did not hear back from her. He believes that

sometimes it is easier to get answers by going straight to the source and having face to face

conversations. This is a quality and practice that really goes a long way in education. We all

know that speaking with someone face to face, whether it is a parent, or even simply in learning,

with having a student present in your classroom, makes all the difference and is much more

meaningful. It is very important for administrators to embrace that practice and not get caught

up at their desks. To time to go around the building and have in person conversations with their

staff and students is a meaningful and appreciated practice.

SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 5

Next, the English chairperson teaches classes a few times a day, depending on the

schedule if it is an A or B day. He teaches an Academic Skills Development course that is

designed for students who need extra support in their content areas. These students are

regular education students, but can benefit from extra support and are recommended by their

teachers. This class is held every other day. In the lesson, he worked on English based

reading skills and used Anne Frank as a mentor text. This was a different version from the one

students are reading in class but allows him to review the same concepts. The students in this

class switch out every quarter based on their grades and teacher recommendations. The

English chairperson mainly focuses on English skills but will also review Social Studies if the

students require support in that area.. He also spends some time reviewing study skills that can

relate to all their classes. Additionally, he co-teaches an English 12 class, which is an English

elective available to seniors who want to prepare to take college level English classes when

they graduate. The class spends time reading and writing throughout the year, and it is a more

relaxed course, since graduation requirements have been completed. Therefore, there is more

flexibility with the concepts and materials included. The main focus of the class is to prepare

these students for what to expect in college related to reading and writing.

This aspect of the chairperson’s day can correspond to the strategy of helping

administrators stay in touch with what is happening in the classrooms. Since the English

chairperson still has the responsibility of teaching a few classes, it really allows for him to

maintain an accurate picture of what the classrooms are like day to day and stay focused on

instruction and student learning (Marshall, 2008, p. 21). It can be very easy for administrators to

lose sight of what goes on in the classroom when they have been out of them for so long.

Fortunately, for the English chairperson, he is still able to be a chairperson and also teach the

subject area that he once did. He truly has the best of both worlds. It really lets him retain that
SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 6

understanding of classroom and teacher life, while focusing on broader issues that will benefit

the school building and district.

Afternoon Experience

Afterwards, the English chairperson was working on preparing for the English Language

Arts (ELA) administration and scoring and also for the ​New York State English as a Second

Language Achievement Test​ (NYSESLAT) administration and scoring. Both tests begin to take

place in the Spring, and there is a lot of protocol and paperwork that needs to be completed.

The ELA scoring is scheduled for some time in early April and requires a committee of teachers

who are willing to score. Documentation needs to be verified by the school in order for the

procedures to be implemented. The NYSESLAT is associated with Title 3 funding that is

received from the State by the school district, which funds the ENL services that are needed.

This is districtwide, and the English chairperson must complete two State reports and ensure

that the money is being used properly. The two State reports are the CR154 and the CEESP,

which the English chairperson is currently working on. He must correct information that was

returned from the State from last year’s reports. Sometimes more information is required in

addition to submitting the application for the current school year. This consumes much time and

is a very tedious clerical task. The English chairperson is responsible for providing detailed

responses for each section on the reports. He was adding information that is required by the

State annually and determining a plan of action as well as creating a spreadsheet that notes the

personal information and the services for all of the ENL students districtwide.

This relates to the leadership idea that having a planning system is a must in order to

accomplish tasks. According to Marshall (2008), breaking down goals and tasks into targets,

writing them down, and making monthly deliverables, helps ensure that all the next steps in all

key areas are laid out ahead. By the English chairperson reviewing these documents and
SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 7

setting to-do lists demonstrates having a planning system. The key idea here is to have a wider

perspective on accomplishing tasks and a procedure for organizing priorities. This may require

more time for planning, but in the long run, it really helps get things done in the grand scheme of

things, instead of just crossing off little tasks on a to-do list. The English chairperson oversees

all of these responsibilities by looking at the time frame and is able to accomplish these tasks by

viewing the magnitude of the job.

The second to last item of the day was the English chairperson meeting with a high

school teacher about a new course that they are currently teaching, which is a creative writing

class for college credit. The English chairperson called the teacher in to speak with him and get

feedback about how the year has been going. The teacher shared the pros and cons of the

class and said that the students were really enjoying it. He believes that it is an offering that will

run again next year. The English chairperson needed to get this information from the teacher

about the new course, so that he could share the information at the supervisors’ meeting at the

end of the day. The principal requested for all supervisors to have that information ready to

report on. This was a last minute request from the principal.

After that, the English chairperson headed to the supervisors’ meeting, which was the

last meeting of the school day for this schedule. The building level supervisors meet twice a

month to discuss matters that are current. All of the chair people for each department attended,

along with the assistant principals and principal. They began the meeting by starting off with a

mindfulness activity. They played the game Boggle for the first 10 minutes. Everyone

participated, and it set a positive tone to begin the session. Next, the principal handed out the

agenda and began addressing the items. Some of the topics that were discussed included,

midterm scheduling, checking in with new courses that are running, personnel matters regarding

leave replacements, budget concerns, preparation for tally day, and beginning steps of the
SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 8

master schedule. Each department person responded to each agenda item; the principal guided

the conversations and stopped them when it was time to move on. The principal addressed

some concerns for each topic and asked the department chair people to check in with their

departments and report back. They also spent a lot of time talking about the professional

development that is happening district wide with the Neuroteach initiative. The social studies

chairperson was the one who started the initiative and the other chair people have supported

her in doing so. This is a district wide professional development that is currently taking place

and seems to be getting positive feedback from staff members. The meeting was very relaxed

and proceeded with ease. Everyone was respectful and productive. They all agreed to meet

again later in the month and have more information to share regarding some of the concerns

that were mentioned.

This session can be linked with the management strategy of holding key meetings. This

idea means that meetings should be scheduled regularly, presetting meetings, and consistency

with holding meetings with the leadership team. It is very easy to say that there is too much to

do and too little time to do it. Things come up constantly that can easily be an excuse to cancel

a meeting or reschedule. However, this supervisors’ meeting that is held twice a month, is built

into the supervisors’ schedules, so that they have carved out time to meet and talk about issues

that need attention. It also serves as a way for all the administrators in the building to stay in

touch, meet face to face, and foster positive relationships. It is crucial to have uninterrupted

time for leaders to meet and very important to have professional learning communities

continuously working towards improving their building. (Marshall, 2008, p. 18).

SHADOW AN ADMINISTRATOR 9

References

Marshall, K. (2008). The Big Rocks: Priority Management for Principals. ​Principal

Leadership,​ ​8​(7), 16–22.