Running Head: Professional Leadership Platform

Professional Leadership Platform

MAEL EL 501

Erin Clemmer

University of Mount Union

Professional Leadership Platform Erin Clemmer

Currently I am a kindergarten teacher in Wellsville, Ohio, which is along the Ohio River.

The city of Wellsville has about 4,000 people residing with the majority being white. Most of the

households are young female lead families with children. At one time, Wellsville had many

prosperous factory jobs, however, the factories have become obsolete and the job opportunities

have left the area. The community has a high poverty rate, with a median household income of

$26,000, half of Ohio’s state median income level.

The unemployment rate is also higher than the Ohio and national average at 9.7%.

Because of the low income, there is a 100% free breakfast and lunch rate at the elementary and

high school. The elementary school also qualifies for a free fruit and vegetable snack program in

which the students receive fresh fruits and vegetables each day in addition to breakfast and

lunch. Aside from the low income, the average education level in the community is also low.

Only 84% of adults in the community completed high school.

The school culture is tight-knit and cohesive. There is an obvious mutual respect between

the staff, the students, and the families. Most of the staff are members of the community and

several of them graduated from the Wellsville Local School District or surrounding school

districts. The principal at the elementary school is a member of the community and was the home

economics teacher for several years before becoming an administrator. Most of her strength lie in

the affective and personal relationships domains. Her dedication to empowering not only

students but also families is evident in her day to day interactions.

Although the external community appears to be depressed, the school is a beacon of light

for the students and families. Counselors, teachers, and the principal provide services, guidance,

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and empowerment for the families. Aside from providing an education, many families depend on

the school for breakfast and lunch for their children. Several adults in the community also find

income opportunities at the school as paraprofessionals, classroom aids, and in the kitchen. The

principal is also an integral, lifelong member of the community; attending church, running

errands, and interacting with families on a daily basis.

In order for our performance to reach its full potential, reflection is necessary. Experience

is valuable, however, it becomes more valuable when you reflect on it in order to gain wisdom.

As an educator and a leader, reflection goes beyond simply thinking, talking, or complaining

​about an event. True reflection requires introspection in which one begins to understand how

their own implicit biases, actions, and reactions affect both the students and staff in their school

community. An important question to ask when reflecting is, “What could I have done better?”.

Reflecting in this way combats our natural tendency to attribute all our successes to ourselves

and all our failures to forces beyond our control (Campbell, 2016).

Although self- reflection can assist in making one a better leader and aid in better

decision making, a leader can still struggle to predict and control the variable human aspect of

their organization. In order to aid in gaining desired outcomes, it is necessary to communicate

clear and concise goals and policies.

A held belief is that if a leader communicates high expectations, then those they are

leading will rise to those expectations. According to​ ​Sangeeth Varghese (2010), a contributor to

Forbes Magazine and founder of LeadCap Ventures, in his article, “When Believing It So Makes

It So,” high expectations do yield high outputs. However, the way that those expectations are

communicated is important in order for them to be met. When communicating an organizations

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mission, vision, and policies it is important to do so clearly and so there is no ambiguity. When a

team clearly understands a leader’ s message, they can work strategically to attain those goals.

Establishing and communicating an organization’s mission, vision, and policies is one of the

most fundamental aspects of leadership. An effective leader must also be able to monitor and

model those goals.

Educators often encourage students to value learning and build an intrinsic motivation for

being lifelong learners. However, teachers also often hold the juxtaposing viewpoint that their

own learning is finished and that they are experts in their field. As society continues to change,

so does technology, the job market, laws surrounding education, and best practices for teaching

students. It is necessary for teachers and administrators to continue their learning in order to best

serve their students. Maintaining a community of learners will ultimately lead to students and

district success. Ideally, what I would like to create is a community of learners, where teachers

coordinate with, support, and lead each other in committees, become responsible and organized

in their management of their own learning, and are able to build on their inherent interests and

strengths, to learn in new areas and to sustain motivation to learn (Matusov, 1999, p.163).

According to Kantor and his strengths based research, it is more effective to build on

strengths, rather than attempt to increase skills in a weaker area. Therefore, identifying personal

strengths is the first step in creating and maintaining a community of learners. Communicating

high expectations is important, however, the modeling of those expectation is what is going to

gain support and truly garner the desired results. As educators, the more we show people what

we desire, rather than simply tell, and also provide opportunities, the better we set them up for

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success (Charney, 2014). As an educational leader, I will continue to model professional

decorum, respectful communication, humility, integrity, as well as continued learning.

Currently, a number of schools in the US and abroad challenged themselves to update

and upgrade their teaching and to increase student learning. However, without effective action

plans, many will fail. By working with a clear, concise, and fluid goal, that can be modified as

needed, administrators and teachers can avoid create change effectively and timely. It is

importance to use a backwards design when facilitating change (Campbell, 2016). Determining

where a school is going and what the end game will be can make change less stressful, more

predictable, and more manageable. When an action plan is predictable and well understood,

teachers and other stake holders in the district will be more supportive and more willing to be

proactive in their own behaviors. When facilitating change, strategy and coordination are key.

Facilitating change as well as working with people who are passionate about what they

do will undoubtedly bring conflict. It is important as a leader to be able to resolve those conflicts

in a healthy and productive fashion. There are various reasons that conflict can arise among

professionals: opposing positions, competitive tensions, power struggles, ego, pride, jealousy,

performance issues, compensation issues, or even just someone having a bad day. It is

important, as a leader, to understand the root of the conflict. According to Mike Myatt (2017),

Forbes contributor and a leadership advisor to Fortune 500 CEO’s, there are two major causes of

conflict: communication and emotion.

Clear, concise, accurate, and timely communication of information is necessary to avoid

conflict. Conflict can arise due to miscommunication, no communication, poor communication,

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or ineffective communication. As humans, we all invariably have emotions. It is important to be

sure that we are not making decisions based solely on emotions. As a leader, it is imperative to

control our own emotions while also validating others emotions, but expecting them to express

them in a productive manner.

A good leader will recognize when conflict can be a good thing. During conflict, there

is the potential for an excellent learning or teaching opportunity. Growth and development can

arise out of conflict, so it is imperative that a leader be versed in healthy conflict resolution.

Dissenting opinions that are addressed properly can stimulate innovation and new ideas (Myatt,

2017).

​Effectively communicating with a group takes planning. It is important to first note what

kind of group meeting will be taking place. Will this meeting be an informational briefing, a

planning review, a team building exercise, a meeting to generate new ideas or resolve a conflict,

solve a problem, strategic planning, or will it be a celebration? Most of the group processes will

be completed prior to the meeting to ensure the meeting is effective and timely. The type of

meeting, as well as the subject matter, determines who needs to participate, what kind of

interactions are needed from the participants, and provides the context for selecting the group

process techniques (Fullan and Hargreaves, 2012). As a leader, some information will need to be

communicated individually. It is important that a leader recognizes what types of communication

can be presented to a group and what type of information needs to be communicated individually

(Rath, 2008).

Technology is perhaps the most obvious way to facilitate innovation especially with

many standardized tests being taken on computers and tablets. However, it is important to realize

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that technology cannot substitute good teaching and good teachers. The world and the job market

is becoming increasingly dependent on technology, so technology needs to be used to

supplement teaching and learning. Because students need technology skills, teachers need

technology skills. There are several reasons that technology is necessary. Technology and can

motivate and engage students during instruction. It also helps them be better prepared for their

future.

Jobs that may not have had a digital component in the past, may have one now. Students

connect with technology. Technology occupies a large portion of students’ lives. When they are

not in school, just about everything that they do is connected to technology. By using technology

in the classroom, teachers are changing the way they teach, reaching more students, and

providing students with the tools that will take them into the 21st century. ​Perhaps the most

glaringly obvious needs for the technology is the remote and hybrid teaching models teachers,

students, parents, and administrators have been forced into due to COVID- 19. ​It is important to

ensure that technology is not being used as a time filler. Technology should be closely monitored

and should supplement student learning.

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References:

Campbell, MacRae Linda. (2016). Facilitating Change in Our Schools. John’s Hopkin’s School
of Education. Retrieved from
http://www.education.jhu.edu/PD/newhorizons/future/creating_the_future/crfut_campbell
l.cfm

Charney, Ruth. (2017) Responsive Classroom Strategies: The Importance of Modeling.

Retrieved from
http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/charney/charney003.shtml

Matusov, Eugene. (1999) How Does a Community of Learners Maintain Itself? Ecology of an
Innovative School(2):161-186, Anterim Anthropological Association.

Fullan, Michael and Andy Hargreaves. (2012).

​ ew York, NY:
Professional Capital: Transforming Teaching in Every School. N
Teacher’s College Press. Myatt, Mike (2017). Five Keys to Dealing with Workplace
Conflict. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikemyatt/2012/02/22/5-keys-to-dealing-with-workplace-
conflict/#726709af1e95

Rath, Tom. (2008). ​Strengths Based Leadership. ​New York, NY: Gallup Press. US Census.
(2016). Wellsville Ohio (Data file). Retrieved from
http://censusviewer.com/city/OH/Wellsville

Varghese, Sangeeth. (2010). Communicate Expectations the Right Way. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/2010/07/12/expectations-challenge-demand-leadership-
managing-varghese.html