Week Three: Power Dynamic

Question: Describe the power dynamic at your school site. Identify how you can use this information to influence change at your school.

The power dynamic at my school is very apparent.  The administrators demonstrate implicit power and make sure that every person in the school is aware of their power. The administrators are quick to reprimand staff when they notice something that does not fit into their mold, but do not like to hear their mistakes. My principal and assistant principal collaborate with the chosen few teachers in the school when changes need to be made. Then the chosen few teachers relay messages to the other teachers within the school. In most schools the staff who help the administrators make changes are part of the SIT team or the School Improvement team, but in our case they are the teachers who the principals are the most fond of.

In regards to using this information to influence change in my school would be to bring up my ideas or concerns to the few teachers I have built rapport with. I know the teachers who the principal and assistant principal are close with, and I know that if I can present the idea in a way the other teachers would like then they can present the idea as if it was their own. I know if I presented the idea to the administrators on my own my concerns or ideas would be turned down. It's actually rather sad how some teachers opinions are not worthy to the administrators, and I can only hope this is not the case at every other school.

Week Two: Strength-Based Leadership

Strength-based leadership is an umbrella term for a group of people demonstrating different leadership qualities and strengths necessary to meet one common goal. In this situation the strengths are applied to achieve the goal of meeting the needs of the school and community. The goal of a strength-based teacher leadership group would be to accommodate the needs of a community through providing a well-rounded education for each child while providing support for families and other within the community. As I have always heard, “There is NO I in Team” and if a school wants to promote student learning and achievement then each person within the school plays an important role.

            Most schools contain a SIT committee, or a School Improvement Team. This team is a strength-based leadership group of diversified roles within the school. During the team meetings, this group of leaders create strategies to help improve the appearance, mission, student needs, and other areas that will help the students perform at their best. As always, new and seasoned teachers should strive to be a strength-based leader so he or she can improve the quality of education and environment for his or her students.

Week One Beginning Entry

"What do you hope to learn from this course and how will that help you grow in your leadership skills?"

Becoming a leader in the teaching profession has always been a dream of mine. I have seen the ups and downs that occur within education, and I know that I can bring ideas to my local school system to help student thrive. With this course I hope to gain new ideas and strategies that I can use to sharpen my skills as a teacher leader. I also hope that I can develop my own philosophy for a teacher leader. I know that leaders are key to success in every career, but without prior training a person cannot demonstrate the skills properly. I also hope this course will provide me with theories that I can implement within  my own classroom.

The skills that I gain from this course will help build a strong foundation for success within the classroom and my journey of becoming a principal one day. I know that teacher leadership courses are very different from the information and training we receive during our teacher education program. However, I believe that teachers who want their student to succeed should go beyond the basic teacher preparation program. We should want to be leaders and know best practices for becoming successful leaders. I know that I will not gain all of the knowledge I need for this during this class, but if I build my first stepping stone worth of knowledge then I have achieved my goal.