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A teacher’s New Year’s resolutions for 21st century school principals
Filed Under Teacher Support, The way I see it | 3 Comments
It’s the end of the year and time to make New Year’s resolutions. I like the idea of reflecting on what went well during the year, what didn’t go so well during the year, and what the next steps for improvement should be for the coming year. Come to think of it, at the end of January teachers will be writing student report cards which are a form of New Year’s resolutions except teachers are making resolutions (next steps are resolutions ) for their students. Today, just because, I’ve decided I’m going to make resolutions for 21st century school leaders. Yes, I’m going to make New Year’s resolutions for principals and vice-principals.
I’m going to limit the resolutions to just three because I’m not all that ambitious today. It is New Year’s Eve after all. Besides, no one wants to be overwhelmed with next steps- at least that’s what my students tell me.
Since I’m not a 21st century principal, I thought I’d better do a bit of research to see what 21st century school leaders believe the essential traits of successful school leaders are. Of course as a teacher I have my own ideas (actually, lots of ideas) , but I don’t want my ideas to prejudice what I say here so I think it best if I go to the horse’s mouth and ask 21st century school leaders what they consider to be the essential characteristics of successful 21st century school leaders.
Education World has gone to the horses mouth. It surveyed principals regarding what they considered to be the most important leadership traits for 21st century school leaders. The principals in the survey maintained the three most important characteristics for 21st century school leaders are having
- Vision and a Plan;
- Credibility and trust;
- Visibility, communication and walk-around management.
Let me quote:
Vision
If you don’t know where you are going, it makes no difference what path you take,” said Helene Dykes, principal at Marian Bergeson Elementary School, in Laguna Niguel, California. “Without a clear vision, you have no way to prioritize what is most essential. A clear vision allows you to focus energy on the most important things to do.”
Credibility
“If credibility and trust are not established, nothing the principal sets out to do can be achieved,” added principal Betty Luckett, of Oakes Elementary School, in Okemah, Oklahoma. “As a principal, trust and credibility are the foundation for my goals and objectives. It is also the fuel for my vision.”
Visibility
“An effective administrator must be visible,” said John Grady, principal at Fairgrounds Junior High School, in Nashua, New Hampshire. “Students, staff, and parents need to see the administrator in the classrooms, in the corridors, at lunches, at bus duty, and at extracurricular activities. If this is accomplished, the administrator will know his or her constituents, be aware of what is taking place in the building, and send the message to all that he or she is concerned.”
“High visibility is also a natural expression of interest and concern,” argued principal Marie Kostick.
Given what the principals in the Education World survey told me regarding the most important characteristics of successful 21st century school leaders, I suggest a 21st century principal make the following resolutions.
1. In the coming year, I shall have a vision for the school that I shall share with all teachers, parents and students.
2. In the coming year, I shall set the standard by telling the truth and being up- front with all teachers, parents and students .
3. In the coming year, I shall get out of my office and be seen all over the school and make it a point to engage in two way communication with all teachers, parents and students.
OK, if you are a 21st century school leader and has
- a vision and a plan that you share with all teachers, parents, and students;
- established credibility and trust with all teachers, parents and students;
- made yourself visible to all in and out of classrooms and engage in authentic two-way conversations
congratulations. Your resolution can be to continue to
- have a vision for the school that I shall share with all teachers, parents and students;
- set the standard by telling the truth and being up- front with all teachers, parents and students
- get out of your office and be seen all over the school and make it a point to engage in two way communication with all teachers, parents and students.
I’ve just thought of a New Year’s a resolution for 21st century school leaders based on a trait not mentioned in the Education World survey of characteristics of successful 21st century school leaders:
In the coming year, I shall walk several miles in a classroom teacher’s shoes.
Resource
Dec
31
Thanks for all your support and happy new year from Teachers at Risk
Filed Under The way I see it | Leave a Comment
Dec
30
My new year’s resolutions
Filed Under Goals, positive climate, Teacher Support, The way I see it | 3 Comments
The excitement of Christmas is over, well almost, and it’s time to make those new year’s resolutions. Some years I don’t bother making new year’s resolutions, but this year I want to. I’ve been taking stock of the past year and thinking about personal goals, projects and behaviours I could adopt or change to improve myself and my life circumstances. I know that I’m a life-long learner, I guess I’m also a life-long improver. I’m definitely a work in progress!
Today while surfing the net, I found a list of things that I want to adopt as personal goals for the coming year. I’m cool with the fact Anonymous created the list. I don’t have a compelling need to create my own list given this one is perfect!
A few friends who understand me and remain my friends;
A work to do which has real value,
without which the world would be the poorer;
An understanding heart;
A sense of humor;
Time for quiet, silent meditation;
The patience to wait for the coming of these things,
With the wisdom to recognize them when they come (anonymous).
Notice these goals do not include the goals of reducing the time it takes me to return students’ work, or creating more meaningful report card comments or even going for a walk at lunch time at least three times a week. No my resolutions this year are more spiritual ones.
I’d be delighted if you’d share some of your new year’s resolutions. Is there something else I could add to my list of resolutions to help me improve myself or my life circumstances? There’s still time. Even though the due date for new year’s resolutions is usually January 1st, Policy 14 will allow resolutions to be submitted after this date. I think the absolute deadline for new years resolutions for 2012 would be December 31, 2012- of course, there are always exceptions. We could recover the resolutions in January 2013 <sarcasm>.
Happy New Year.
Dec
17
Students’ second-hand stress is contagious and can transfer to teachers
Filed Under SOS for Teachers, The way I see it | 1 Comment
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Stress is contagious. We have come to understand the effects of second-hand smoke, and now we are beginning to understand the effects of second-hand stress.
When students come to school anxious, frazzled, or tense, stressed if you will, teachers pick up subconscious signals from students’ facial expressions, gestures, or even students’ nervous sweat. These subconscious signals can elevate teachers’ levels of stress.
The subconscious signals teachers’ pick up affect the autonomic nervous system, the very primitive part of the brain. The autonomic nervous system
houses mirror neurons, which are brain cells with the unique ability to map the actions of others onto our pathway of motor nerves. Mirror neurons fire automatically when an action is carried out, but also when the same action is observed (emphasis added). If you watch someone furrow their brow, the neurons required to furrow our own brow activate, although your facial expression does not change” (emphasis added).
Teachers simply observing students’ negative responses to stress, negative moods or negative mental states can result in a subconscious transfer of the stress, the negative moods or the negative mental states from students to teachers. In short, students’ second-hand stress caused by negative moods and negative mental states can transfer to teachers to negatively affect teachers.
This theory of second-hand stress helps me make sense of my own recent experience in the classroom and why I ended up on medical leave for significant stress. I didn’t realize that just observing students who were experiencing stress, negative moods, or negative mental states could make me experience their stress, negative moods or negative mental states as if it were my own. But, it makes sense when I think about how I felt with . I felt more and more stressed when my students came to class stressed, in negative moods and in negative mental states and not prepared to take responsibility for their own learning or be respectful of one another or me. I just kept wondering why I felt so stressed when I loved teaching and loved working with teenagers. It was all very confusing.
Most of my students are academically at risk for one reason or another. Some of my students hate school for any number of reasons, usually boredom, but they still have to attend school until they are 18, so they come to school with a negative attitude. Other students have very stressful relationships with parents and other adults in their lives and come to school in a negative mental state. When I see the negative expressions and negative body language of students in class, in the hallways, and in the cafeteria, my mirror neurons fire automatically to create and transfer the students stress, their negative moods and their negative mental states to me so I mirror their emotional and mental state.
So knowing about the dangers of second-hand stress, what are we going to do about it so teachers don’t end up burning-out?
Resource
Galea, M. (December 2011). Second-hand stress. Alive, Canada’s Natural Health and Wellness Magazine, 39-41.
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