Earning My Stripes - Now I Must Earn My Wings. Want To Help?

[Mike Parent]

Wow, what a ride I had this school year. Between starting my doctoral degree at Seton Hall University, having my third son (Anthony), and trying to find balance between the demands of being a high school Assistant Principal, a father, a drummer, a student, and friend, I was just recently appointed as the new Principal of the high school which I have called home for the past three years.

So I still have my family, my part-time band, and my doctoral work on the plate. But now I have a whole new meal to chew on.

I'm excited about finally becoming a principal. But before I begin steering the ship, I want to tap into the collective wisdom, intelligence, and vision of the Fireside community.

What advice do you have for me for my first year as principal? What should I do and not do?

I look forward to reading.

[Connie Weber]

Mike, so good to hear from you! Congratulations... life is good. Captain, oh captain, be a good one.

What a great discussion topic. I hope a lot of people share their ideas.

It'd be great to hear about the context you find yourself in. Are you in a big school? What is your student population, what characterizes their needs and drives? What are the values and issues of your local community? How are the teachers--are they connected and open or quiet and closed? Are they experienced? New? How is the overall morale of your school? (We need to reactivate the discussions about Roland S. Barth's book, Learning By Heart; that has a lot of jumping-off points for your questions. I think we're due for a discussion of chapter four.)

Without knowing those aspects of your current situation, I'll go ahead with what's generally important to me and the teachers I know, then add in details as we go along.

Listen. Listen. Listen. Take time to hear what's on people's minds. Maybe even put out a questionnaire about things not often discussed; ask questions while conveying that you really care to hear the answers. What concerns you most? What makes you most proud of our school? What are your fondest wishes and dreams? What are your primary sources of stress? How can you be nurtured most effectively to be able to accomplish your goals? Results of the questionnaire can be shared in list form, anonymously; people can hear each others' views. It's a starting point.

Think with your teachers, don't think for them. Engage both teachers and students in decision-making that affects their school lives.

Help people find connections. Make giant diagrams on the board of central themes in each subject area (generated by teachers); have them draw lines between themes that cross over subject areas. Ask how themes are interwoven and supported across departmental lines.

Have a discussion that starts with the end point, an "ideal student." Ask people to list the qualities the student would have, the student that you are so very proud of, the student that is the "product" of your very best energies and efforts. How does that student act, what does s/he do that makes you know your education has "worked" extremely well? Starting with idealized endpoints is very revealing. It should provide for some uplifting conversations, off the beaten track of those usual deadly-dull and dispiriting faculty meetings. Be the principal who promotes collegial thoughtfulness, the one who uplifts everyone by aiming high... who helps compose a collective sense of purpose and mission. Be the one who activates the sense that everyone there is part of a learning community.

Knowing a bit of how you are, you've already gotten things moving along in these directions. Your reflectiveness and idealism will surely guide you. Just the way you're reaching out to this community here for more ideas says a lot about the kind of educator you are. I'm certain the school is very lucky to have you. Let me be one the first in your online world to send you congratulations and best wishes in the new endeavor!

[Ellen Pham]

And everything Connie said too! She knows much more than me about how things really work! I am always a bit befuddled outside of my classroom : ))))) Connie, I especially liked the part about starting with idealized endpoints. So smart!!! I am going to try that on my own sometime : ), but it is just the kind of activity that I would learn more from as a group.

[Mike Parent]

Connie et al (to answer some of your questions),

The high school is home for 75 faculty and 875+ students any given year. The community (middle class and lower-middle class) is very supportive of our work with the kids and I have a great rapport with them. 1/2 the staff has over 15 years experience and the other 1/2 are less than that. A nice mix. The faculty work well together, but have lost that "team" feeling. What makes me most proud of my school? One, the students are great and the school is rich in tradition, and two, the faculty is becoming ambitious about working with Web 2.0 and pumping the rigor of coursework.

What are my hope? Too many to mention, but a few are:
1. Developing a true PLC and PLNs
2. Increasing the utilization of Web 2.0 tools in all aspects of the school
3. "Untribing" the tribes (creating a truly collaborative faculty)
4. Redeveloping the curricula so as to reflect the needs of students.
5. Creating authentic opportunities for Seniors - internships, service-learning programming, portfolio creation, and college readiness programs.

How's that for a snapshot?

[Skip Zilla]

Congratulations, Mike. How good it is to know that you'll be principally leading the enterprise and the community of learning at your school. I second the encouragement and caveats found in Connie's wonderful reply. As well as you are prepared already to succeed in your new work, I'm not sure that anything I might suggest you consider doing would be either new or challenging to you. Thanks for sharing your great news with us. Given all you have on your plate, it may be difficult to find time to keep us informed about your thinking and agenda, but please do so if you can. We're all ready to help, too, in any way we can.

[Ellen Pham]

You have to understand that there is more than one way of doing something, and that you don't know all the ways of that. You have to respect the teachers who love to teach, whether you fully understand them or not.

Don't be judgmental, don't be a control freak. It is your job to make sure there are no bad teachers in the building, as best as you are able, but you have to look for different evidence than you are probably used to (or have been told); you have to look for teachers who love to teach, and then assume that they've got something going on, whether you "see" it or not- they are your best teachers. So, it would make sense for you to do everything you can to help teachers love to teach. Of course you are going to have problems doing this, and be splayed out in different directions. But this is your main true mission as the principal of a school. This is the moral responsibility of your job. If you have good teachers, you will have a good school. And I think the most objective way to judge this is, if the teacher loves to teach. Then watch, and find out why they love to teach. And you'll learn a lot from that- you'll learn how to help some teachers love what they do more, and you'll learn more, at least, about how to get rid of the few, I think, who don't. You might not be able to get rid of them, but at least you won't be cutting off the healthy branches while the dead wood stays.

There may be other objective ways to judge, but I haven't seen any. The principal must be one of the most fair-minded and least prejudiced persons in the building, to have a great building. It won't come to you in a package or in one "method"- you have to pay attention to what is really there.

Strange enough for you? All I can say is, if I was a principal tomorrow, this is what I would have to guide me. I would also look at the students who love to learn. Not some fantasy student in a book, the real ones in your school. And I would figure out why that individual loves to learn, and how I might be able to apply it to the school system. Everything might not apply, but that's where I'd go to look for knowledge and inspiration.

As far as the rest of being a principal, I have no idea! I'm not even sure all that you guys do : ). I know there is a lot of hassle to it, and you get paid good money to do it, and I've never been jealous of that money- it seems like you earn it. Coming from the perspective of a classroom teacher, that must mean there is A LOT of hassle to it : ), cause there's already plenty of hassle in being a teacher.

Congratulations! Do a good job! Do a job you can be proud of in every way : ) (as best you can :)) )

[Mike]

Hi Mike.... congratulations!!!

* The greatest priviledge of leadership is the chance to elevate lives.

* Manage by Mind- Lead by Heart

*** Schools should be a mirror of a future society.*** Anon

I have uploaded a power point that i have used with learning groups of principals in our area.... it is an attempt to capture some of the essence of the principalship....

Lastly.... leader take care of yourself!!!

You have quite a bit on your plate and that balance will be a significant test.
Make sure you fit in some way to re-fuel yourself !!!

Be well..... mike

[ddeubel]

I agree with Connie about the need to listen. I'd also add -- leading through allowing others to lead. Pick out those who have that talent and promote them, give them space to show their stuff and fire the school culture.

As the ppt of Mike illustrates, the role of school culture is the key to student success. Principals IMO can promote a school culture by tapping the right keys on the teacher keyboard. It is all about people skills!!!!!!
Further to this, be PRESENT. Meaning, get out there as a figure head, prowl the halls and make sure people know you are PRESENT. I had too many principals, so fine and good but who really were always hidden away or going to conferences (or doing Phds :) and not really present (but you can do both !).

I really also think what Ellen says rings true. Do things "softly" and "quietly"....the gentle water erodes the hardest of rock they ancients say.

I hate that so many principals have become accountants and bookeepers/managers these days. Like our politicians they've become number jugglers and have abrogated their real calling -- to be cheerleaders! Just let your school and your teachers know WE CAN.

All the best to ya,

David
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

[Mike Parent]

Wow! Great. Thank you so much. I added this to my Slideshare account. I am very grateful.

[Mike]

CHANGE IN SCHOOLS- THOUGHTS ON CHANGE……

An absolutely perfect day in southern new jersey. Bright blue sky, low humidity, and an ocean breeze…. Doesn’t get much better!!!

“Effective leaders put words to the formless longings and deeply felt needs of others.” (Warren Bennis)

“Community building must become the heart of any school improvement effort.” (Thomas Sergiovani)

“School cultures can not be changed from with-out; they must be changed from with-in.” (Roland Barth, 2001)

I have been in education now at a variety of levels and continue to be surprised at how others conceptualize school change. Michael Fullan has written extensively about school change along with many others. Yet when we get to where “theory of change” meets reality there are huge gaps.

First lets take a “Critical Look” at Standards Based District or State Wide or National (NCLB) Change initiatives that are currently sweeping through the country.

These initiatives at there core are very similar.
1.Identify world class standards particularly in math, literacy and science.
2.design a system of assessments mapped back into these standards
3.develop a curriculum based on the standard and assessments
4.make a serious investment in ongoing professional development for school leaders and teachers.

So…. As Fullan asks: What is wrong with this theory of change? What are the underlying assumptions and are they correct????

Underneath this theory…. It assumes that simply by aligning key components of a change initiatives and then driving them forward by use of sanctions and rewards, with lots of pressure and support, good things will end up happening on a large scale. We simply need to work on the various components of the change theory and the results will lead to improvements.

This theory…gives many people a lot of different things to “be busy about”.

The key question though is will these things, even if done extremely well, change what goes on with-in each class room between the key players of the students and the teacher?

The answer, quite simply is no… it misses the key point that just about every leadership expert talks about…. It does not address the school culture.

It does not begin to answer the deeper question…

Fullan: “ how do we change school culture and under what conditions will continuous school improvement happen?”

The transformation of education will only occur when we begin to look more deeply at the practice of teaching and learning that occurs between the teachers and his/her students. Teaching is both an art and a science and we need to look very deeply into the art of good teaching.

Any school leader has seen this very quickly at the school level…. They have seen great lesson plans and poor teaching…they have seen poor lesson plans and great teaching…

Standard based change initiatives are not connected to changes in what happens in the classrooms on a daily bases and they fail to recognize the critical importance of school cultures.

School cultures…any culture is not very easy to change… all the pieces of the standards movement are dealing with things… things are easy to change…..

Human beings are not things…..


Transformation of schools is much more complex work then these theory of change concepts allude to.

We need to begin asking much deeper questions…..

I really like where Fullan goes first:

Premise 1- A focus on Inspiration and Motivation…….

If a leaders theory of change does not inspire and motivate people to put in the effort….individually and collectively to change and to get results, improvement and change is not possible. Motivation and engagement are critical issues if we are really interested in transformation of our schools.

Schools should know this, it is the same principle that leads to good teaching.

No external accountability scheme can be successful in the absence of internal accountability.

Cultures do not change b

[Mike]

Sorry...a bit more.....

Cultures do not change by mandate… they change by “displacement of existing norms, structures, and processes by others; the process of cultural change depends fundamentally on modeling the new values and behavior that you expect to displace the existing ones.”
( Elmore, 2004 )

So... How will you begin to inspire and motivate your staff to begin to make the changes that you en-vision?

What existing norms, structures and processes will you want to change?

What is your heart asking you to be courageous about?

be well..mike

[Daniel Bassill]

Mike,

I'd agree with Connie's advise, but go a step further. Create a wiki or open space on the Internet and invite your students, parents, business community and others to help create a vision of the ideal student, and ideal student body, then teach them to work backward from what the ideal is to where you are now at the start of the coming school year.

If you can harness the internet, and collaborative technologies such as appreciative inquiry, (see examples at http://www.tutormentorconnection.org/TMLearningNetwork/LinksLibrary...) to engage your entire community as owners of this vision, you can really create a village of people who are helping raise the kids.

If you can teach kids to facilitate this process as part of service learning, student leadership, or classroom assignments, you can give them skills they can apply the rest of their lives.