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Leadership in a school setting can be exemplified in different forms and roles. Some teachers are leaders in their own right and offer their expertise and rallying nature without being appointed as a teacher leader or administrator. There are those who are in leadership roles and have the title of being a department chair or teacher leader. Then there are those in administrative positions in different capacities, from the Assistant Principals to the Superintendent, they are all leadership positions. The key to building an exceptional school culture and one of excellence starts with the leaders and trickles down to the students. Everyone should have a common language and be on the same page. The ability to cultivate the masses depends on how the leadership build relationships in their district, building or department. Relationships are a large part of what creates a school culture and it needs to be emphasized as to what type of relationships the leadership is trying to cultivate.

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Learning is the lifelong process that is the essence of what we do as educators. There are multiple theories as to how people learn and we need to recognize that. We also have multiple models as to what works and we need to continue to captivate that. These models need to be research based and data driven.

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The Vision and Mission of a Curriculum Leader

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The Vision and Mission of a Curriculum Leader

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A leader looks to unify curriculum language across the district

A leader analyzes data and looks to find areas to improve upon in order to exceed district curriculum goals

A leader considers adopting or adapting research-based curriculum

A leader finds areas to connect the “micro” to the “macro”

What areas of curriculum in the classroom can you build and connect to the areas of the overall goals of the department? (eg. Global I to Global II to US History to Eco/Part in Gov)

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How Great Leaders Inspire Action | Simon Sinek | TED

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Curriculum- This is the overall plan as to what is planned to be taught. This is the content, the skills, and the road-map of how we get to the goal we are trying to achieve in the classroom.

Teaching- Teaching is the “how” we convey our curriculum. It has various methods that work for different teachers, meaning certain teachers are better teaching certain ways than others. There are methods that are more effective than others, but teaching in definition is what we do to convey what it is we are trying to get across to our students.

Learning- This is a lifelong process that is the essence of what we do. We learn and we teach others in order for them to learn. It is the acquiring of knowledge in order to grow.

Assessment- This is how we test what was taught in order to find areas to improve upon or to test what we are even strong in what we have taught. This is an area to also learn when we reflect on an assessment. Too often than not, assessments are something that is viewed as a burden or a negative with some teachers. In all honesty it can be just as important to what we do than not. If we are truly dedicated to becoming better educational leaders, we need assessment to grow. If we do not know where our strengths and weaknesses are, it can be nearly impossible to improve as leaders.

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Strong schools have a thriving culture that is captivated by their leadership through the district's vision and mission. The mission and vision of a school district will needs to exemplify the “why” about that school and what it embodies. It is the core essence of what the school district is looking to achieve and it is essential to be carried out first by leadership and then carried out by the teachers and students. People look to leaders for guidance and it is essential for those leaders to carry out the core principles of that organization. If a district cannot tell you what their "why" is about or leadership does not try to exemplify and carry out the “why” of the district, then things need to be re-examined. Everyone needs to be on the same page, this starts with having a common language and vision.

As a school leader, it is crucial to keep everyone on the same page and to grow the culture of the school through the foundation which is the mission and vision of the district. Schools and people will change over the years, but it is essential to keep the core beliefs in tact if they are positive and up to date. They need to exemplify current best practices and stay up to date with the current educational expectations.

As a school leader, it will be my job to create or carry out the common language of the school in order to have a clear and concise line of communication. I will also need to understand  and exemplify the mission of the school and hold others accountable to that mission, which is the standard. If I am in a position where the mission or vision need to change, I will bring together multiple stake holders such as teachers, parents and students to come together and create a common vision and mission.

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Learning: This is a lifelong process that is the essence of what we do. We learn and we teach others in order for them to learn. It is the acquiring of knowledge in order to grow.

Behaviorism: The theory of learning where the learner is passive and “told” the information. (Eg. Direct Instruction)

Cognitivism: The theory of learning where the learner digs deeper into a topic and goes beyond to learn the process and transition the knowledge from short term into long term (Eg. Formation of graphic organizers)

Constructivism: The theory of learning where the learner builds on the knowledge from experience and makes connections to real life circumstances. (Eg. Group work, scaffolding)

Connectivism: The theory of learning where the learner is self-directed and works to acquire knowledge. (Eg. Self-directed research, spontaneous learning)

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Application of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction

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Application of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction

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Dr. Barak Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction is a researched based learning style that deals with direct instruction. It takes the direct instruction that we have grown to know and tweaks it into a highly effective form of teaching.

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Leadership: The quality that leaders must have if they are in that role. It is the quality of rallying those around them to unify and build upon a positive school culture. They help cultivate the mindset of a school and offer guidance to those who need it, whether they ask for is or not. Those with good leadership skills will take the initiative to bring those around them up to the standard that is expected for excellence.

Culture: The common practices and mindset in the school. It can be the foundation of what makes a school great. It can be a unifying force in the school.

Parallel Play Relationships: This is the type of school relationship where teachers work on their own and do not necessarily collaborate with others in the school. They keep to themselves and worry about their own classroom.

Adversarial Relationships: This is the type of school relationship that can evolve from Parallel Play, where teachers keep to themselves, but have rivalries with other teachers and compete in an unhealthy manner, which can become unprofessional.

Congenial Relationships: This is the relationships in schools where teachers are friendly with each other and have positive personal relationships. This can also manifest itself in a manner that teachers are more focused on outside news and gossip as opposed to discussing practice.

Collegial Relationships: This is the relationship that is the hardest to cultivate, it is similar to congenial, but teachers take pride in discussing practice and methods in their classrooms. This is the greatest form of teachers actually collaborating and having open discourse about their practice and building a positive and professional culture in their classrooms.

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Tom Sherrington’s interpretation of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction 

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Tom Sherrington’s interpretation of Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction 

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Blended Learning is a style of learning where teachers take on a variety of styles in order to enhance student learning through the use of higher order thinking. The most popular example is the station rotation model where teachers can do different activities in different stations, one being a direct instruction station. Dr. Caitlin Tucker is one of the leading researchers and proponents of this style of teaching, her blog attached below is a great resource to use to find the latest best practice.

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As a school leader it is crucial to realize that there are different styles of teaching and learning where students benefit. However, it is also important to understand that best practice is research based and proven with data. Learning is a science and  is researched in order to find the most effective methods.

Two models that cover the different learning theories are Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction and Blended Learning. Both are research based methods that teachers can use at different times. As a school leader it is essential to present the most up to date and effective models of teaching. It is also my responsibility in order to roll it out and provide professional development in order to make it common practice in the school. It should be part of the culture for teachers to embrace new methods of teaching that are proven through data and implemented in the right mindset. As a leader it is key to remember that it is not always what you say, but how you say it. This means it is not what methods you are pushing in your school, but it is how you are preparing your teachers to get them comfortable.

As leaders we need to sometimes convince veteran teachers to tweak their style if they have not already done so. It is easy to slip in the poor habits, but it is up to leaders to change those habits and continue to be examples of change and motivation to grow as educators.

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The culture of a school can make or break a district or building. It starts at the top, the leader of the district needs to have a clear vision and view of what they want the school to look like, then it makes its way down through the administration, teachers, and students. It is up to the leaders throughout the district to carry out the culture and ensure that they are doing their best to cultivate it in their buildings and classrooms.

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Culture: The common practices and mindset in the school. It can be the foundation of what makes a school great. It can be a unifying force in the school.

Climate: This is the felling of the district. It is the common view that people inside of the school have of their own school and their own craft. It helps dictate the culture and the feel of the school.

Mindset: The frame of mind that a leader or teacher has. This can can drive how culture, climate and curriculum are delivered to the district, building or class. It can be positive or negative, and it is the process of how to change the negative mindset that makes it a leader's job to do.

Grit: This is the process of having the perseverance to overcome adversity in order to accomplish goals. This is a skill that needs to be taught at a young age and needs to be appropriately addressed, it is not the proverbial silver bullet, but it is a factor for success.

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In schools, leadership can be distributed in numerous ways and can be essential to the overall school climate and culture. Teacher leaders can be a force to unify curriculum, make connections, and be a resource to those in the classrooms. Leadership can have different titles and forms, but the essence of what teacher leadership looks like is essential to the growth of a school district.

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Leadership: This is the act of leading in the school community, it can have multiple forms. Leadership can have titles such as superintendent, principal, department chair, or even coach. Having leadership potential can mean a facet of tangibles such has taking the lead on a project, guiding others, or even leading by example and doing the right thing in the school community. However, there is one piece as to what the essence of leadership is, it is how someone reacts when everything does not go according to plan, in a time of need people need leaders. Whether it is a global pandemic, plummeting test scores, or any other rough situation, leaders show their true colors and strengths of being a leader.

Teamwork: This is the act of working together toward a common goal. In education, it is crucial for leaders to captivate their team and work together to achieve the common goal. Whether the title of the leader is formal or not, it is essential for them to harness the strengths of the group as a whole and work together to achieve greatness.

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Leadership in schools can have various roles and responsibilities. There are those who will be leaders in the athletic realm of a school, this is a crucial area for students who thrive in athletics, which can help build a positive school culture. It can be a department chair that is guiding their department through a new summative state assessment. It can be a special education teacher who co-teaches with another department and helps guide them through best practices for students with disabilities. It can be a young teacher guiding veteran teachers through new educational technology practices. Roles can be formal but the essence remains the same, they are leading others toward a common goal, to help students thrive with highly effective education.

Teacher leadership can be such an asset to a school because it can build school culture, save money, and build teacher retention. When a district empowers their teachers through leadership, they can create a buy in for teachers to stay in a district, especially if it is a smaller district. It can be cost effective, by having those leaders lead ongoing professional development, instead of sending teachers out of district for most opportunities. These teachers can be the guiding light in a district for young teachers and be a part of the leadership team that drives a school to the vision and mission of the district.

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Overcoming challenges in the Covid-19 Era

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As a leader in the district it is essential to cultivate a sound culture in the school building. Certain ideas that need to be pushed out to staff need to be accepted within reason. It should be built in that if a teacher or other leader objects to a new model of learning that they come forward and have discussion with the leader. Not everyone is going to agree, but there needs to be a culture of open discourse that is educated and backed with data/research.

Culture can make a good school a great school, It can have a lasting impact on people and a district that can transcend time. However, it is very easy for a culture to turn negative and teachers are turned off by the leadership. It can make the school's climate deteriorate and that is how you will lose good teachers and leaders. This will then have a negative impact on the school community. It is our job as leaders to captivate the positive climate and culture and allow it to help a district grow.

There also needs to be an area where grit and empowerment are built into the culture, not one of enabling. We need to provide the tools for students and staff to improve and problem solve. It is that type of culture that makes it essential to growth in a school.

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As an aspiring leader in a district, I find that building culture first depends on relationships. Collegiality needs to be the goal, but being congenial with each other is not necessarily a bad thing. Teachers should be friendly and have personal friendships with each other, but there needs to be a time and a place established for that. During the school day there should be time set aside for cooperative planning and building a collegial relationship to build school culture and excellence.

As a leader it is part of my role to create opportunities and “make it cool” to talk about practice and methods that will work in the classroom. Too many times I find that teachers may not want to “talk shop” but this year I have found that many teachers have questions about topics like educational technology and best practice for student engagement. In many aspects, this pandemic has build up collegial relationships with teachers because of necessity, but as a leader it is crucial to keep the momentum after Covid-19 as education is going to be going through a transformation. Keep the best practices going and build momentum for student engagement.

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When I look back at my experiences in this course, there were many points that we discussed about curriculum that lead to a discussion about leadership. In schools, leadership can take all sorts of forms, but they all have the common goal toward helping students through highly effective learning to prepare them for the world after high school. The course made me reflect upon relationships in schools, culture, climate, instruction, and quite simply those in my life that are leaders in school communities. It left me inspired after class every night or after I would complete readings, videos and written assignments.

While I have had numerous leaders throughout my schooling and teaching, there has been one who has stood out more after every year I am in education, Coach Joe Bena. Coach Bena was a technology teacher at Niskayuna High School for over thirty years and a high school wrestling coach for forty-eight years. I wrestled for him after he retired from Niskayuna and he came to Duanesburg High School to coach wrestling for eleven years. I was not a star athlete, but he took just as much of an interest in me as he did my training partner and close friend Nick Gwiazdowski who currently is a member of Team USA and is a two time NCAA Champion and two time world medalist. I say this because I remember other coaches who only paid attention to the star athlete who was making headlines for other teams, but not this man. He was a true leader, he was passionate about what he did and thrived on leading his wrestlers. He would check in on his athletes throughout the year and even those who may have quit the team in passing. He believed that there were those who needed the wrestling team more than the team may have needed them from a competition standpoint, he understood that there were many who joined to be a part of something. I went on to coach with him when I was in graduate school since his mentoring actually expanded upon me after high school more than when I was in school, which this ended up being his last year. He would pass on his wisdom about leadership to me, which he would say was more important than wrestling knowledge. After he retired we would talk about wrestling, but more about school/ program culture, which he was a huge proponent of. You see, he was a firm believe of leading by a system, which is an essential part of what makes great leaders. This system was the team culture, which was an essence of the school culture, which at that time Duanesburg had great test scores and graduation rates. When Coach passed away in 2018 his wake had a three hour wait. People came from far and wide to pay their respects to a many who was such an inspirational leader. This exemplifies what a great leader does, they leave an imprint on your life, while coach was not an administrator, he was a teacher leader, which not enough schools have, but they need.

This class had me reflect on other great leaders I have had, plus had me appreciate the school I work in that much more. In my current school there are numerous opportunities to lead and to grow as an educator. My current principal has encouraged my growth as an educator and leader in the school setting as well as others in the school building. I have learned that when a group of teachers come together great things can happen for students. I have also learned that as leaders we need to be cognizant about how we communicate with others in our school community, it can make all the difference with others. We need to keep positive and continuously build upon relationships in a professional manner in order to problem solve.

This course has allowed me to build upon my philosophy of education and giving my best to my students and staff members day after day. I will continue to build upon my education and embrace the notion of being a lifelong learner.

“There may be a young boy out there seeing me play for the first or last time, I owe them my best.”-Joe DiMaggio