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What did your audience like or dislike about the project? What benefits did your audience receive?

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What did your audience like or dislike about the project? What benefits did your audience receive?

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Here is some feedback which I have received from my intended audience:

"This is great and so important! I love the approach you’ve taken in this video that highlights the possible impacts teacher-principal interactions can have on the overall well-being of staff and, more broadly, school climate. This area of work aligns so well with a current initiative I’m working on. If you’re interested and open to it I would love to discuss more about your curated resources and your Masters work 😊 " - Sarah R.

" I am so proud of you!! You make some really good points in this video! Not even a year into working for a school board and I’ve come across environments with poor administration & overall team cohesiveness, then moved to a school with the most AMAZING admin and teaching staff. The difference it made day to day is honestly remarkable." - Alyssa W.

"Hi Laura, you have produced a great resource. As a principal, I appreciate the excellent suggestions. And I'm in agreement with them too! I have attached the suggestions as a PDF that I can keep & refer to. Thank you!" - Haydn

"Hi Laura, the website you developed provides a lot of information that can guide reflection for both teachers and principals. Relationships are paramount to our work as educators and developing and maintaining positive ones is so essential.  When I read, "Trust is the bedrock to building quality teacher-principal relationships (Price, 2012, p.40)", from your website, it made me think of a tweet that I saw not too long ago and found interesting https://twitter.com/spencerideas/status/1160389423206293505?s=20 I appreciate the note at the end that clarifies that trust levels are dynamic, task specific, and context specific (spencerideas, 2019).  I should add that I don’t know if this is grounded by research." - Gina F.

"I am very impressed with the close attention to detail that you put into your Capstone! I had no idea that Powtoon was such a complicated tool. Rest assured, the end effect is VERY effective. I found the video you created to be a very engaging introduction (…a “minds on” or “hook” some might say!) to your topic. I think your resource empowers teachers to maintain good lines of communication with their administrators. Teachers and principals should be on the same team, but I think sometimes with all the complex factors that are involved with running a school (i.e. being the face of the school to the community…maintaining good relations with the parent community) and running a classroom (somehow accommodating for 20 plus students who all have different learning styles, needs and interests while creating engaging lessons and getting through curriculum while also maintaining a position of authority etc) that the administration-teacher team breaks down. I know I have definitely felt nervous to speak with my principal (both as a student and as an employee!). I think your Capstone method of delivery (website) is an effective way to disseminate your research because it provides a discrete way for teachers (and administrators) to learn about how to have a supportive relationship. Admitting to someone that you feel unsupported by your administration can put you in a vulnerable position (with fear of job insecurity or getting an undesirable teaching assignment the following year!). By reading through your website, teachers (and administrators) can learn tools and strategies to have a more supportive and productive relationship to the benefit of everyone. Great work!." -Louisa V.-W.

In support of the above comments, I strongly believe that my audience received an up-to-date resource which reveals the most current research related to quality teacher-principal relationships and the beginnings of research hoping to uncover reasons for why and how today's teachers are feeling undervalued. I have also produced a resource that incorporates an anonymous survey so that my audience can engage in personal professional development by answering the available questions. My audience will also receive a response from me once I have reviewed their answers. Making meaningful connections with teachers and principals on a provincial and national level is my ultimate goal. As a starting point, I have confidence that my resource would be a great additional resource to staff-wide P.D. sessions in schools all around Ontario.

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If I could design my Capstone Project again, here's what I would do differently...

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If I could design my Capstone Project again, here's what I would do differently...

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1. I would create an additional tab on my web resource that could be an example of P.D. sessions which would benefit both teachers and principals. More specifically, create an outline for how these P.D. sessions could be structured and conducted (purpose, objectives, outcomes, length of time, etc...). My hope is that this component could be geared towards school boards and/or the Ministry of Education.

2. I would create an all-access blog that teachers or principals could contribute to as they visit my site. Individuals would be able to leave personal experiences, comments and feedback for not just myself and my resource, but also for other professionals who have accessed my Capstone Project.

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How I can apply my newly acquired knowledge in the future? Here are some things I would like to learn more about that are related to my Capstone Project?

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How I can apply my newly acquired knowledge in the future? Here are some things I would like to learn more about that are related to my Capstone Project?

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I believe that all of the new knowledge that I acquired throughout the Capstone Project process can be applied to my ongoing journey as a leader, learner and ultimately a professional! I have learned that in order to reclaim my value as a teacher, I need to stay true to my beliefs and values as an instructional leader. I have learned that even though it can be challenging to build trusting and truthful relationships with principals or administrators, that teachers are primarily responsible for finding ways to develop self-efficacy and resiliency in the classroom. I also feel that I can apply my newly acquired knowledge to my journey for becoming a principal within the next 5 to 10 years of my career.. Perhaps now that I have explored the teacher-principal relationships dynamics, I can reflect upon this project's journey when it comes time for me to become a principal!
The new knowledge from my Capstone Project research literature addressed the need to further investigate the value of today's teachers. Specifically, to examine how the quality of teacher-principal relationships has an effect on the value that can be observed by all teachers part of an entire school. I also would like there to be research conducted to explore how the power of the principal might also be a reason for why teachers feel devalued in their professional practices. After reviewing the most relevant literature out there right now related to my problem of practice, it appears that there has be no investigation about professional development opportunities for principals and administrators to learn more about how they can build and maintain quality relationships between themselves and teachers of their schools. I also would like to learn about how the Ministry of Education can address undervalued teachers and create resources / tools to give to school boards that are geared towards empowering and encouraging teachers to have confidence in their instructional leadership practices. This, of course, also affects the way in which the curriculum is delivered to students.

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How can the Capstone Project experience be used to redefine your curriculum metaphor?

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How can the Capstone Project experience be used to redefine your curriculum metaphor?

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The curriculum metaphor that I had presented at the beginning of my journey as an M.P.Ed. students is the extendable ladder metaphor:

"I b elieve that all students start in the middle of the extendable ladder at a comfortable, stable and familiar height. As they progress through their years of schooling, they are slowly taking one step up their "learning ladder" each year. Students overcome various academic "heights" which they may or may not be comfortable with reaching. It is us, as their teachers, to give  students the strength, courage and confidence to take risks when looking up at higher hights of their extendible "learning ladder". Eventually, students will make their way to the top of their "learning ladders". This is when they have finally arrived at their unique levels of achievement and attainment for grade-specific curricular expectations."

Without a doubt, my Capstone Project experience relates to my curriculum metaphor! Especially because of the various stages which I had to go through to complete my final Capstone Project can be applied to this metaphor as the student and a learner!
The bottom of the extendable ladder represents the first few courses of this program. As the cloud on the left illustrates, these lower steps represent the initial ideas and assumptions which I had about the M.P.Ed. Capstone Project course. As I began to climb up the ladder and complete one course after another,, I found myself in the middle of the extendible ladder, where I was asked to create strategies to help me acquire knew knowledge and information that would help to guide my final Capstone Project. Finally, at the very top of the extendible ladder, you can see the cloud that illustrates the end of my journey of the M.P.Ed course. This is where I find the most success and sense of accomplishment! By reaching that orange flag, I am signalling that I have applied all of my learning experiences to this final step on my extendible ladder. Here, I am demonstrating what this program has allowed me to achieve as a lifelong learner and as a professional!

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Re-designing the Capstone Project proposal

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Re-designing the Capstone Project proposal

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What did I learn during the implementation and dissemination process? Would I change the implementation or dissemination method if I could? How effectively did this method work for informing/sharing my Capstone Project with the expected audience in a clear and engaging manner? 

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What did I learn during the implementation and dissemination process? Would I change the implementation or dissemination method if I could? How effectively did this method work for informing/sharing my Capstone Project with the expected audience in a clear and engaging manner? 

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I learned that...

1. Viewers want / the audience wants to experience something that is a refreshing perspective of a topic that may be relevant to their professions. I am happy that no one else is our course had chosen a problem of practice similar to mine!

2. Being concise is harder than it looks! As the old saying goes, "sometimes less is more"! I tried to include all of the necessary information that helped with defining and exploring my problem of practice, as well as personal commentary and thoughts to make the information as easy to read through as possible.

3. Creating a web resource can be more time consuming and overwhelming when choosing new platforms to work with! I found it to be beneficial to look at a few different types of online platforms to present my work in a way that best suits the overall style of my Capstone Project.

4. Sharing the final Capstone Project on as many social media platforms as possible increased the likelihood that teachers will become more aware of the stated problem of practice and its current state in the world of educational research. More than this, my Capstone Project was delivered using a method that is comfortable for many to understand - social media is a big part of connecting educational communities and resources online.

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 Reflecting on the implementation/dissemination of my Capstone Project...

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 Reflecting on the implementation/dissemination of my Capstone Project...

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Here are some pieces of advice for students who will be completing their Capstone Project next year...

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Here are some pieces of advice for students who will be completing their Capstone Project next year...

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1. Pick a problem of practice question that inspires as a M.P.Ed student and as a professional! When defining the problem of practice, apply personal passion, interest and curiosity about the topic/area of focus to make the entire Capstone Project more enjoyable and achievable.

2. Do not be afraid to ask the course instructor for clarification or support when completing the assignments along the way. There is a lot of work to be done for the Capstone Project which requires commitment to abiding timelines and completing tasks at a realistic pace. Everyone has their own unique work habits, so knowing what exactly is needed to completing a thoughtful Capstone Project is essential for ensuring success!

3. Create a monthly schedule that outlines each component part of the final Capstone Project product. More specifically, create enough time for each outlined criteria in the forums or from the course syllabus. Having the Capstone work organized in a way that affords the opportunity to get everything done without the additional stress by being unprepared.

4. Ask classmates or colleagues from outside of the course to proofread your work and/or provide you with feedback. This suggestion is not meant to be taken personally, rather, it is a way to ensure that the Capstone Project content flows smoothly and is meaningful  to the viewer. It is much easier to make adjustments and changes to the Capstone Project assignments throughout the process rather than right before the submission dates.

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The most difficult challenge I encountered throughout the capstone Project experience was... ...and here's how I solved it!

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The most difficult challenge I encountered throughout the capstone Project experience was... ...and here's how I solved it!

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The most difficult challenge I encountered during the Capstone Project experience was believing that I effectively presented my research findings about my defined problem of practice question. I found myself adding, removing, revising and evaluating the information included within my Capstone Project consistently. Similarly, I took a big risk by spending more time on the supportive Videoscribe video than I had initially intended to. As I completed each component of my final Capstone Project, I wanted to produce a resource that was professional and informative with a personal / authentic tone. I wanted my Capstone Project to be inviting and interesting for anyone who has not explore my problem of practice topic.
The way that I solved this challenge is by reassuring myself that the time and efforts I was putting forth for each component was noticeable by the viewer. To help me feel satisfied with my final Capstone Project, I shared my resource with friends, family and colleagues to see how they felt about the content of my project and its overall purpose. I took the feedback which I was given by these individuals and used it as encouragement to keep doing what I was already doing! In addition to this, I made sure that all of my Works Cited were related to, and supportive of my final Capstone Project.

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What makes me the most proud when reflecting upon the whole Capstone Project process?

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What makes me the most proud when reflecting upon the whole Capstone Project process?

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I am most proud of the fact that I took advantage of having the opportunity to create a project that allowed me to connect with teachers and principals of various years of experience. Additionally, I have remained honest and true to my opinions about the value of today’s teachers and invite other teachers to rediscover their worth and purpose in their schools and classrooms. I am also proud of the way that my Capstone Project came together as the completion process came to an end. If I were to personally come across a resource like this, I would get the impression that someone has really considered how the teaching profession need to become more valued and appreciated in present-day and future educational contexts. When I shared my completed Capstone Project with others not part of the M.P.Ed. program, they expressed their gratitude for my openness to share personal perspectives and experiences about feeling undervalued in my profession. They also shared with me that they believe my project could be beneficial for other types of professional fields, where quality professional relationships and the dynamics within these relationships can shape the overall tone and state of one’s workplace.

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Here are some of the most influential perceptions, views and experiences that determined the way I proceeded with completing my Capstone Project:

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Here are some of the most influential perceptions, views and experiences that determined the way I proceeded with completing my Capstone Project:

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- The perception that teachers are undervalued more and more in their profession.

- The perception that quality teacher-principal relationships exist when both individuals put forth the equal effort to maintain the relationship in a positive, professional and supportive way.

-The view that teachers often anticipate they will experience judgement and resistance when sharing their instructional leadership strategies with their principals or administrators.

-The view that if teachers do not begin to empower and encourage each other, then principals or administrators might find it difficult to develop quality relationships with their teachers because of a lack of cohesion among an entire school staff team.

-The experience of observing what happens to a teacher’s motivation, self-efficacy, energy and efforts when they do not feel a sense of belonging to a positive and supportive school climate.

-The experience of giving up trying your best as a leader when a principal or administrator creates expectations that are not realistic or consistent with your professional practices and perspectives.

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How is my Capstone Project experience different from what I had originally expected?

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How is my Capstone Project experience different from what I had originally expected?

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I think the entire Capstone Project experience was to some extent what I had expected from the beginning. At first, I don’t think I realized how much redefining and specifying was required throughout the processes of creating and completing the Capstone Project. Since my inspiration for my Capstone Project comes from personal beliefs and values about the teaching profession, I reminded myself to remain focused on my end goal : empowering today’s teachers to build professional relationships that enhance their value in the profession. Another element that I didn’t completely expect was the changing of my directions from primarily focusing on how different types of individuals devalue teachers and how this impacts the quality of curriculum delivery. From here, I started to discover (through research) that much of the devaluation which teachers experiences comes from a missing sense of belonging and support from their school’s principals or administrators. This is when I began to change my perspectives for my final Capstone Project product.

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 Reflecting On My Capstone Project Experience

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 Reflecting On My Capstone Project Experience

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http://restoringthevalueofteachers.weebly.com

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How did I answer my problem of practice question?

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How did I answer my problem of practice question?

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Firstly, I would like to restate the final version of my problem of practice question. This is because I have redefined it throughout the entire Capstone Project journey :

How Can Teachers Reclaim Their Value?: A Perspective on Quality Teacher-Principal Relationships and their impact on the Value of Today’s Teachers.

I recognize that this is a longer problem of practice question and statement. However, I feel that it speaks to my passions and goals for discovering possible explanations and solutions about this dynamic. I have had many questions develop in my mind throughout my first 3 years of full time teaching, but have received no clarity about any of it. Even when I was searching for Professional Development (P.D.) opportunities related to teacher empowerment and value, most opportunities were student-focused and/or created for teachers to consider their professional practices and instructional strategies instead of ways in which teachers can feel more valued in their work environments.

The reason I chose to focus my Capstone Project on the above problem of practice statement is because I was consistently frustrated that this problem resonated with many of my other colleagues! More than this, I needed to uncover the past and present research specific to my questions and concerns about how quality teacher-principal relationships shape the effectiveness of the teacher. This, in turn, affects the value and appreciation that one might feel as part of the teaching profession. Teachers often share their feelings among each other, but are hesitant to mention the issue of feeling undervalued to their principals or administrators without fear or judgement.

As my starting point, I answered my question by organizing my main objectives, along with my problem of practice statement. Underneath that heading, I created sub-heading topics based on personal experiences, as well as gaps, which I have personally observed, between building quality teacher-principal relationships and teachers feeling undervalued in their work. Under these sub-headings, I wrote down personal thoughts, ideas, assumptions and experiences to guide my keyword searches for online literature databases. When I felt satisfied with the amount of literature I had found for each sub-heading topic, that’s when I began to create small literature reviews to see which pieces of literature best answered my sub-heading topics. It was from there that I began to create my final Capstone Project, and I was finally able to share research findings and suggestions which helped to address my problem of practice question.

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How is my Capstone Project relevant to me, my current school environment and the greater school community?

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How is my Capstone Project relevant to me, my current school environment and the greater school community?

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My Capstone Project is relevant to me and my personal professional life in many ways! As I’ve mentioned in other sections of this final reflection, everything part of my completed Capstone Project is rooted in the experiences, conversations and observations from my daily life at school. Moving on to discuss the greater school community, this Capstone Project has been made available for anyone to access. This means that I could possibly receive feedback from other individuals part of my greater school community. They may be parents/guardians of my school’s students, teachers and principals from other schools in my district’s school board, members of our union teams (for example, executive members and representatives of ETFO and OSSTF), and perhaps even individuals who work for the Ministry of Education in Ontario. My problem of practice is relevant to any individuals working in positions part of the field of Education.

As a side note, I would like to highlight that the information I have gathered and presented can be related to professional relationship dynamics of many professional fields. Feeling valued is something that I think many passionate professionals strive for. With my Capstone Project, I hope to inspire other types of professionals to reflect on their position of power / authority and influence within their professional relationships.

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My Likes and Dislikes about the Capstone Project experience...

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My Likes and Dislikes about the Capstone Project experience...

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My likes:

-> Exploring research literature that connects to personal and professional experiences.

-> Receiving feedback and additional ideas from classmates and course instructors which helped to enhance my personal professional development.

-> Discussing different perspectives about curriculum leadership and instructional practices ; M.P.Ed students often come from a variety of educational settings and contexts.

-> Gaining a better understanding about an area of focus in the field of Education that applies to future professional endeavours.

-> Sharing assignments and projects on an open forum so students can develop a sense of belonging while being part of a distance education program.

My dislikes:
-> Too much repetitiveness among the reflection assignments! Since students of our program are given many opportunities to discuss and share their perspectives, ideas and overall learning, it can sometimes come to a point where there isn't anything left to reflect on! Additionally, there is only so much you can express about a chosen topic found within past and present literature before you feel like you are repeating your responses.

-> Not enough specific criteria / guidelines that tell students what is exactly expected of them. I acknowledge that students are meant to remain flexible and open-minded while completing assignments and the final Capstone Project, but sometimes a clear rubric or checklist would be beneficial when completing the tasks. This way, students can also keep track of what content they have left to include in their assignments.

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How did my problem of practice question change during the course of my Capstone Project? 

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How did my problem of practice question change during the course of my Capstone Project? 

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My problem of practice question changed throughout my Capstone Project as I acquired new knowledge and understandings about quality teacher-principals relationships and how this affects one’s value as a teacher.

My initial problem of practice stated in my Capstone Project Backgrounder Assignment was. How Can Teachers Reclaim Their Value?: A Perspective on the Adverse Effects of Undervaluing Today's Teachers and the impact of these on Curriculum Delivery

Next, I redefined my initial problem of practice question in the Milestone #1 Assignment to be Reclaiming the Value of 21st Century Teachers : From Present Day to Future Educational Settings.

Then, I considered some additional edits to the wording of my problem of practice question with the Milestone #2 Assignment, which ended up becoming Reclaiming the Value of Teachers in the 21st Century : How Principals Have the Power to Bring About Change for Future Teachers.

After that step and moving forward to completing  Milestone #3 and #4 Assignments, Restoring the Value of Teachers: A Perspective on Quality Teacher-Principal Relationships.

Finally, for my Milestone #5 Assignment, I am satisfied with my problem of practice question :  How Can Teachers Reclaim Their Value?: A Perspective on Quality Teacher-Principal Relationships and their impact on the Value of Today’s Teachers.