My distinguished stream by Stephanie Burns https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu Made with good vibes en-us 2019-02-26 19:16:45 UTC 2025-10-02 19:44:03 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Balance.png EDL 503 Session 8 sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335590388 2019-02-26 19:18:23 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335590388 Thoughts - Poor Qualities sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335591150
  • Out-of-Touch, forgot how to teach - this type of leader is difficult to relate to. They cannot, or choose not, to put themselves in situations that may be encountered by the teaching staff. This occurred a couple of years go, prior to my getting a Chromebook cart. The admin asked if I was familiar with “The Google”. I didn’t know if they were kidding, or just being rude, but because of the position they held, I did not respond for fear of losing access to the Chromebooks.
  • Know-it-All - someone who feels overwhelmed with their position (a “newbie” as mentioned in the article’s example) may bluff their way through situations… or maybe they let their ego be their guide. I come in contact with people who teach as though they’re the best to ever have taught that subject. A leader in the school building does not come to mind in terms of reminding me of a Know-it-All. Political leaders often fall into this realm.
  • The Bully - I absolutely loved and feared our bully administrator. He was the disciplinarian of the building, and the building had very few issues with discipline, or students stepping out of line. As I got to know the administrator more, he treated the staff and students in a bullying fashion as part of his persona. He did not want anyone thinking they could get away with shenanigans. In the end, he is the administrator we all miss the most, as we think about those who have retired. We valued him greatly, and really saw the true person behind the bully, after the sudden death of a beloved co-worker.
  • It’s for the Kids - There are instances where things are best for the kids. And there are instances where a leader may make decisions that do not seem to support their teaching staff, and make questionable decisions that do benefit the students. One such decision was made during a testing week, where a student stole a final and answer key, and the leader let the kid retake the final… and passed the kid with a 92 (had a 70 average the entire semester). We were all shocked and angered by that decision.

    • ]]>     2019-02-26 19:19:35 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335591150     Reflections - Poor Qualities sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592190
  • The Unrealistic, Out of Touch Administrator - being visible in the building, making sure to see teachers teaching, and staff supported is key. Seeking suggestions for how to make improvements, hearing their ideas, giving the staff their own voice, and making them feel valued as professionals will go a long way to showing people are appreciated, and keep the leader in the “loop”.
  • The "I Know Everything" Administrator - I may not know everything, but I like to read! Research and asking for help, in committee, for greater understanding of topics I’m not familiar with would be a great way to avoid falling into this category.
  • The Bully Administrator - They may be a bully, or they may be playing the role of a bully, to get a certain type of reaction. I cannot see myself as a bully. I think things through, often to a fault, and then try to think it through from a variety of standpoints, playing Devil’s Advocate to most of the decisions I make.
  • The "It’s for the Children" Administrator - this is not a bad mantra to have, as long as it correlates with the mission of the school and district, and does not obliterate trust from the faculty and staff.

    • ]]>     2019-02-26 19:21:13 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592190     Thoughts - Positive Attributes sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592421
  • Considerate - I ask a lot of questions of a lot of people, and would offer the staff a place to feel they could share their opinion with their building leadership. I do feel that in our particular building, at this time, consideration is not taken into account. We have a new swipe in/out time clock this year. This has created an enormous traffic jam every morning, and as a staff we would love for the superintendent to make this a flexible arrival and departure time, as was the case in the past. If we teach first, we are off ninth, but have to be in the building by 6:30 am. We have a 7 hour contractual day. So those who arrive by 6:30 am could leave at 1:30 pm. Those who have ninth period also have to be in the building by 6:30 am… but if we had flexible arrival and departure times, we could have them arrive during first period, and stay until the end of the day. The teachers’ schedules could alternate on a yearly basis to allow everyone the ability to arrive early/leave early, or arrive later/leave later. On a personal note, the micromanagement is driving me crazy… I feel we are not being regarded as intelligent professionals, but rather as a number who has to punch a time clock. I arrive early AND stay late.
  • Pre-Planner - I see this as someone who also likes to play the Devil’s Advocate. Think of an idea, do the research for possible outcomes, and test the idea out from a variety of angles before implementing. This is how I run my lessons on a daily basis, and have for years, I definitely fit into this category.
  • Empathetic - being an active listener, and being supportive of staff is key to showing empathy. This is something I constantly strive to do better. There is nothing wrong with showing empathy toward a person’s situation. This comes into play on a period-by-period basis, especially working with teenagers, and then going home to my own family as well.
  • Develops Talent - a leader who promotes professional development, offering their staff access to new initiatives, or to leadership roles within the district. My chairperson just shared with me today a really neat initiative that I am absolutely going to use with my Astronomy class, that I would not have known about without her accessing the information.

    • ]]>     2019-02-26 19:21:34 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592421     Reflections - Positive Attributes sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592743
  • The Administrator Considers Teachers' Opinions - networking as a teacher, and working collaboratively with others are two skills where I have to gauge how others are reacting to situations, and seek resolutions when conflicts arise. I also find that working in a considerate manner offers others the satisfaction of knowing their opinions are appreciated, building trust.
  • The Administrator Plans Ahead - I think having a five-year plan is key. Having a thoughtful, and meaningful rollout of new projects, rather than rushing to implement plans, is always a good idea. We’ve had a few ideas, major endeavors, rushed to implementation. They never worked well the first time, required a lot of revision, and would have benefitted from being brought to fruition in a slow, deliberate, and thoughtful way. I have a plan, and usually a couple of backup plans, at all times when teaching.
  • The Administrator Is Empathetic - showing you care to listen and reflect helps develop a culture of trust. Active listening skills are something I’ve been working to build. I think showing you care, as a human, is a very special gift we can give to others.
  • The Administrator Develops Talent - I would make sure to note what staff members are interested in, what they’re incorporating into lessons, what they’re involved in beyond the school, to help them become the best the can be. By encouraging staff and offering them the opportunities to attend professional development, or even better, to share what they learn as staff leaders, it shows pride for your workforce. Encouragement goes a long way in this field.

    • ]]>     2019-02-26 19:22:05 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592743     Positive Leadership Culture sburns133_1 https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592900 What steps would you take in a role as a leader to ensure a positive leadership culture?  
    • I would have conversations with the staff to get to know them initially
    • I would listen, have a suggestions box, an open door policy, and be available throughout the building to start to develop a relationship with the staff
    • I would share inspirational ideas (I really like the Positivity Project posts on Facebook),  potential PD opportunities with the staff, and would write a Principal’s newsletter… something our school used to have and that I think went a long way to giving staff the accolades they deserve for their hard work.
    Consider that the culture may or may not be one that is conducive to positive leadership styles.  When leadership is in place, especially at the higher levels, where the ‘difficult administrators’ or ‘negative’ leadership styles exist, how would you persevere as a new leader in this type of environment - ‘bad’ leadership tends to perpetuate bad leadership?
    • I think that this is tricky, because you want to be gainfully employed. We have had a contentious relationship between the teacher’s union and building/district administrators/Board of Education for years. I would have to find a way to walk the line between building trust, implementing projects that further the district’s mission statement. You have to be able to bridge differences of opinion between parents, teachers, students, support staff, upper admin. Active listening, and having a colleague to bounce ideas off of, are a great place to start.

    ]]>     2019-02-26 19:22:20 UTC https://padlet.com/sburns133_1/7nrxy96yyilu/wish/335592900