I think that Simon Sinek did a great presentation, on why it is important to start with why. Using Apple as a case study was a very smart idea in addition to Martin Luther King. The general question why do certain people over acheive is genrally a great question to ask when you are a leader.

The concept of the Golden Circle is extremely interesting. I know at the vast majority of places I have been employed I never consdiered my companies/schools values or the why. 

The idea that  "without a vision, people perish" is true in my opinion. I know sometimes I loose cite of my goals and what it is I find important as a person both in my career and in my personal life.  Not ony is it important to start with a vision but I think it's equally important to constantly remind youreself why you are doing the things your are. 

My schools mission Statement: 

 

The Charter School of Educational Excellence's mission is to develop students who are critical thinkers, motivated leaders, and lifelong learners. We are committed to a strong partnership with our teachers, parents, community and alumni.

Our vision is to create a school that has high expectations for every child and challenge each child to surpass the CCLS. In order for our vision to be realized, we believe philosophically that every child must be provided first with a strong foundation in reading, writing, and mathematics. Once the basics have been mastered, the child will have a strong foundation from which to tackle higher order skills, and to achieve at high levels. Ultimately, we expect to see children engaged in challenging work, such as conducting experiments for deep understanding, exploring cultures and histories using primary documents, engaging in debates of classical literature, analyzing great works of art, and appreciating musical compositions, among others. Our goal is for every child to become a critical thinker and life-long learner.

 

In my personal opinion, our school could do a better job implementing our school misssion into our curriculum and school culutrue. There are not a ton of leadership opportunties and the curriculum in most classes is based on teacher lead activities and there are not many activies where the kids get to take the lead. I think our school gives each teacher alot of flexibility with curriculum which is good, but that makes it difficult to ensure your mission is being followed. 

 

        The first curriculum explored was the Health Smart curriculum. One the most appealing aspect of the curriculum is that it is geared toward K-12. This is beneficial because our district has K-12 health class. In addition, the curriculum is designed to be flexible and can be done via chrome book or paper and pencil. This is another desirable quality because while many of our teachers have access to Chrome books and other technology, others do not. As a result, each teacher would have the flexibility to implement to curriculum in the best way possible given their unique circumstances.

 

          In addition to the wide range of grades offered as a part of the Health Smart Curriculum, and the flexibility, the curriculum has also recently been updated to reflect the standards of the CDC. It is also aligned with state and national standards. The curriculum was designed based on the theory of Planned Behavior. This theory is based on three principles. The first is adopt healthy attitudes, the second is establishing healthy norms, and the third is the development of confidence to live a healthy life- style. 

 

         The second curriculum I vetted in my search for a new health education curriculum was the Byrnes Health Education curriculum. Byrnes Health is a non for-profit organization that prides itself on offering health education that is science based. There mission is “To educate and inspire people of all ages to make healthy choices.” According to their website there programs and curriculum are regularly reviewed by health education professionals. In addition they are aligned to meet state and national standards. 

     

      Based on my exploration of the Byrnes Health website, there does not seem to be a lot of digital options with the curriculum. This might make it more difficult for our teachers who have access to laptops and other technology to really engage in the curriculum. 

 

       The third curriculum I researched is the Healthy Lifestyle Choices program developed by SPARK. Similar to the Health Smart Curriculum, this program has been developed based on a behavioral model. HLC Behavioral-Health Curriculum (Grades K-5) is designed to be implemented one time a week over a 45 minute period. This is a perfect scenario because that is the current amount of time our elementary school students are in class. The program is designed for new teachers or teachers who are not certified in health the successfully implement. This is a positive because we currently have a few new members of our staff. 

 

        One of the most glaring limitations of the curriculum is that is does not offer any resources for grades 9-12. As a result if we choose this option we would have to supplement it with another curriculum. Also, many of the activities seemed to be movement based in part. Although this is a great idea, it could become an issue when teaching in classrooms as we do. 

 

          It is difficult to choose just one curriculum. Each one of these programs has there positive aspects aswell as there negative qualities. If I were to reccomened on curriculum for our school based on my research it would be the Health Smart curriculum. 

To: CSEE Health and Physical Education Staff

From: Brendan Kitson

RE: Health Curriculum

I sincerely hope your year is off to a productive and healthful start. As I am sure you are all aware, our school district has made it a priority moving forward to focus on the revision and overhaul of our Physical Education and Health curriculum. As a result, I have been tasked with reviewing our current curriculum and suggesting possible areas for improvement.

Through my analysis it became clear that the Charter School of Educational Excellence Health Curriculum has different focus areas depending on grade level. During the grades K-3 the focus is healthy habits while incorporating movement to subsidize the lack of physical activity our students receive due to gymnasium limitations.  During the years 4-12 the curriculum shifts toward student lead projects.

After discussing the current curriculum with current students, parents, and other stakeholders there are some areas in need of positive change including.

·    More academically rigorous work for grades k-3

·    Greater differentiation at all grade levels

·    More options and opportunities for students to explore careers in the health field outside of the classroom 9-12

It is my intention to make this a collaborative effort that will enhance all of our instruction. As result I am asking that at our next meeting everyone comes prepared to discuss and detail ways that we can accomplish the above goals. Together we can focus on the future of the Health department.

Furthermore, leaders who emphasize the moral principles and rules that govern the everyday operations and conduct within a learning organization put more effort into improving the institution's culture and efficacy. Thus, these factors must be considered when deciding how to establish, cultivate, and maintain teacher efficacy in addition to a professional learning culture and climate. Moreover, comprehending both the climate and the culture can highlight elements essential to the operation and success of the firm.

When evaluating the educational environment, it is evident that the school's staff, learners, and faculty value culture and climate, which are the main driving forces underlying successful schools. The atmosphere of the educational establishment also affects the results of the students. Therefore, this happens because a student's path is shaped by various ideas, such as safety precautions, dignity, discipline, interpersonal relationships, confidence, and academics.

Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the school leader to influence how individuals interact inside the institution, particularly their attitudes, institutional cultures, and even their actions by the school's plan. Therefore, it is better if the growth includes reaping the most significant advantage from an institution's culture and climate. Therefore, this implies that creating sustainable change must be everyone's obligation. Hence, the institution's culture will be characterized by traditions or principles that direct the relationships developed inside an institutional setting.

Furthermore, educational leaders must have a good understanding of how they will schedule their development, evaluate the progress of the growth strategy, create the schedule, and properly implement it in their institutions if they are to be productive in the developmental transformation of learning institutions. As a result, it is essential to create an environment and culture where students can feel safe and trusted. Therefore, this can be done by aligning the curriculum with national standards of education and enhancing personnel and faculty professional development. This might guarantee that the plan possesses the key traits to make it a respectable professional learning and growth plan.

Lastly, the institution's administration must create a setting that encourages solitary and collaborative learning. As a result, the professional learning program must be integrated into the instructors' everyday tasks, incorporating team exercises that evaluate and identify the requirements of particular students. If instructors are obliged to work in a setting that separates them and regards them as people, there will never be professional development or learning. Therefore, it highlights the necessity for developing techniques to refocus the current professional development requirements on more student-centered and internally motivated professional changes.

Of the three change theories, Kotter's Model of Change resonates so well with me. Precisely, this is because school administrators must deal with change management issues in their institutions, such as fostering a culture of competent learning and teaching that will promote student success and satisfaction. Furthermore, school administrators who want to improve their chances of achieving success must consider the institution's unique culture to ensure that the change process is in line with how things function there. What's more, Kotter's 8-step model is a relatively straightforward theory that offers precise guidance and description of the whole process of change, and its not as complicated to implement.

One ability that is needed is the skill of coaching. You must be able to meet people where they are and get them to another level with skill and confidence. You also must be optimistic and ambitous. People who have a high Emotional intelligence tend to be able to lead through change more efficiently.In addition being resilent is a vital asset.

The process of conducting In Process Reviews (IPRs) and After Action Reviews (AARs). IPRs help to determine initial expectations, ascertain strengths and weakness of both employees and the organization, and identify key issues and organizations whose willing support is needed to accomplish the mission. AARs determine how 
well the goals are being accomplished, usually by identifying areas to sustain and improve.
 

Characteristics, qualities, or properties that define a person or leader. Attributes of the leader fall into three categories: mental, physical, and emotional.
culture

The long-term complex phenomenon that can be affected by strategic leaders. Culture represents the shared expectations and self-image of the organization. The mature values that create "tradition", the play out of "climate" or "the feel of the organization" over time, and the deep, unwritten code that frames "how we do things around here" contribute to the culture. Organizational culture is a system of shared values, assumptions, beliefs, and norms that unite the members of the organization. Individual leaders cannot easily create or change culture. Differs from climate in that climate can be readily changed, whereas culture cannot be easily changed.
 

The process of reaching logical conclusions, solving problems, analyzing factual information, and taking appropriate actions based on the conclusions.