Leadership Connectors - Safety

When I first approached this chapter in Leadership Connectors, I assumed the bulk would be regarding student safety, legal, and liability issues. While there was some discussion on these topics, I was surprised by the fact that the chapter covered much more than what I had first considered to fall under the heading of safety.

This chapter promoted the fact that all people perform and feel better when they needs for safety are met. However, it is not just the physical environment that might make a person feel safe or unsafe. Safety can come in the form of feeling physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe. Once we have the basic need of safety met, our energy can be moved towards accomplishing other goals.

The first year I taught at my current school, I can admit that I did not start out with the right frame of mind. I had been moved from a school that I enjoyed and felt comfortable teaching at, to be in a new grade level with people I'd never met. While the year started out fine, I was nervous about my place in this new school and how the administration perceived me.

At the Winter Program that year, there was an event that cemented in my mind how important it was to feel safe and supported at school. Since I was new to the school, I did not have many relationships with the families that attended, nor had I been to a Winter Program put on by this school. I wasn't sure of the traditions, so I already felt a bit out of place. During the evening, an incident occurred when I asked a parent to step away from the stage and find their seats so that the show may begin (after the principal had already made a similar announcement that the parent had not listened to.) I didn't think much of it until later in the evening, the same parent came up to me and began verbally accosting me, including ridiculing my appearance and demeaning my ability to teach, all the while in front of my students. I had never met nor talked to this parent before and I was, for lack of a better word, speechless. I continued to walk the students to the room where they'd be picked up by their parents and she followed, continuing her rant.

That night, I wrote an email to my principal, more from the position that I was scared this parent would immediately go to her about something I had done. The next day, my principal called me in to talk to her, apologized for what I had gone through and assured me that the matter would not be swept under the rug. Later that morning, a district administrator came to my classroom, also apologizing and assuring me that he would not let "our teachers be treated that way." I immediately felt incredibly supported and emotionally safe within the school culture. While I regretted ever having to deal with the situation, the way that my principal and the district administration handled it uplifted my spirits. I knew they "had my back" and I appreciate it still to this day.

Some other key learnings form this chapter:

• Bullies can be anyone: students, parents, teachers, administrators, even YOU! Pay attention to the dynamics within your school culture to make sure that your words and actions are not condoning (either tacitly or outright) bullying behavior.
• While it's important to try to be flexible and adapt to the situations that education can bring, it is important to work with routines and procedures. While every day might not follow the same procedure, having those routines will make unusual or special days (Jog-a-Thon, Read Across America, picture day, textbook barcoding day) less chaotic.
• While surprises occur and mistakes are made, try to stay on top of them and inform the correct people.
• Take time for yourself! Find ways that you like to relax and don't feel guilty about partaking in them. The work will be there tomorrow and the day after that - prioritize and compartmentalize.
  

Leadership Connectors - Support

While I read the second chapter of Leadership Connectors regarding the topic of support, I was transported back to my first year as a teacher. I remember walking into a classroom and being greeted by an interesting scene. There was a hodgepodge of desks (some falling apart), bookshelves full of books and binders that were probably over 30 years old, no blinds over the large windows, and spider webs in the corners of the classroom. Though the teacher who inhabited the room before I did had generously left classroom supplies for me to use, I was definitely nervous about how and when I'd get the supplies and furniture I'd need for my students. However, within a week or so, there were brand new desks, two metal cabinets to be used for storage, and a catalog for school supplies with a purchase order that would more than cover any supplies I would need. Suffice to say, I felt very supported as a brand new teacher and that allowed me to focus not on supplies or needs, but rather on curriculum and student learning.

As a leader, it should be a top priority to show the staff and students at your school site that you support them. Within the school culture, a united vision can only be achieved when all aspects of the school are working together. A team won't feel up to working together if their basic needs aren't being met by other members of the team. The authors of Leadership Connectors put it well, "Effective leaders need people. Effective leaders can't do the job alone." People are much more apt to want to work for leaders who show them respect, have clear communication skills, and support them in their daily work.

While reading this chapter, I looked at it through the lens of being a teacher. Teaching every day, I definitely have an idea as to the type of leadership that I feel supported by - leaders who are visible, willing, and able to help. However, I want to be able to transfer the knowledge that I have now into becoming a more effective leader.

Some of the most significant insights that I took away from this chapter were:

• Support can come in a variety of forms - financial, personnel, emotional, educational, etc.
• Visibility is influence.
• "Outstanding leaders demonstrate respect first even if some of the faculty don't look like them, act like them, dress like them, or think like them."
• Support is mutually provided.
• New teachers need support, but so do veteran teachers.

I enjoyed this chapter a lot because I saw so many parallels to my own life, especially as a relatively new teacher. I hope that as I move on in my leadership journey, I can remember the level and types of support that I found helpful in order to shape my own leadership characteristics.

Communication is Key

In each course we have taken thus far, we have heard many different perspectives on what makes a leader. No matter the professor or the book, the value and importance of communication has been clear.

In Leadership Connectors, the authors (Hensley & Burmeister, 2009) give clear evidence for the need for effective communication, stating that "attention to clear communication across the school culture is a critical element of successful school leadership" (pg. 2). Several anecdotes serve as evidence for how communication is not simply what you say, but it's how you say it and the intent with which you deliver the message. I was reminded of Stephen M.R. Covey's book The Speed of Trust, where he describes that without having your integrity and intent in line with your actions, you will not be seen as a trustworthy person. A leader can talk all they want about how, for example, teacher input is valued, but without their actions following up to show those around them the ways in which they seek teacher input or put teacher input to work, all their words will mean little to nothing.

In the same way that everything you say and do communicates your values to those around you, what you don't say or do also demonstrates what is important to you. If, for example, you allow a staff member to consistently violate group norms at a staff meeting without consequence, you show that you do not value norms.

One section of the chapter that jumped out at me was the focus on written communication. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who find themselves judging others based on poor punctuation or misspellings, as petty as that seems. Therefore, I will be especially mindful of any written communication I send out, whether it is to parents, community, or staff.

Some other key learnings:

- Good communication is not one size fits all. A private congratulations to one teacher might be better than an announcement over the loudspeaker.

- Good communication needs to be practiced for any and all who you come into contact with: parents, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, maintenance department, community members, etc.

- Be humble, open, and honest. Use, don't abuse, your sense of humor.

- "Framing" a situation with positive communication can work wonders to avoid problems.

- Group pitfalls like "group think" can become detrimental to clear communication.

- Consensus building takes time, but it's worth it.

I'm looking forward to reading more in Leadership Connectors and hope to mesh it all together to add to my Leadership Toolkit.

Reflecting on Drive

At our first face-to-face class meeting, we discussed several aspects of site-based leadership. One topic was that of motivation and drive, and how we hope to push the members of our site to do their bests.

The following is my reflection after I watched the RSAnimate video Drive, adapted from Daniel Pink's talk at the RSA (link at the end of the post.)

There will always be things that people need and what they want. In regards to motivation, there can be a disparity between these, resulting in a battle between what drives people. What I hope to achieve as a leader is to mesh what people need to do their job with what they want to do. I would like to be able to provide the support so that people’s immediate needs are met and they feel able to do their job in the way that they want, within reason. Autonomy and self direction are valuable things, but within the field of education, it can’t be anything goes. I hope to achieve a level of loose-tight leadership, ensuring boundaries and goals are universally defined, but motivating people to be creative in the way they accomplish our team goals and their personal goals. Motivation to one might be a personal conversation, while to another person it might be praise at a staff meeting. I want to be a leader who gets to know their staff, individually and as a cohesive group and find out what motivates them. I aim to lead by example, showing those around me what motivates me, passion and purpose.

Enjoy the video!