Introduction
Motivate, Participate, and Educate are three concepts that capture my vision for educational leadership. These three words will allow schools to create a successful environment. This leadership platform establishes how a vision can enable an entire school to excel and will explore my leadership journey through Hyattsville Elementary School. We will begin with an organizational profile of this school. Next, a discussion of my personal philosophy of leadership will justify the vision statement. I then will outline three goals for Hyattsville Elementary School and will show how to implement one of these goals – faculty and student participation through preparation and readiness. Sharing ideas about leadership can be helpful. Several teachers at Hyattsville agreed to listen to a presentation of this leadership platform. To conclude this paper, details about these teachers’ reactions to the presentation will be given. The goal is that this platform will lead to effective leadership behavior and not be a random dialogue of pointless theory (P. 19, Cunningham). Let’s now begin the leadership journey with an overview of Hyattsville Elementary School.
Organizational Profile
Hyattsville Elementary School is one of 142 public elementary schools in Prince George’s County (PGCPS Website). In 2009 Hyattsville E.S. had fifty-seven staff members and 511 students (Hyattsville Elementary School Website). The demographics of the students are: forty-eight percent Hispanic, thirty-eight percent African American, ten percent White, and four percent are Asian (MSDE Website). About one fourth of the entire student population is considered limited English proficient students (MSDE Website). Seven percent are in the special education program (MSDE Website). There are more female students as they represent fifty-two percent of the student population (MSDE Website). Most of the staff has a standard professional state teaching certificate while the other forty-five percent has an advanced teacher certificate (MSDE Website). Hyattsville is a Title 1 school, which means more than forty percent of the student population receives free and reduced meals (MSDE Website). Every student gets breakfast.
14,733 people live in Hyattsville according to the 2000 Census (National Relocation). There are some significant discrepancies between the Census data and the school data on demographics. According to the Census, eighteen percent of Hyattsville is Hispanic (National Relocation). That is a thirty-percent difference with the school population. I theorize that the census does not include those residents of Hyattsville that may be considered illegal citizens. The median household income in the city is $45,355 and the average home sale price is $128,300 (National Relocation).
Hyattsville made A.Y.P. (Adequate Yearly Progress) last year (MSDE Website). This means the students were successful on state achievement tests and attendance requirements.
After four years of teaching at Hyattsville I have observed no serious discipline problems. Although some students cause disruption in the classroom, the student body, as a whole, understands the rules and does an adequate job following them. The school wide rules, which are displayed throughout the building, are, “1) We will be prepared. 2) We will follow directions. 3) We will respect others. 4) We will respect property. 5) We will be responsible.” These rules establish a solid foundation to grow as an educational leader in the school.
Personal Philosophy of Leadership
Caring Enough to Lead by Leonard Pellicer provides a strong foundation for current views of leadership. His chapters present insightful questions on which to establish a leadership philosophy. The questions are, what is leadership, what do I care about, what do I believe about people, and why am I doing this?
What is Leadership?
Leadership is the ability to take a group or organization towards a specific goal. In order for one to lead, there should be others that follow. This ability to lead people to follow requires certain leadership skills. Jim Collins, author of the book, Good to Great, talks about five levels of leadership: Highly Capable Individual, Contributing Team Member, Competent Manager, Effective Leader, and Level 5 Executive (P. 16, Pellicer). Currently I would gauge myself in between a Competent Manager and Effective Leader with the goal of becoming a Level 5 Executive. I have proven educational management abilities and am looking for more opportunities to exercise effective leadership. Collins describes Level 5 Executives as having the unique combination of humility and will (P. 16, Pellicer). I believe I have humility (which could be considered a proud statement). I need to grow on the ‘will’ side of leadership. This ‘will’ can be developed through gaining experience in leadership and watching other leaders that are worthy of respect. Though I may be lacking on the ‘will’ side of leadership, I have a passion to deeply care about people.
What do I care about?
I love people and music. I worked in music retail for six years and my favorite part of the year was Christmas time. I enjoyed helping people find gifts for their musician friends and family members. I would encourage my co-workers to give excellent service to our customers. What a privilege to help people give the gift of music! Now my favorite time of year is walking into a classroom of young instrumental students each day. Bleeek, bloouuup, squeeeek, sqwaaaak! Welcome to the colorful sounds of elementary instrumental music! I believe I have the best job in the world. Taking students who know nothing about how to play an instrument in August and leading them to perform an enjoyable Spring Concert in June is extremely fulfilling. I care about the students’ success and how my program enhances the rest of their education.
As an instrumental teacher the opportunities to work at multiple schools have given me valuable insight into different educational and organizational settings. Observing six different principals in four years of service has presented a wide variety of leadership examples. Not only have there been multiple leadership examples but there are countless interactions with various classroom teachers as well.
This experience has given me a passion for students, teachers, and parents. I care about the young students in the building because I want them to succeed. I care about the teachers in the building because I respect them for their hard work and want to help them grow as professionals. And I care about the parents who love their children and want them to be successful for the rest of their lives. I agree with Pellicer when he writes, “… people who don’t care can never be leaders.” (P. 36, Pellicer)
What do I believe about people?
My next statement may come across as controversial: I believe that all people are sinners and fall short of the glory of God. Pellicer says that leaders need to believe that all people are good (P. 51, Pellicer). Now, I do not and will not walk around the building and tell the entire staff and student population that they are sinners. However, for the context of this paper I do not want to hide my true beliefs of what I think about people. “A leader’s beliefs will shape the way in which he or she will interact with others, and, in the end, impose limits or grant freedoms so that a person can become the best or the worst that she or he is capable of becoming (P. 46, Pellicer).” I agree with Pellicer that a leader’s belief will shape the way we treat people.
What difference does it make on whether I believe people are inheritently good or evil? My beliefs shape the way I interact with others and my job as an instrumental music teacher and future administrator will be to bring out the best in the staff and students. That goal does not change whether I believe people are good or evil. Now that there is clarity with how people are viewed, one of the most important questions needs to be answered.
Why am I doing this?
It is important to know why we do what we do. As an educator each day is an opportunity to impact the lives of the students. I want to be sure that I impact the students in a way that enhances their education. I am able to participate in the school community by teaching young minds the importance of discipline, hard work, and musical concepts. I want to be a teacher that leads students into a greater awareness of their potential. As a future administrator it is vital to believe that all children can succeed. A leader should transform the lives of both staff and students. One way to do this is by having a clear vision for the school.
Vision Statement for Hyattsville Elementary School
Motivate, Participate, and Educate
These three concepts, Motivate, Participate, and Educate, shape my vision for the school and my current program. This vision is simple and easy to remember. I chose the word motivate because it is both the responsibility of each individual and the community to encourage our students to want to learn. One way teachers can stay motivated is by remembering what an incredible privilege we have to shape young minds and teach students everyday. The next concept, participate, helps to get more specific by helping everyone take ownership, by encouraging full participation in the school. It is one thing to be motivated to help our students learn, but we must participate in their lives by helping them have the resources they need to be successful in school. Motivation and participation by staff and students are means to an end and that end is to educate. We must help all stakeholders stay motivated to participate in our children’s education so that everyday young minds leave our school buildings with more knowledge than they entered with in the morning.
Motivate
While in college, a professor mentioned to the class that teachers cannot motivate students, but we must be able to provide an environment where they will want to motivate themselves. One way to do this is by having teachers stay highly motivated throughout the year. I believe that motivated teachers will provide an environment where students will be motivated as well.
Participate
Currently, I am an elementary instrumental music teacher. My job is to teach students how to play instruments and read music. In order to do this I need them to participate. They are requested to bring their required materials to class and also practice assignments on a daily basis. I emphasize this form of participation regularly through my teaching. For example, I wrote a song called, “I will bring a pencil to instrumental,” so the students know to bring a pencil. Faithful participation should lead to an exceptional scholastic environment the will educate the students.
Educate
In order for the elementary school to be successful there needs to be focused attention on students’ education. Just having a motivated student body participating in a wide variety of activities by itself will not help our students achieve their academic goals. A clear and state-mandated curriculum must be a part of our school vision. This structures the motivation to productive educational activities.
In summary, when students are motivated and participate, teachers can truly educate students. The concepts to motivate, participate, and educate clearly communicate an effective vision statement for Hyattsville E.S. The next step is to discover how to realize this vision in the school organization.
Organizational Goals
The best way to live out the vision of “Motivate, Participate and Educate,” is through specific goals. Here are three that will help the school become an exceptional learning environment: 1) All staff and all students will come prepared to give and receive instruction, 2) All students will turn in completed assignments on time, 3) The entire staff and administration will seek ways to help all our students participate and achieve academic excellence. These three goals will help the students succeed in their academics.
All staff and all students’ will come prepared to give and receive instruction.
Preparation of staff and students is a key component to educational success. It is important to equip the staff to be prepared without making them feel like the administration is micromanaging their responsibilities. It is also important to set clear expectations for the students on what it means for them to be prepared. Prepared students are ready for their school responsibilities.
All students will turn in completed assignments on time.
This goal focuses on daily assignments. By making daily homework a school wide goal, the staff and students will be better prepared for assessment tests throughout the year. I have worked at some schools where staff members change everything they are doing before testing time. Having a focus from day one that all assignments must be turned in on time will help the students prioritize their work. If a school has not made AYP, changing academic strategy at test time will not help the students. Emphasizing that every assignment a teacher gives is important and must be completed will help the students build on previous knowledge and learn new skills they will need to improve their test scores.
Helping students complete assignments relates back to my vision statement. I need to believe that every student can achieve. I want them to be motivated to complete their assignments, and to participate by turning in the assignment. I want them to continue with their education so they will do well on their next assignment. I want to view all students as a success story, not as a test score. In elementary school there are three results from the MSA, basic, proficient, and advanced. Basic means that the students are below grade level, proficient means they are on grade level, and advanced means they are above grade level. I cannot ignore these classifications, but I do not want to develop a prejudice attitude toward students based on their MSA label. We must view each student as a potential success story, as was my experience during high school.
I was a ‘C’ student throughout my school experience. Most teachers treated me like an average student except for my band teacher, who motivated me to be an accomplished percussionist, and my tenth grade English teacher. My English teacher gave an assignment to write a paper on one of the most difficult times in your life. I decided to write about the morning my parents told me they were getting a divorce. The teacher loved my paper and called my Mom to come in and talk about it. Throughout my schooling, that was the first time a teacher called my parent to talk about how well I was doing. I remember that day vividly and hope I can do the same for my students.
My high school English teacher, after receiving my mediocre homework beforehand, gave me a chance to excel by motivating me to accept a very challenging assignment and rewarded me. I want all teachers at Hyattsville Elementary to view students positively looking for opportunities to honor their work.
If the teachers are expecting our students to excel they will be preparing them for success. Making every assignment an opportunity to improve and learn new skills will help to motivate, have students participate, and educate them as well.
The entire staff and administration will seek ways to help all our students participate and achieve academic excellence.
This goal incorporates differentiated instruction into all classrooms. Every child has a different set of skills and challenges. As educational leaders we need to set our staff up for succeeding in helping all students reach their full potential as young scholars. This can be done through countywide professional development. Also, encouraging teachers to share ideas at the end of the day, and to reflect on what went well and what needs improvement will also help. I think asking each other for feedback is one way to express humility (one of the characteristics of a level five executive) and can get staff members excited about education.
I have a friend at one of my schools, Carole Whittam, who has been teaching for thirty-seven years. Our discussions include what I have been learning in my educational leadership class. Through our conversations I get excited about teaching instrumental music the next day and also about being an educational leader. We talk about which students are challenging or how we think the new principal is leading the school. My wife is also studying to be a teacher and whenever I discuss with her what she is learning to become a classroom teacher, I feel invigorated to come in to work the next day to educate young minds.
Combining my school vision, Motivate, Participate, and Educate with my three organizational goals, all staff and all students will come prepared to give and receive instruction, all students will turn in completed assignments on time, and the entire staff and administration will seek ways to help all our students participate and achieve academic excellence, can create an educational environment that succeeds in making AYP and equips students for a journey of lifelong learning.
Now that I have specified the organizational goals I will now focus on how to implement the goal, by emphasizing student and staff preparation.
Implementation of Goal
The goal I would like to focus on is that all staff and all students will come prepared to give and receive instruction. As the second word in my vision states, to participate is vitally important because staff participation enables students to participate. Clear expectations are one of the biggest ways to help our students attend their classes prepared for instruction. That is why Prince George’s County is focused on having teacher objectives written clearly on the board. Also, a great way to find out if our students know what is expected of them is to ask. When supervisors walk into a classroom they typically go up to the children and ask, “what are you learning?” If students can clearly state what is expected of them than that shows the teacher is setting clear expectations and the students are aware of what they are learning.
One technique the Instrumental Music Department is using to assess teachers is by recording their lessons. This is a great way for us to see how we teach. By recording our lessons with audio the listener can pay attention to the content that the teacher is communicating. As a mentor teacher this year, I listened to the recordings that my mentee made. I found that I was doable to take notes and focus on what the teacher was saying. As teachers, continual reflection on how instruction impacts students is crucial. Having a recording gives tangible examples in order to know what needs improvement.
One more aspect of having students be prepared is the teacher’s attitude toward our students. This is a philosophical point, but it is important. Teachers must believe that all students can succeed. How does teacher attitude relate to student behavior? What if the teacher does not believe all students can be successful? These two questions help us see that our attitude towards our students needs to be consistent or we will decide who can succeed and who cannot. We must view our students as having the ability to learn. My personal tendency is to view them as basic, proficient, or advanced. But this is wrong. Every child could be the next success story. We could be ‘that’ teacher that they remember for the rest of their lives. By being motivated to teach ALL our students, we can help them to be daily prepared for the lessons we have planned.
Reactions of the Teachers Who Listened to My Leadership Platform Presentation
On Thursday October 15, 2009 I presented my vision statement, three organizational goals, and goal implementation to four teachers. I chose these teachers because of their educational experience and obvious passion for their careers and students. Stephanie Chapman is the reading resource teacher in the school; Sharon Davis is a sixth grade classroom teacher, Amy Monjes is a third grade classroom teacher, and Linda Reilly is an ESOL teacher.
After presenting I asked the teachers to share ideas on how they have helped their students attend class prepared. Ms. Chapman shared that when she was a classroom teacher she would keep track of how many days a student would be prepared on a chart that all the students could see. When the students reached twenty-five days in a row, Ms. Chapman would call the parent to let them know their child was doing an excellent job. This positive reinforcement is a perfect example of how we can give feedback to our students for being prepared. Her feedback led to a positive confirmation of the impact of the elements of my vision.
Presenting the platform was extremely helpful. I was surprised at how nervous I was. I recorded the presentation on an audio recorder, which made it easier to remember what I said and to listen to the feedback from the teachers. I had a computer presentation prepared along with a handout for them to write down what they thought. Below are some of their comments:
Amy Monjes said, “Broad goals allow for all content area/specialists to incorporate as appropriate which allows for school wide success.”
Linda Reilly added her comments as well by saying, “I like the goals you chose. It is up to us to change the mood into an easy, positive attitude for each child. It sets the tone for the day.”
Sharon Davis said, “I enjoyed the sharing of ideas to reinforce the need to be prepared and encouraging students to come prepared. Very motivational presentation.”
These comments were encouraging and I enjoyed sharing my ideas with them. As I have seen them in the hall, there seems to be a greater comradery amongst us as educators. We have even had a few follow up discussions on how to help all the students be prepared for class everyday.
On Tuesday November 3, 2009, the platform was presented again to a slightly different group of teachers. This time, Amy Monjes, a third grade teacher, came back again to listen. Heather Carnaghan, a kindergarten teacher, and Gail Thorne, the music teacher also decided to attend. The second presentation focused on my personal philosophy of leadership. As in the first presentation, having a dialogue with fellow staff members proved to be insightful and motivating. Mrs. Carnaghan appreciates the simple definition of leadership and Mrs. Monjes asked an insightful question, “Would you take qualities from each of the four ‘leaders’ you’ve been under?”
Since this was the second presentation, I was much more relaxed. When our discussion was over, I felt energized and refreshed. There was a mutual respect for one another that led me to want to thoughtfully consider the comments given by these teachers. Receiving this feedback will help me to continue the leadership journey with vigor.
Conclusion
How can I attain the level five executive leadership level? I believe that continuing to develop the application of my vision, Motivate, Participate, and Educate, and collaborating with my colleagues to help make everyday an opportunity to prepare our youth for a lifelong journey of gaining skills and knowledge will help move me in the right direction. This platform has clarified my educational goals and provided motivation to excel in providing quality education to all students everyday. One day I intend to be a principal. I believe I have taken my first step toward leading an entire building with clarity and passion.
References
Cunningham, William, & Cordeiro, Paula (2009). Educational Leadership, 19 Hyattsville Website (2009). Retrieved from http://www1.pgcps.org/hyattsvillees/
http://www.mdreportcard.org/Demographics.aspx?K=161601&WDATA=school#MOBILITYgrade3all
National Relocation (2007); Hyattsville Demographics & Household Information;Hyattsville Income, Jobs & Education; Hyattsville Residential & Ethnicity Statistics. Retrieved from
http://profiles.nationalrelocation.com/Maryland/Hyattsville/
Pellicer, Leonard; Caring Enough to Lead, 16, 36, 46, 51
PGCPS - Prince Georges County Public Schools (2009). Retrieved from http://www1.pgcps.org/
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