Running Head: PLATFORM OF LEADERSHIP

“Vision of Leading” Platform Statement

Jennifer Irazabal

Central Connecticut State University

EDL590 Leaders as Learners: Educational Leadership

Dr. Felice Russell

June 4th, 2020

Introduction

The role of a leader in education is dynamic and multifaceted. Addressing the social and

emotional needs while promoting student and professional growth is no easy feat. While the

responsibilities and tasks may seem overwhelming or impossible, Desmond Tutu stated, “There

is only one way to eat an elephant: a bite at a time.” It begins with providing students and staff

with an environment conducive to collaboration, communication, community, and growth.

Administrators must be experts in managing people, data, and processes in order to improve

instruction which ultimately relates to higher student achievement. Although the leader is

viewed as an expert, a true leader is a lifelong learner themselves.

Framework of learning and teaching for the educated person

The complex responsibility of an educator extends far beyond content acquisition. “The

promotion of social, emotional, and academic learning is not a shifting educational fad; it is the

substance of education itself. It is not a distraction from the ‘real work’ of math and English

instruction; it is how instruction can succeed” (Brackett, M. 2020). A student cannot learn

effectively if they are not in an environment conducive to learning and their social and

emotional learning needs are not met. Educators must invest the time in establishing a positive

culture and building relationships in order to promote the academic, social, and emotional

growth of every child in the classroom. Social, emotional, and academic learning does not cease

at the end of the school day, they carry over to the home. Through collaboration and

communication, a bridge between home and school is built.

“If new learning and understanding are to find a secure place to take hold in the brain’s

memory network, then they need to make sense, build on past experiences, establish
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connections, and take meaning from those connections that ultimately emerge.”

(Differentiation and the brain). Learning in the classroom should be engaging, authentic, and

meaningful to students with high expectations for all. This is accomplished through student

centered learning that involves rich academic discourse and collaboration in the classroom.

The workshop model enhances essential skills in the classroom that prepare students

for success after graduation. Students build social and emotional skills through questioning and

exploring, igniting their creative desires. The teacher is seen as a facilitator, guiding students to

build their ideas to make learning authentic and meaningful. Through this approach, students

develop strong interpersonal connections allowing them to analyze, critique, collaborate and

communicate their learning with peers and teachers.

Lifelong learners are intrinsically motivated. “Motivated students use learning strategies

more frequently, have a stronger will to learn, and thus set more and higher goals for

themselves, and they are more persistent in learning.” (Koca, 2016). Tangible rewards lose their

appeal over time, whereas intrinsic motivation flourishes. Lifelong learners approach learning

with a growth mindset and view failure as learning. They persevere when faced with obstacles.

Role of the leader

The power of an effective leader in education goes unrivaled. A leader with a clear vision

and set of goals shared with staff, students, and families will lead their school to greatness. A

common theme woven throughout education is the importance of having a hospitable and

nurturing community built on relationships and trust.

A visible and accessible leader will have the trust of their staff. A leader focused on

improving instruction will familiarize themselves with the curriculum, classrooms, instruction,
Running Head: PLATFORM OF LEADERSHIP

and students. Observations and walk throughs should not be limited to teacher evaluation

plans. Frequent, informal pop-ins or walk-throughs with feedback is vital to the professional

growth of teachers and staff.

Cultivating leadership in others inherently lends itself to creating a hospitable environment,

improving instruction, and ensuring academic success for all students. “I am not THE leader; I

am A leader” (The Wallace Foundation, 2013). This quote resonates with my philosophy on

educational leadership. Each staff member has different strengths to contribute and an

effective leader utilizes this understanding to encourage staff to collaborate and share ideas

and resources. This includes visiting other classrooms, observing instruction, specialists

modeling within the classroom, and professional discourse focusing on improving instruction

and processes. A school community can produce gains collectively that they could not realize

singlehandedly.

Effective leaders “Develop teachers’ and staff members’ professional knowledge, skills, and

practice through differentiated opportunities for learning and growth, guided by the

understanding of professional and adult learning and development” (National Policy Board for

Educational Administration, 2015). Providing staff with professional development catered to

their needs is more effective than a one size fits all approach to professional development.

Critical issues

A critical issue confronting schools is the closing the achievement gap. The needs, abilities,

and readiness of students within a classroom vary significantly and make the planning and

implementation of tier one instruction crucial to the goal of closing the gap. According to Sousa
Running Head: PLATFORM OF LEADERSHIP

and Tomilson, a student’s past experiences, home opportunities, support systems, emotional

state, and personal strengths and weaknesses are a few of the factors that can propel a student

forward, or hold a student back in regard to learning. There are many components that need to

be considered when meeting the needs of all learners in the classroom. These should be

incorporated into the shared vision and goals of the school.

Data is a driving force for decision making. It helps identify target areas for growth and

allows teachers and leaders to evaluate their progress towards these goals. Data can be

empowering or disabling. (Fullan, 2007) An effective leader is involved in data collection and

analysis with staff consistently, building trust and relationships as progress is made towards the

shared goals so teachers view data as a tool rather than a punishment.

Thoughtful and rigorous curriculum planning is essential to academic achievement.

“Administrators need to prepare a thoughtfully constructed implementation plan that includes

ongoing, scheduled opportunities for professional collaboration between those who designed

the unit and those who did not.” (Ainsworth, 2010) As curriculum is monitored consistently,

measures to improve tier one instruction should occur concurrently. Through exemplary

differentiation, students at varying abilities will have personalized learning tasks and scaffolded

instruction to build their understandings and move through sequential learning progressions.

Leaders that make a habit of visiting classrooms on a regular basis will gain insight into

areas for future professional development. Being present and listening to the needs of staff

creates a nurturing and transparent relationship where staff feels appreciated and valued; in

turn making them more effective in the classroom.

When tier one instruction is not promoting expected results, providing scientific research-

based interventions need to be implemented to ensure students are receiving the supports

they need for success. Establishing team meetings to collectively discuss data and student

progress is important to ensure the intervention and goals are appropriate for each student and

modify if not.

Translation your vision of leading into educational aims and organizational goals and

processes

The success of every student is not based on the leader or staff alone. It takes a team to

support the success of every student, especially with such diverse needs in the classroom.

Informed decision making is at the crux of strong leadership and can be achieved through the

careful analysis of data. Administrators “View data as a means to not only pinpoint a problem

but to understand their nature and causes” (The Wallace Foundation, 2013). Leaders must be

familiar with students, staff, classrooms, and curriculum and ask questions of the data in order

to create a shared mission and goals. It is the “Why?” that leads to meaningful decisions.

Data is the lifeblood of school systems; we cannot improve without it. Yet when we

apply high stakes to data, we tend to hide rather than learn from our mistakes, which stifles

innovation” By allowing teachers to co-develop new approaches to learning and then testing

and improving them based on the data they collect—creates trust and allows staff to view data

as a means for improvement rather than a negative blame game (Goodwin,B., 2015).

School data teams are a valuable resource to analyze data and assess growth towards a

common vision. Collecting balanced data on not only academic goals, but also social and

emotional goals is vital in determining where the school stands as a whole. Data on well-being
Running Head: PLATFORM OF LEADERSHIP

of staff and students may be collected through surveys, while academic based data can be

gathered through formal or informal assessments. The team should share findings with all staff

and discuss a plan to move forward. Data analysis and action plans should involve all members

of the school community.

An administrator that believes in the success for all students and promotes high

expectations for students and staff places a large emphasis on improving instructional practices.

In order to improve instructional practices, an effective leader uses data to identify

areas for growth. Teachers use data in their classrooms to inform and adapt instruction while

administrators look at the large-scale data to effect school-wide change. An effective leader

reviews the data with staff and engages them in discussion to gain their input and propose

possible solutions. Engaging in professional learning networks empowers staff and creates a

positive work environment.

Conclusion

An effective leader believes “The fundamental pillars of school leadership are relationships;

nothing substitutes for building and nurturing them (Joanne Rooney)”. Above all, happy staff

are motivated, and motivated staff are effective. “There is nothing that better motivates people

to make more investments of time, energy and commitment than to grow better at something

that has importance” (Fullan, 2007). This intrinsic motivation to work collectively towards a

shared mission is facilitated through a strong leader who focuses first on relationships, and then

on improving instruction to ensure success of all students.

References
Running Head: PLATFORM OF LEADERSHIP

Ainsworth, L., & Donovan, K. (2019). Rigorous curriculum design: How to create curricular
units of study that align standards, instruction, and assessment. Rexford, NY: International
Center for Leadership in Education, from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

BRACKETT, M. (2020). PERMISSION TO FEEL: Unlocking the power of emotions to help our
kids, ourselves, and our ... society thrive. Place of publication not identified: CELADON Books.

Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change, (4th ed.; pp. 41-62). New
York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Goodwin, B. (2015). The road less traveled: Changing schools from the inside out.
Denver, CO: McREL International.

Koca, F. (2016). Motivation to Learn and Teacher-Student Relationships. Journal of

National Policy Board for Educational Administration. (2015). Professional standards for
educational leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author.

Sousa, D. A., & Tomlinson, C. A. (2018). Differentiation and the brain: How neuroscience
supports the learner-friendly classroom. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press.

The Wallace Foundation. (2013). The school principal as leader: Guiding schools to
better teaching and learning. Retrieved from www.wallacefoundation.org