In developing my own educational leadership model (MELM) I began with establishing what I believe the goal of education should be, since leaders by definition are leading people towards something. The goal of education is to effectively teach students the essential skills and knowledge they will need to establish a productive, positive, self-sufficient life where they can be active members of their communities. An effective leader, while working towards this goal will need to consider the present conditions and demands of the environment they are a part of. In the field of education, both internal and external factors are of crucial importance when developing a plan to lead for success. However, one must note the variables in education are different than those the business sector face, for example; student performance, ability and cultural differences; availability/condition of supplies and materials; goal; educator’s capability, views and attitudes; conditionality of economic support; openness/hostility of influencing communities; state or government performance mandates. A leader who knows where they (students, school, district, community) are now, can approach goals more clearly and develop more effective strategies to arrive at them.
My leadership model would keep quality education and its goal as the universal, underlying focus or vision much like the Instructional Leadership Model. Similarly, capable and motivated educators would be sought, curriculum and instruction would be reviewed for effectiveness, training or additional support would be given to develop teachers’ abilities and appropriate, relevant textbooks and supplies would be provided. However, one key departure from the Instructional Leadership Model is th...
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...onment they created for the achievement and success of their students. MELM was developed by incorporating some of the best guidelines put forth by earlier leadership models while keeping in mind the complex nature of education today. MELM can help create a larger, supportive community of leaders that work together to relieve some of the common work and time demands while building a quality, culture of education.
Works Cited
Burnor, R. Unit 1, Leadership Models A: Trait Theories and Theory X.
Burnor, R. Unit 3, Leadership Models B: Theory Y and Herzberg.
Burnor, R. Unit 4, Leadership Models C: Situational Leadership and Transactional Leadership.
Burnor, R. Unit 5, Leadership Models D: Instructional Leadership and Transformational Leadership.
Burnor, R. Unit 6, Leadership Models E: Value-Added Leadership, Community of Leaders and Learning Organization.
Leading organizations of school administrators offer educators various opportunities to encourage educators to become leaders. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has mandated that leaders be better prepared for the task of providing quality education to all. NCLB “… is forcing all educational stakeholders to face the weakness of contemporary school leadership and is making it impossible to ignore the need for higher quality principals” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). It is believed that all educators can be and are leaders in their own right. A leader is a visionary and has the ability to inspire others to aspire to greatness. Of the numerous opportunities that are offered, those that are most beneficial include but are not limited to leadership training programs, professional development, and creating shared leadership opportunities for teachers to become leaders. The systems “…that produce our nation’s principals are complex and interrelated – and governed by the states. Each state establishes licensing, certification and re-certification” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). States use the ISLLC standards “…as the framework for preparation programs and in service professional development of school superintendents, principals, and other leaders” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.3).
Frank, V. V. (2009, September). Framework for Improvement: Effective School Leadership Translates into Increased Student Learning. The Learning Principal: National Staff Development Council , pp. 2, 6-7.
The following briefing paper has been prepared to assist you in preparing your speech to the local chamber of commerce. The topic you have been asked to speak on is outlining the differences in leading an institution of higher education as opposed to running a for-profit business. The briefing highlights key points from three oft-referenced scholarly articles on the topic of higher education organizational theory and leadership. These points explain higher education structures and the differences between higher education organization and leadership and what your audience might be accustomed to. I have included references for your aid.
DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION OF A SHARED VISION: Education leaders facilitate the development and implementation of a shared vision of learning and growth of all students, (1C) Implementing the Vision connection to my action plan. I collaborate with key stakeholders with the intention of fostering a shared vision, one that is proactive in nature. Proactive interventions, such as the development of a BIP will aid in a shared vision of learning and growth for all students regardless of ability levels. INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP: Education leaders shape a collaborative culture of teaching and learning informed by professional standards and focused on student and professional growth (2C) Supporting Teachers to Improve Practice (2D) Feedback on Instruction, directly relates to my action plan as I will engage in open collaborative conversations with teachers, administrators, and essential staff members. I will conduct informal classroom observations with the intension of providing feedback, constructing classroom materials, dispersing information. EXTERNAL CONTEXT AND POLICY Education leaders influence political, social, economic, legal and cultural contexts affecting education to improve education policies and practices (6A) Understanding and Communicating Policy correlates with my action plan. I will inform all essential members of the current legal mandates established by federal law, as safeguarding student
Introduction Through identification and ongoing assessment of her leadership style and ability, this leader is able to develop and understand her own strengths and limitations in order to grow and develop into a more effective leader. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of servant leadership, contingency, and path-goal styles of leadership to gain an understanding of current leadership models, identify this author’s style of leadership, and explore why leadership is important to organizations, society, and this author. A Personal Model of Leadership Servant leadership was a term that was first used by Keifner Greenleaf (1970) in his first essay, The Servant as Leader (as cited by Crippen, C., 2005). Greenleaf based his essay on his belief that a servant leader is a servant first, and explained that it would begin with the natural urge to serve and then the leader would make a conscious choice to become a leader, in doing so he makes the choice to ensure that others needs are met first (2005 ). As a servant leader develops he should always keep aware of those who he serves and strive to ensure that they are becoming healthier, wiser, freer, have an increase in autonomy, and become more like servants themselves (2005).
“Effective school leadership is transcended through qualities that enable an individual to step to the forefront of a situation and take command by overseeing, delegating, and providing guidance.” P.3. An Educational Leadership Philosophy for School Leaders, by Derrick Meador 12/07/17. A good attitude goes a long way in promoting success and effecting how a school is run.
Leaders in education carry out the instructional goals and visions of their school community. They are expected to be resilient and flexible people who are driven to prepare, motivate, inspire, guide, and empower teachers and supporting staff to effectively equip our students with timeless skills they will need. Offering ongoing support, workshops and PD’s to teacher will strengthening the school's organizational structure. The transformational model, seems to allow room and movement for administrators and school leaders to take on a combinations of leadership techniques without being locked into one and most importantly, it demonstrates a strong initiative to give all staff members of the building a valuable role in the process of leadership.
It is my belief that anyone with a desire to change the world would be fortunate to work in education. By sharing my vision with others, and building upon my skills while seeking constant growth, I strive to take an approach to leadership that fosters an effective, nurturing educational environment for the entire school community. By creating this type of environment, as well as through embracing and enhancing my leadership strengths, it is my goal to contribute to society by inspiring people to become better not only as teachers and students, but as compassionate human beings.
Introduction: Throughout time it has been sought out to identify what makes a good leader. An all boys prep school with high standards and prides itself on its ability to mold their students. A new staff addition who does not follow in their ancient history traditions of education. The new teacher uses different teaching techniques to inspire and educate his students breaking them out of their shells.
An effective educational leader should be able to show the importance of having a shared vision. The perspective of collaboration should be encouraged from the top down. Having the consensus building and negotiating skills shows that the educational leader values the idea of having a shared vision where stakeholders have a same in the processes of development and implementation. When all stakeholders have a say in the creation of the school’s vision, they have more ownership in the processes and are more inclined to contribute to the success of the school.
I would like to apply to the Master’s Program in Educational Leadership. My goal is to continue my studies and successfully achieve my career goal of becoming a College educational leader.
Reflecting on my career, I believe it would be hard for me to imagine my current positions, rank and responsibility in both the fire service and the Coast Guard when I started in 1998. Over the years I have had several great teachers who have shaped my perceptions and guided my actions. My parents garner much of the credit of my successes as they raised me with a baseline of values which serves me today. Those values, my mentors, and my experiences have worked to construct my definition of leadership. To me, leadership is the practice of taking people to places (real or figurative) they would not likely go on their own. While this is a crude explanation, it is one which I have rallied around in my career. It distinguishes itself from that of a position of management where the parameters and rules for success are generally known. When encountering the unknown, or the uncharted territory, those who pioneer practice leadership.
My philosophy on educational leadership begins with maintaining a positive school culture. A school with a positive culture helps students and staff feel supported and empowered. It is the responsibility of a school’s leader to be the face of this positivity and support. A school’s culture must be cultivated by the leader of the school so that it can trickle down to students and staff. In order to be a leader by example and maintain this culture, a leader must constantly build positive relationships, set policies that help students and teachers be succeed, and promote academic achievement at all levels.
Thomas Sergiovanni (2015) describes three essential dimensions of leadership as “the heart, head, and hand of leadership.” The heart describes those characteristics within the school leader that reflect personal “beliefs, values, and dreams.” The head of leadership refers to the practice of teaching and educating. The hand of leadership reflects actions taken by school leaders with respect to management behaviors. (p. 5) Within these elements, there is room for personal choice in how leadership is practiced and it is incumbent on new principals to find an individual leadership style that responds to the uniqueness of each school.
Education is a very important aspect in the life of a child. The level of success a student has in the classroom is greatly influenced by their teachers. Students, as well as their parents, depend on the teachers to guide them through their education. But who guides a teacher to perform successfully in the classroom? Principals and teachers play an important role in schools. A good relationship among school leaders and teachers is necessary and play an important role in making improvements in the school. Leadership refers to the “process in which one person successfully exerts influence over others to reach desired objectives”. (Okoji, 2015) Good leadership involves honesty, vision, confidence and commitment. It is the ability to inspire a