Download Reflection Paper for School Administration

Reflection Paper for
Introduction to School Administration
Dr. Tim Creal
Danny Janklow
11/30/06
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Effective administrators consider many factors, starting first and foremost, with
relationship. A relationship is so important that many people need to be aware of it
before a professional career can take place. Professional and personable administrators
quickly build trusting relationships with staff as well as students. Lunenburg and
Orenstein (2004) state school leaders can accomplish this by clarifying purpose,
encouraging collective learning, aligning with the state standards, providing support and
making data driven decisions. These five dimensions provide a compelling framework
for accomplishing sustained district-wide success for all children. The most important
aspect of building relationships include having the open vision by always working
towards focusing on a good relationship versus a poor relationship. Effective
administrators are dynamic, always flexible throughout the day, also being able to deal
with the various logistical aspects and confrontations which arise daily. Most
importantly, effective leaders actively listen. True leaders have the ability to see where
the problem lies and be able to read through the vernacular to focus on a solution.
Another very important aspect of being an effective educator is the ability to
understand the different roles and theories behind educational leadership. Lunenburg and
Orenstein believe transformational leadership focuses on leaders who have exceptional
impact on their organization (2004). These individuals are called transformational
leaders. This view of leadership is extremely rare, as contrasted with the other leadership
approaches and management models. One important aspect in school administration is
being flexible; allowing the administration to handle each situation in context.
Situational leadership (Lunenburg and Orenstein, 2004) allows for an administrator to
handle the various types of coaching or criticism necessary to create a positive
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environment. This positive environment nurtures the teachers, who, in turn share that
nurturance with the children. Efficient leaders examine and reflect on what is different
about every relationship they have built with every individual person. By examining
relationships the effective administrator compares the similarities and differences
between those relationships and focuses on the aspects of the individual situation. Having
the ability to do so and the wisdom to recognize the variables of that situation allows the
outcome to be much more positive. The effective administrator finds a leadership model
that works for them and applies the benefits of that model to the situation. Using Hershey
& Blanchard's Situational Leadership model (Lunenburg and Orenstein, 2004), provides
the opportunity for one to use their relationship to mutually benefit both parties involved.
School administrators handle many administrative processes that require various
leadership styles and an understanding of those styles.
In order to elicit positive
behaviors and positive character traits from all professionals involved, effective
administrators identify the hidden qualities in each member of the organization. To make
the highly effective school a positive working climate, a principal he/she applies various
styles to manage each individual situation differently. He/she focuses on the ability to
make a snap decision with the greatest amount of information necessary. An effective
administrator is be a risk taker. Effective principals have high expectations for all
students and enlist support of others in meeting common goals (Ubben, Hughes and
Norris, 2007). The authors continue by stating, the principal is the one person in the
school who can oversee the entire program because of her or his interest in the success of
the entire school as well as all of its parts. Therefore, the principal is in the best position
to provide the necessary sense of direction to the various departments of the school.
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Effective educational leaders build a comfortable professional atmosphere and climate to
insure a certain level of support, as well as trust, is felt by all participants. After the
fellow educators witness the administrator using knowledge and facts as a basis for
consistent decision making, and perhaps a positive mentor to gain feedback prior to
making politically charged final decisions, a level of trust has been established with the
staff. By having a positive support structure in place an effective leader can provide the
necessary structure, appropriate communication and relationship building opportunities.
By increasing the level of trust enjoyed by people working within the building and by
aligning the relationships with a common goal, the effective leader can make necessary
changes to implement crucial curriculum and effectively enforce mandates given down
by the upper level of administration with the least amount of resistance.
By having strong communication skills, an effective leader, with an open door
policy, is aware of verbal as well as nonverbal communications by the staff. Building
effective communication networks, allows the effective administrator to deal with parents
as well as dealing with change resisters and others opposed to new ideas. The effective
principal finds staff leaders who buy into the change, to help change the attitudes of the
few resisters. Effective leaders show empathy to each person, and deals with that person
on an individual basis, which builds trust in an organization. This allows the relationship
between the administrator and subordinate to grow and flourish to higher levels. When
this level of trust is achieved, the administrator's decisions are not. Leadership is not
about who is smarter or tougher, but about qualities such as motivating, power, empathy,
integrity and intuitive abilities; which fall within the domain of emotional intelligence.
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A student would have to focus on the element of relationships equals’ effective
leadership. Lunenburg and Orenstein (2004) state there are six major categories of
leadership, instructional leadership, transformational leadership, moral leadership
participative leadership, contingency leadership and managerial leadership. Every
element involved, regardless of the leadership style used, relationships are the vital
component. No matter which style of leadership a principal chooses or aligns his or her
character with, the principal is still bound by the level of relationship and trust enjoyed.
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References
Lunenburg, F., & Ornstein, A. (2004). Educational Administration: Concepts and
Practices. Belmont,CA: Wadsworth/Thompson Learning.
Ubben. G, Hughes. L, Norris. C. (2007). The Principal: Creative Leadership for
Excellence in Schools. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.
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