Educational Leadership Commons^™

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Christopher J. Hoover

Graduate Research Papers

What exactly makes a successful instructional leader? According to Hilliard (2000), a successful instructional leader is one who works at, "earning and sustaining trust, listening actively, mastering timing, conveying a sense of sincere caring, formulating ideas clearly and succinctly, transmitting sympathy and empathy as needed" (p.157). Simple possession of these qualities however, does not predetermine success. To be successful the instructional leader must combine personal beliefs with these qualities to promote advancement in the school and the community.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Andrew Merritt

Graduate Research Papers

The vision and mission a school community creates is the path and object of an administrator's position in a particular school district. The vision and mission is a foundation for the house and the beginning point of the road map. The vision is the idealized dream almost reachable, albeit reasonable enough for an attempt to reach. The vision should be shared and agreed upon by the community. Unique and culture driven, the vision needs to be the mirror of the culture's needs.

The most important passion an educator or administrator can feel is purpose. An institution's vision should give real …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Amy Josephine Moine

Graduate Research Papers

To take on the role as a leader in education will not be an easy task. Administrators will be held to high standards in visionary, instructional, organizational, ethical, political, and collaborative leadership. In order to meet and/or exceed these standards I will depend on my skills in building positive relationships with all people and taking the right steps to build a school with a reputation of excellence.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Kaylen D. Dreyer

Graduate Research Papers

Today's successful administrators fill many important roles that demonstrate educational leadership. First, administrators are goal oriented. They are visionaries with a set path for themselves and others around them. Administrators are also life-long learners. They believe in continual learning for themselves and others. At last, administrators need to be caring, collaborative, and supportive as leaders and decision makers. They need to be true advocates for the children within their buildings.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools: A Reflective Essay, Lucy M. Evans

Graduate Research Papers

I believe that every child born into the world deserves, as their unalienable right, an equal opportunity to a quality education as promised by the United States Congress in 1981. This promise can only be accomplished by maintaining the belief that every child can and will learn if given the opportunity. I believe that within the mind of a child is a natural curiosity about this great world that can through proper nurturing continue throughout their lives.

The atmosphere in the school community should be one of caring and acceptance. Plants and animals cannot grow without proper care and nourishment …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Timothy D. Hejhal

Graduate Research Papers

There are many personal traits that have been found universally among effective leaders. Intelligence, self-reflection, honesty and not being afraid to seek assistance when confronted with difficult problems are examples of these traits. Effective leaders must have inherent "people skills". They must have a genuine interest in and awareness of the needs of others. Emotional balance and remaining rational in times of conflict, crisis, or challenging circumstances are all positive personal attributes essential of effective leadership.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools, Christopher Cruise

Graduate Research Papers

There are many different characteristics that contribute to being an effective administrator. I believe an administrator must have a vision for his/her school. He or she must strive to constantly improve the educational experience for students by building a strong cultural community within the school that makes every student feel welcome. An administrator must work well with many different types of people within the school and community and must be willing to serve on many different committees to open lines of communication with all of the student body.

An administrator needs to surround himself with good people who share his …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Amy Rallis

Graduate Research Papers

I believe that competent and effective administrators must possess and clearly demonstrate all six of the Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) representative of exemplary education. Effective administrators are organized, efficient, interact well with everyone in a professional manner, and are personal. An effective administrator interacts effectively with everyone in the building. They are knowledgeable about topics and are good listeners. I value these components in any job, but most importantly in principals I interact with as a teacher. Highly effective administrators are open-minded, but also have a tendency to stick to the task at hand.

A Preferred Vision For Administering K-12 Schools : A Reflective Essay, Victoria L. Connelly

Graduate Research Papers

A few important beliefs have become the cornerstones of my philosophy of education. These beliefs include the need to develop collaborative relationships within the school community, create a positive climate, and to always remember that student learning is the ultimate goal for educators. In order to build the constructive relationships upon which success can be built, a leader must be able to communicate. A school leader who demonstrates communication skills encourages the development of a positive school climate where there is respect and discipline. Educators should enhance the feeling of success, achievement, and caring in a school climate by establishing …

Issl Standards : Tools For An Effective Educational Leader, Kimberly R. Latusick

Graduate Research Papers

The Iowa Standards for School Leadership (ISSL) provide an educational leader with the essential tools to construct a strong educational structure. These tools are used to actively engage everyone in the building process. The six ISSL Standards: Visionary, Instructional, Organizational, Collaborative, Ethical, and Political Leadership, serve as a blueprint to gain knowledge and develop attributes appropriate to the role of a building principal.

This essay reflects on how I have incorporated the ISSL Standards into my role as educator and future administrator. The practicum experiences, course-related work, and visionary expectations have allowed me to understand the importance of being an …

Transformational Leadership In Higher Education : From Politics To Porcelain, Bunny Brandis

Graduate Research Papers

The purpose of this paper is to make a case for transformational leadership as an effective and necessary tool to be accepted and practiced by institutions of higher education. Today's universities are under tremendous pressure to be more responsive to the changing environment and needs of society. The question is; can new leadership function within the traditionally hierarchical management and help transform the transactional university organization?

A Philosophical Explanation Of Education Today : A Reflective Essay, Brant J. Bemus

Graduate Research Papers

"In one sense it is not so much the capacity for education as the necessity of education that differentiates man from the lower animals" (p. 8). This quote by Bagley (1905) summarizes his beliefs on what the foundation of education is built. Despite many changes in education since Bagley's time, the purpose of education remains constant - to provide the best opportunities for students to achieve their highest attainment and become well-rounded individuals in an ever changing society. It is the necessity of education that makes the duty of public and private education so crucial. It is our job, as …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Gary D. Rippentrop

Graduate Research Papers

School leaders are put in a position of educating the community's most valuable asset, their children. School leaders must live their lives by the highest ethical standards to demonstrate to the community the importance of the district children's education.

A school leader needs to have a vision of what the school should exemplify in future years. Students should not only learn the academics, but should also learn to be good citizens. To be good citizens, the students of today must have knowledge of where our country has been in the past to better understand what we stand for today. To …

A Vision To Lead Elementary School : A Reflective Research Paper, Chad D. Hageman

Graduate Research Papers

Leadership is a characteristic in which I believe strongly. I would rather initiate an idea than just be a follower of one. I have shown this with my current role as a teacher, and feel that I can make a smooth transition into the position of administrator. I have identified personal characteristics that I believe will make me an effective leader. Through my experiences and my character I will be able to lead an elementary school effectively and efficiently. I will lead and instruct the teachers into a direction of great achievement. Together we will create a safe and fun …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Stephen P. Probert

Graduate Research Papers

The complexity of the principalship is staggering. The intensity of the various roles and expectations are immense. As schools are asked to do more, so are their principals. Elementary principals on any given morning may attend IBP meetings, counsel distraught parents, meet with the central administration, comfort troubled students, remedy leaking roofs, answer staff inquiries, and observe lessons in classrooms.

To say the principalship is multi-faceted oversimplifies the demands and responsibilities of the leadership role. It is not just the managerial tasks which complicate the lives of principals. They must also possess moral fiber. Values, such as honesty, integrity, compassion, …

A Preferred Vision For Leading Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Alvin B. Wright

Graduate Research Papers

My educational history has taken various routes. It has been a road of highs, lows, accomplishments, and disappointments. I have had the good fortune to be influenced by educators who were role models for me. My models have included teachers, administrators, and professors. The influence of their instruction and direction has helped to inspire and shape my vision to become a teacher and aspiring educational leader. I plan to use my teaching experiences, educational history, life experiences, and administrative preparation as cornerstones for my urban principalship.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Dan J. Conner

Graduate Research Papers

In Supervision and Evaluation of Instruction, we constructed a top ten list of desirable leadership behaviors: 1. Open door policy 2. Empathetic 3. Confident 4. Reassuring 5. Knowledgeable 6. Energetic 7. Consistent 8. Patient 9. Humorous 10. Optimistic. I believe that all of these are vital links to aspire toward, however, knowledge is the one attribute I needed to focus on.

Our society is ever shifting and we will always be in the catch-up mode. Schools have long been a pillar of strength in communities. School is where you grow up, mature, and develop an identity. This is not going …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Ryan J. Lewis

Graduate Research Papers

Quality administrative leadership is a major component of the successful education of our future. Leaders have the responsibility to identify trends and patterns to plan for the future. "With these demographic changes inevitably come cultural changes that we must confront and accommodate" (James, 1997, p. 22). The traditional methods of instruction and leadership no longer meet the needs society has placed upon the educational system. There are three questions that leaders must be able to answer: (a) What is in our future?, (b) What skills will we need?, (c) What do we need to get there? These three questions allow …

Creating And Maintaining A Safe Environment In The Public High School : A Reflective Essay, Chris Anderson

Graduate Research Papers

School violence is an unfortunate fact of life in our society. Administrators need to consider multiple variables when deciding how to deal with violence in their building. The climate of the community must be taken into consideration. In a large metropolitan school with a history of violence, measures such as metal detectors and armed security guards may be justified. At a rural school such measures might be considered an overreaction. Furthermore, in this age of shrinking budgets an administrator may have difficulty justifying expenditures for metal detectors and guards in a school without a history of violence. The answer for …

Personal Professional Vision For Administrative Practice : A Reflective Essay, Lisa Lueken

Graduate Research Papers

It is important for every future administrator to think about and reflect upon their values and beliefs regarding educational leadership. By identifying these ideas early in their education, one can better learn how to put them into administrative practice. Without this set of beliefs, a future administrator may find it difficult to evolve into an effective leader.

In order to attain this growth, I will utilize the six Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) and the Iowa Standards for School Leaders (ISSL) and their respective indicators for knowledge, disposition, and performance. The standards for visionary, instructional, organizational, collaborative, ethical, and …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Maria Trese Cashman

Graduate Research Papers

Monroe (1997) said, "School should not reflect what society is, but rather school should model what society should be" (p. 193). This statement summarizes my reasons for becoming an administrator. Iowa's public schools are some of the finest learning institutions in the nation. These same schools, however, frequently reflect the negative characteristics of society. Lack of respect, segregation of students, and elitist attitudes are prevalent characteristics of today's society and today's schools. I want to be a leader who will make the necessary changes to maintain our high academic standards for all students and make our schools a welcoming place …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Cindy Roerig

Graduate Research Papers

I believe in visionary, instructional, organizational, collaborative, ethical, and political leadership in administrating a school community. I know all students can achieve quality education if the right accommodations are developed for each learning situation. Administrators need to promote educational excellence for all stakeholders. As an administrator, I will promote and advocate for a school community where all students will learn and achieve lifelong knowledge and skills so they can become future leaders in our society. I believe educators must be held accountable for every student to reach their maximum potential in achieving academic and social success. As a principal, my …

Academic Advising Strategies For The At-Risk Student, Angie K. Tudor

Graduate Research Papers

"They often come to class without a pen or paper, put off buying a textbook, do not complete initial assignments, become erratic in attendance, and one day, they simply disappear" (Rouche, 1993, p.37). This description of an at-risk student was provided by a faculty member expressing concern over the plight of this unique category of students in higher education. At-risk students are students who, through no fault of their own, have been denied some of the advantages granted to the majority of college students. "These advantages include growing up in a loving, supportive family, having adequate financial resources, or having …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Andrew B. Ferguson

Graduate Research Papers

The task of an effective administrative leader is to be a visionary who will organize the school environment in order to maximize learning and success for all students. It is not an easy task to undertake, but success can be achieved when the school leader involves stakeholders in the decision making process and treats others fairly and with respect.

Above all, an effective school administrator recognizes that he or she is a role model and that everyone from students, staff, parents, and community members take the cue from the principal. It is a position that can be very influential and …

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Kimberly K. Blakesley

Graduate Research Papers

The most vital role an administrator can play is that of aiding teachers to enable students to learn. This will be done through giving and coaching unselfishly. The need of an educator in any position is to pass on the key that will enable students to renew their faith and confidence in their own abilities. Once the student finds or accepts this key and uses it, they will unlock the golden door to learning--then the rest is up to them. The constant repetition of learning will be absorbed by that other mind of theirs, the subconscious, and eventually will be …

Philosophical Perspective On Educational Leadership : A Reflective Essay, Parrish Copeland

Graduate Research Papers

Leadership calls for creating a compelling vision of the future and developing farsighted strategies for producing the changes needed to achieve that vision. To be compelling for followers, the vision needs to be one they can relate to, understand, and share. Leadership focuses on getting everyone lined up in the same direction. Visionary leaders concern themselves with communicating their vision and developing a shared culture and set of core values. This can lead to an ambitious, desired future for the organization or team. A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by facilitating the …

Visions And Beliefs For Leading Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Janet M. Rohmiller

Graduate Research Papers

As I strive to become a strong elementary school leader, my emerging philosophy of leadership reinforces my firm belief that all children can learn. It is based on five key responsibilities: Effective leaders possess a strong knowledge base; model ethical and moral behavior; work collaboratively with all stakeholders; provide a safe environment conducive to learning; and ensure a sound education for all children. Rooted in research, study, personal experience, and reflection, these beliefs establish the foundation for my vision of leading others toward education for all.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Greg Fisher

Graduate Research Papers

An effective administrator has a passion for assisting children in their educational growth. Administrators strive for a quality, equitable and applicable education for all children. Leadership is developed from the core values held by the individual. Values that are essential for a distinguished leader are integrity and honesty. Respected administrators have established positive working relationships with all members of the learning community, and they challenge each individual to achieve their fullest potential.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Kimberly S. Kazmierczak

Graduate Research Papers

Administration is a journey of discovery. This reflective paper is the testament discovery for one administrator who is not the same person as she was one year ago. The anniversary of acceptance to take a position in administration has passed and has found this administrator with newly found confidence, knowledge and purpose to constantly improve and never cease to learn.

This paper is a reflection of the cognitive and affective gains made by one administrator in her first year. It demonstrates what practical application while learning can do for the professional career of a future administrator. "A leader who plans, …

A Personal Professional Vision For Elementary Principalship : A Reflective Essay, Doreen A. Knuth

Graduate Research Papers

The business of running public schools to prepare our youngsters to be productive members of society is a very complex task. It is not enough to simply have a vision based on values and beliefs, but one must also possess the necessary skills to · transform that vision into reality. Dr. Lorraine Monroe, a successful leader in the field of educational leadership, sums this up by saying, "Most important is that the leader continue not only to believe in the dream and the need to pursue it but also to do the hard brain work of never doubting its importance," …