Leadership Connectors- Continuous Renewal

I greatly enjoyed this chapter of Leadership Connectors on Continuous Renewal. I appreciated the direct statements and suggestions regarding priorities, health and emotions, especially the statement, "thriving, not just surviving".  I can honestly say that is is tough finding balance between work, masters work, and home life is tough right now.  I recognize that I am "out of balance" yet I can't seem to find the hours in the day to do all the things that to be done.


Hensley and Burmeister addressed some helpful tips in ensuring continuous renewal as an educational leader.  They addressed the importance of constant reflection, addressing/identifying emotions, finding balance, and valuing one's health.  All of these aspects are obvious strategies in helping with one's "renewal", but is often forgotten simply because of overwhelming schedules and priorities.  


An aspect that I especially need to work on is finding balance between work, school, and home life.  Right now teaching and the masters program is my life and are my BIG priorities. It is so tough with teaching a new grade level this year, the final semester of the masters program, and having a husband that is also an educator (we spend our "together" time grading papers/doing work).  Life will certainly be easier in December (when the school/classwork is done).  Until then I will have to continue to schedule/plan all of my events and just take it day by day-being sure to reflect on how to be more efficient and effective.  Also, I am certain that the addition of Baby Okada will help my shift my priorities in life in April. :) 

Leadership Connectors- Competence

Competence is continual learning and growth- 

"It is at the point where what we already know slips into what we do not know that the learning occurs." 

Hensley and Burmeister's chapter on competence is probably one of my favorites so far.  I especially enjoyed this chapter because competence encompasses the previous connectors- communication, support, and safety.  In order to be a competent leader it is essential to have the previous connectors in place.  The list of reflective tools are helpful in paving the path to competency as an instructional leader. 

The section (in the list of reflection tools), Organization and Prioritization was extremely eye opening and well stated.  I love the comparison between being an orchestrator or manipulator.  The conductor leads the orchestra by bringing cohesion and unity to a variety of musical instruments.  The most profounding part was that the conductor doesn't know how to play every instrument, but trusts the knowledge of his team.

As an instructional leader it crucial to empower teachers and build capacity.  However, it is easier said than done, "Gaining competence as a leader is not as clear-cut as gaining competence as a teacher (p. 84)."  When I think of building capacity or self-efficacy at the work place I think back to the Drive video.  Extrinsic motivation only promotes behavior for a short time before it becomes stagnate.  

As a young future instructional leader I have fears of being incompetent.  I know that it is necessary to work below the green line and establish relationships to build trust and support in order to have the school site work towards a common vision and goal.  At the same time it is important to be open and transparent in my knowledge and ability.  I definitely will not be scared to admit that "I don't know and I will find out for you".  

Leadership Connectors- Safety

"Only when we feel safe can we shift our energy from basic 

survival needs to complex thinking and reflecting" 

-Hensley & Burmeister

Prior to reading this chapter I would not have considered "safety" as a mark of an effective educational leader.  However, upon reading this chapter I do believe that it is necessary and crucial that teachers and students are safe to promote an environment in which everyone thrives.  

Often times when we think of safety we only think of feeling physically safe.  In this chapter of Leadership Connector, Hensley and Burmeister discussed in depth about bullies and the need to end and get rid of bullying.  Something that I learned and did not consider as a "safety" concern was establishing healthy relationships such as providing others with recognition for their hard work.

I am glad that Hensley and Burmeister addressed that the issue of sleeplessness.  I am certain as time progresses I eventually move up the ladder this issue will continue to manifest.  I will certainly put some of the suggestion into play (starting tonight, maybe).

Leadership Connectors- Support

Support is an essential element in the success of a school or company.  Support is a "transparent" factor that is evident in the work community or not.  When I think of support I think of loyalty and trust.  In order to have support or give support there has to be a level of dependency and trust. This was evident in the story about the new principal Mary.  She was able to provide teachers with support and an open, trusting relationship.  In return the teachers were loyal to her and worked hard to make the school a successful place.  

Support is similar to communication in that these are elements of working below the green line.  Good support and communication establishes buy-in and relationships, which are crucial in creating an effective work environment.  

Hensley and Burmeister explains that support comes in various forms- financial, material, physical, emotional, human and moral.  It was also addressed in this chapter that all of teachers' "needs" (in material items) must be addressed and met.  Medical supplies and other needs are addressed but education is not treated with the same level of urgency.  With the current state of budget, not all teachers' needs can be met.  It is important to share budget records and conditions with school staff so that everyone is aware of the financial situation.  

Leadership Connectors- Communication & Support

In Leadership Connectors Hensley and Burnmeiser addressed some key developmental characteristics that great leaders possess in order to develop successful relationship in schools.  Two characteristics that were addressed in the first two chapters were communication and support.

Good communication is the pivotal factor in a leader's ability to connect/build relationships with others.  It is also stated that when good communication occurs other "connectors" have the ability to flourish, and without good communication other connectors have little chance of succeeding.  It seem obvious that communication would be the most important factor in establishing the culture and relationships at a school site yet this is a component that is often times overlooked.  Hensley and Burnmeiser provides numerous examples of great communication, such as emails, newsletters, notes, etc.  It is also addressed that communication is any form of contact-oral, written and nonverbal.

Nonverbal communication is definitely an area that I need to work on! I have a million things running through my mind that often times I am distracted and not fully engaged on the speaker. Oops! Sorry!

Support is also a crucial component in establishing relationships in schools.  All members of the school site seek constantly seek support-financial, material, emotional, physical or moral.  Support is an area that helps a school transcend beyond "work place" to a more family-oriented, nurturing environment.

I am truly fortunate to work at a school site where these two characteristics exist- not just on an administrative level but at every level (teachers, students, parents/community).  :)

Beginning of the End...

It is unbelievable that this is my last semester of my masters/admin program.  Yay!  On August 24th I had our first face-to-face class meeting for EAD 269- Site-Based Leadership.  This class is special in that I have three professors, Dr. Buster, Dr. Darrow, and Dr. Wise and this class as combined several cohorts to create an ultimate collaboration of cohorts- Sanger, Tulare, Clovis, Kingsburg, and Visalia.  I am looking forward to our journey together in this course and this semester.

One of the highlights of this class meeting was watching the RSA Animate video about motivation.  This video was created by Daniel Pink, who uses illustrations to convey the drive of motivation.  He explains that extrinsic motivations and rewards are only effective on simple tasks and actually have an negative affect on completing tasks that require higher cognitive abilities.  


At the conclusion of this video it was determined that there are three factors that would motivate skilled, cognitive-oriented workers- autonomy, mastery, and purpose.  As a teacher, I have discovered that it is essential to move students from the extrinsic motivations to intrinsic motivation, so that they have the drive (motivation) to endure them for a lifetime.  

Greetings!

Hi, my name is Myrna Okada and this is my first time creating a blog.  I am looking forward to completing my masters and administrative credential this semester with the Sanger cohort. =)