Final Blog

The past year and a half has been amazing.  I have truly enjoyed the time I have spent with my cohort members and the new people I have met during EAD 269.  The support we have provided each other was truly beneficial. 

I have enjoyed the format of this class.  It was a bit difficult at first (learning how to blog) but I have taken away so much new information.  The information presented in class has given me fabulous notes to refer back to.  The projects were hands on and gave me the opportunity to dive in and figure out how my school site functions.  Our blogs on Leadership Connectors opened the doors for reflection and evaluation on my career. 

Thank you for making this class one of the best that we have taken. 

Good luck to all of my cohort members and new friends from EAD 269.  It's been an amazing ride. 

Happy Holidays to all.  

Capstone and Professional Growth Plan Reflection

I am so grateful that we were given assignments this semester that challenged us to dig deeper into the everyday normal business that takes place on our campus.  Our Capstone paper gave me a chance to dissect our Single Plan for Student Achievement and incorporate new data.  It also explained the goals of Alta Sierra and what our administration expects from our students, faculty, and surrounding community. 

The Professional Growth Plan assignment gave me a chance to reflect on my past 12 years of teaching.  I have made drastic growth but I realize their are other aspects of my career that has plateaued.  Forming Professional Learning Communities have been a huge push in our district but I am in a department that hasn't really enforced it.  So, as a new department chair it is my goal to bring PLC's to life. 

Blog Post #11 Reflection on the Budget Funding Activity

First, I’d like to say how much I appreciate the activities that have been assigned to us during this class.  They are meaningful and I have learned a great deal from them.  The GIS at Alta Sierra is in charge of the categorical funding and she tells me this is the one responsibility that keeps her up at night.  I am sure there is a great deal of pressure in making sure the money is allocated correctly.  I have been a School Site Council member for two years which has given me the opportunity to vote on the approval of how and where the money is spent.  I never quite understood who determines how the money is spent.  So, my GIS walked me through the process up to when the SSC votes on it.  She also explained how the money is put into the different categories and why the money must be spent on particular things (aids, materials, interpreters, etc.) I feel that through this activity I have gained the knowledge and understanding of how school sites distribute categorical funds while keeping the needs of the students as their number one priority.   

Blog Post #10 Face to Face

The last two days of class has provided me with a tremendous amount of information that I know I will use immediately and information that I will refer back to when I am in an administrative position.  I appreciate the time the Human Resource Administrators spent with us.  I couldn’t take notes fast enough. 

Friday

• You are who you hire.  Take the time to paper screen, call references, and do my homework (Google their names)
• Teachers with the “Can’t vs. Won’t” attitude.  An administrator only has one and a half years to determine whether a teacher is “worth” keeping.
• When having those “difficult” conversations….Remember, they did it and I am the one holding them accountable. 
• The most important job that I will do is hire people.
• Put everything out on the table during interviews.  List the non-negotiable expectations.
• Do NOT sit in your office – Get out there….Get in the classrooms
• Once you set the expectations be willing and prepared to have the difficult conversations with those not performing.
• Give yourself time to reflect before making decisions.

I appreciate that all three HR Administrators took the time to discuss with us what we should expect in interviews.  They explained how casual conversations can be interviews and to make sure we are always representing ourselves in the most positive light. 

Saturday

Dr. Bradley was AMAZING.  I look forward to downloading his PowerPoint off of Blackboard.  His presentation was full of vital information.  I am glad he guided us through the process of determining State Aid and explained the details of categorical funding.  As future leaders there is an incredible amount of information that we need to know in order to be successful.  Of course most of the information will come with experience and I believe that it is crucial to surround yourself as a new administrator with knowledgeable people and people that can teach you. 

Thank you for a great two days. 

Reflection: Face to Face meetings 10/21 & 10/22

Lazano Smith – Attorneys at Law

Roberta Rowe’s presentation answered several questions of mine regarding search and seizure of our students.  As a PE teacher I deal with 700 girls in a two day period.  Supervising a girls’ locker room is a difficult task, especially when the students are not mine.  Bullying and harassment is an ongoing problem in junior high.  The girls’ locker room is probably one of the most vulnerable places for our students.  It is difficult to maintain a safe environment when there are so many ways our students can harass and bully one another.  Cell phones, iPods, and cameras are devices I constantly look for when walking up and down the aisles.  So many of our students believe it is okay to take inappropriate pictures of themselves and others and post them on social networking sites. 

I have also been involved in locker searches but because I have never understood what I can and cannot do I have always had an administrator present.  If I understand this correctly I can search any locker as long as I have specific reasonable suspicion, which is supported by articulable facts that support the initial search. 

Termination of a teacher….  Why is this such a difficult thing to do?  I think about the six boxes of documentation that it took to give that final 45-day notice to the female teacher Roberta was describing.  Six boxes of documentation did nothing but provide a disservice to our children and students.  It’s such a shame that it takes that much! 

I truly enjoyed Dr. Hauser’s presentation on the fundamentals of effective meeting management.  I am the chair person for my department and I have meetings several times a month.  I thought we were on the right track with our agendas but today proved that I need to spend more time planning and making sure I follow up accordingly. 

I appreciate the 7 tips that Dr. Torosian gave us at the end of his presentation on student discipline. 

• ·         Focus on what you are trying to prove and what is relevant
• ·         Avoid legal conclusions in statements
• ·         Do not rely solely on paper or admissions to carry your case
• ·         Make sure witnesses are prepared, focused, direct, and concise
• ·         Cannot expel a students on hearsay only (written statements)
• ·         Utilize physical evidence if you have it
• ·         Use all ed. Codes that have been violated and ensure they are appropriate

The PowerPoint on the FRISK process was very beneficial in helping us prepare to write our discipline letter for an employee.  I believe that when this process does take place it is going to be an emotional one but practicing this format with nothing but the facts will help guide us through such a difficult task. 

These last two days of class were enjoyable in that we were exposed to several different topics and amazing speakers. 

Leadership Connectors – Chapter seven: Putting it all together

This is my 12th year of teaching.  As I look back it sure has flown by but yet 35 years of working in education seems so far away.   Reading “Leadership Connectors: Six keys to developing relationships in schools” has confirmed everything we have heard throughout this Master’s Program.  It’s all about developing relationships.  As a Physical Education teacher and coach I struggle with the thought of not having the classroom experience that some of my classmates and colleagues have.  I have to continue to remind myself that it’s more than knowing all the standards like the back of my hand.  It’s about being willing to dive in and learn what I don’t already know, it’s about developing trusting relationships with those I work with, and it’s about leading people towards that common goal or vision.   TEAMWORK…..That’s what I do every day with my athletes and students.  Now, I just need to believe in myself!

Leadership Connectors – Chapter six: Trust

Trust…Such a HUGE word.  I appreciate how the author of this text connects all of the leadership connectors with trust and states that in order for trust to be present all of the other connectors must be present.  As a teacher I have worked for many people in three different schools districts that I simply did not trust.  It’s a horrible feeling.  I have shared an office with a teacher where I had to be careful of what I said on the phone because she would share my conversations with others.  I have worked for principals where they would take the word of others without investigating or observing to find truth.  It makes you feel unsafe, defensive, and not valued.  As a leader I pray that I never make anyone feel this way.  I appreciate the suggestions from the text on how to avoid betrayal and perceived betrayal.  Of course most of it is common sense but the one that continues to catch my attention is “listen more than you speak.”  This is easier said than done, especially if it’s something you are passionate about.  This is something I truly want to work on.  I need to turn my focus to what my colleagues are truly saying so I can then decide if my comments will help or hurt the situation.