School Culture
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Site-based decision making
School transformation and culture is built into communities, allowing staff to participate in the major decision-making. Programming, budgets, and personnel can all be decided by students, parents, and staff. In site based decision making, the principal becomes one of the decision makers within the group.
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As a collaborator and leader, I feel that the staff can be empowered by sharing the decision making of the entire school. Weekly staff meetings, vertical and horizontal meetings, and team collaboration will help implement site-based decision making.
Creative problem solving
Creative problem solving is a method of dealing with problems and challenges by using innovative thinking and imaginative solutions. Many times leadership and staff can get stuck with doing what we’ve always done. Changing that thinking and exploring new solutions can help create a positive experience and outcome. For example, if passing periods are causing behavior issues, why not play music and change the dread of walking through the halls to a fun and engaging time to change classes? Innovation and creativity can be fun, collaborative, and engaging experience for students and staff.
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Finding creative solutions, for students to be successful, is one area of leadership in which I excel. My beliefs that students have various gifts, talents, and learning styles require a variety of teaching methods. It is my goal to empower all educators to find creative solutions to help all students become successful.
Professional learning communities’
Professional learning communities are often referred to as PLC’s. Educators work together, throughout the process, to collect data, inquiries, and action research to help serve students. PLC’s usually work in ongoing cycles to improve classroom instruction and management. When teachers and administrators share the same vision and planning, they can come up with better results, which ends up with higher student achievement.
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Site-based and organizational wide professional learning communities can be implemented to help collect data and put research into action for planning. Implementing a schedule of shared learning and development time will allow staff to feel supported, yet part of the planning process.
Shared leadership
The vision of an organization can be obtained by sharing the leadership, using small learning teams, and collaboration with the staff. Focused on a common vision of student achievement, self motivation, and lifelong learners, shared leadership can help bring educators together for a common purpose.
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I believe that all staff can share in the leadership of the school. Implementing a leadership training program, so that everyone understands the vision, will allow leaders to emerge and eventually help guide the leadership responsibilities
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References
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All Things PLC. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.allthingsplc.info/about
Chapter 1. Shared Leadership. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109075/chapters/Shared-Leadership.aspx
Creative Problem Solving. (n.d.). Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/creative-problem-solving/
The Who, What, and Why of Site-Based Management. Retrieved January 23, 2017, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/dec95/vol53/num04/The_Who,_What,_and_Why_of_Site-Based_Management.aspx
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