Caring, Collaborative Leadership

URBAN LEARNER-TEACHING RESIDENCY REFLECTIONS -
Week 8 - Triad Two

Monday 11/19/12 to Friday 11/23/12, 8:00 AM- 4:00 PM

Leadership, Collaboration and Ethics

Area of Concentration:

Specific SEPT Element – Area of concentration: Leadership Collaboration, Ethics
Culturally Responsive, Collaborative Urban Classroom Leadership

"Schools must forge greater relationships with the wider
community, parents and other schools. Too many schools
are working in isolation. Schools need to share their power
with students and the wider community."

-- Fullan and Hargreaves

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better, it's not."

-- Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax

Leadership
(Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium)

Leadership, as defined by InTASC Standards refers to attributes of the teacher that include but are not limited to:

1) a view of the teacher’s role in education as multifaceted;

2) a keen sense of ethical responsibility to advance the profession while simultaneously advancing knowledge, skills, and opportunities for each learner;

3) a deep commitment to teaching
that includes a willingness to actively engage in professional development to expand knowledge about teaching and learning;

4) a willingness to take on the mantle of leadership in the classroom and among colleagues without a formal title;

5) a recognition of when to lead and when it is appropriate to allow others to lead;

6) knowledge of when and how to marshal a variety of stakeholders to work toward a common cause;

7) an ability to regularly garner resources, both human and other, for the betterment of the students and the school; and

8) the ability to make sound decisions based on the appropriate use and interpretation of quality data and evidence. Teacher leaders function well in professional communities, contribute to school improvement, and inspire their students and colleagues to excellence.

Critical Dispositions Matrix

This week’s experiences highlighted five critical dispositions related to Leadership, Collaboration and Ethics:

Teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success.
Teacher respects families' beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.
Teacher takes initiative to grow and develop with colleagues through interactions that enhance practice and support student learning.
Teacher takes responsibility for contributing to and advancing the profession.
Teacher embraces the challenge of continuous improvement and change.

Culturally Responsive Framework

Four markers that align Culturally Responsive Teaching to Leadership, Collaboration and Ethics have been underscored by this week’s experiences:

Develop creative and effective ways to learn about student’s lives and interests.
Adopt a “cognitive coaching” stance to teaching; model and highlight -- in course readings and discussions -- the thinking, ways of making arguments, and use of academic rhetoric.
Use self-assessment to engender student understanding of their attainment and on-going development toward competence.
Monitor Progress and Plan Interventions

Implications for Practice

Week 8, the final week of this practicum’s second triad, was a good week for reflecting on the aspects of education leadership that take the teacher out of the classroom. I find great value in the opportunities to interact with people in after-school and community activities. The teaching demands of the practicum do not leave much time for these sorts of things, so organization and pre-scheduling is critical.

The practicum would likely benefit from a permanent, four-day teaching schedule with one day set aside to pursue outside community involvement.