The final assignment!

Today marks the end of an adventure! An adventure in new learning, challenge, and optimism. The culminating event of my last class towards my prelim admin credential was a simulated interview. I must admit I was not really nervous but certainly anxious to experience this! It was a great experience and I came away with some tools to help me as I pursue what lies ahead. My interviewer from Riverdale, Superintendent Pete Faragia, began the interview by asking 4-6 questions. These questions resulted in conversation which not only put me more at ease but allowed me to share more of who I am and what I believe about education. He then gave me the opportunity to ask questions of him about topics I feel might help in interviewing.
This blog completes my assignments...I must admit I am a little sad. It has been great to build relationships with the people in the cohort and the professors. Lhappy Holidays everyone!

Blog # 12.

The final capstone paper-what to say! Writing it seemed to take forever but at the same time I felt that I could have written more. I just barely began to explore what could be done to meet the goals stand could have read/researched so much more....I suppose as an administrator that is how it is-always so much more to explore. The refining process seems difficult!
I have to admit I enjoyed trying to figure out ways that my site could meet the challenges of a changing population and equip teachers to provide the best education possible for every child in the school.
Personal professional development- so much to choose from! When I think of my long term goal of working in the area of RTI or 504 at a district level I have to keep in mind that I need to be a member of an administrative team to get where I want to be. So as I developed my plans I looked at what would help me get to the next step which is most likely a GIS position as well as thinking about what would help me to develop more skill/knowledge for where I am now!
I will need to be a life ling learner if I want to be on the edge of what is current in education!

Budget Inventory Reflection!

I finally finished his assignment! It felt like it took way too long for me to obtain the information I needed. Some of which was finding the time to ask the questions I needed answers to of my busy principal and GIS! I have been a,ember of a School Site Council off and on as a parent or a staff member for over 20 years (many of which I served as the chairperson). Needless to say I am familiar with the budget process at my school site.
As always the main focus is doing what is best for ALL students and in teasing test scores to maintain necessary growth. The focus at Cedarwood this year is manly on our subgroups that did not meet their AYP last year. One of these subgroups is our growing SED population so much consideration has been given to wise expenditure of funds to train staff and provide necessary support services for this population.
I am struck by how little discretionary funding our site has. We are not yet a Title I school so we receive limited funds. Out administration has to be very creative in finding ways to get the most out of each dollar to benefit the most. It is quite a challenge and it promises to be increasingly more of a challenge with new budget constraints looming in the future!

Personnel, Finances and listening...

It was quite a mix of topics during our last class sessions together! The human resource panel on Friday night did not really bring any new information but new perceptions about responsibilities of a school administrator. What has stuck with me throughout all of the classes because it was said by all of our professors is that you better make sure you hire the right people and if it turns out they aren't the right one don't be afraid to let them go before they are tenured! Do the right thing and take your time-check references and talk to them both formally and informally!
I thought the session with the CADA presenters was informative and well done. It kept my interest and caused me to self examine my behaviors when in a discussion- do I take time to listen or am I always needing to jump in and say something? I am a strong believer in involvement for students not only does it increase their academics but it keeps them off the street and out of trouble!
I have to admit that the thought of hearing about budget and finance for the entire day on Saturday did not really excite me! But I was surprised at how interesting it was to learn about the many facets of finance and budget within the public school system. I appreciated hearing about the history of how we get funding (and yes I did vote on prop 13 back in 1978-that is how old I am) and what the current laws are and how the "trigger" will affect us all. It is a sad note that K-12 education is the place that takes the biggest cuts and gets the most criticism. I also appreciated Dr. Bradley's insights on what a Superintendent expects from his principals and what a principal could expect from the superintendent.
There is much to absorb and consider when putting in an application for an administrative position. Even with all this great information the bottom line is we must always do what is best for kids, no matter what it takes. We can each make a huge difference in the students, families, and colleagues in our lives! What an awesome responsibility and a great challenge there is for us today and in the future!
I am sad that we have had our last face to face meeting in the Clovis cohort! I have enjoyed being a part of this family and wish everyone the beat! I will miss learning from each of you?

Empower, instill confidence, and encourage

This chapter just sums it all up confirming that the key to great leadership is building positive relationships. As leaders we can make a difference in so many lives.empowering teachers with positive coaching, encouragement, and recognition of the great things accomplished leads to empowerment of students to strive to do their best which leads to building positive relationships with the community! We have an awesome responsibility and am amazing opportunity to make a difference in many lives!

Information overload!!!!!

Wow! I am overwhelmed by the amount of information I received in then short period of time we were together! It will certainly take some tome to process it all in order to use it wisely.
While listening to the law presentation on Friday night I felt right at home. My husband has been a county prosecutor for most of our married life so law talk is familiar to me. Now my daughter is interning at SSSA in CUSD so lots of our conversations are about educational law. I found myself comparing what I know about criminal law with what was being presented to us in educational law. A little mind boggling! The challenges we face in the schools with the technology that is changing daily are enormous. I am more than concerned with the availability of cell phones, etc. and the ease with which our young people can use these electronically devices to achieve not so desirable things. Cyber bullying and stalking are a reality for all ages and certainly do affect the students in our schools.
My key learning from Dr.Hauser included the time it should involve to prepare for a meeting and the detailed information that should be included in the agenda. This os something I will incorporate immediately into my leadership roles in different places. What a great presentation and very useful!
Dr. Torosian's presentation confirmed knowledge gained and hilt on what I know a out expulsion. What an important job he has and what. Difference he can make in lives. His closing remarks were true and to betaken to heart. We have the power to change lives in building relationships!
FRISK! I have been in supervisory positions in other fields and personnel issues are always difficult. There is no way to make it easy. Sticking to the facts and having evidence is the best practice.
Change, yes as Dr.Buster shared it is hard but it is necessary. And oh how voting life would be without it! I love to learn and fry new things which often gets me into trouble with my colleagues but the responsibility I have as a teacher to provide the best possible education for each student is large and serious one. To do the best we must always be looking and learning new information. It is certainly messy and chaotic from time to time but a necessary part of our lives as leaders in education.

Trust and Respect Chapter 6. Leadership Connections

".....As leaders first and foremost we have to respect everyone. I believe that in order to gain trust we must respect the students, the parents, our colleagues, and our superiors at our schools. In order to respect we will need to understand where the person comes from and what is going on in ther lives. It is hard work! We might need to make a home visit, to research a culture or attend a cultural event. We may need to learn more about living in poverty or even living with wealth. Once respect is established trust can be built through caring. Trust is a fragile thing and we need to watch our words and actions still working hard to keep that trust. Only when respect and trust are established can we truly work as a team to help each child succeed. I appreciated this chapter and in reading it was made aware again of how easily we can perceive or feel betrayed. We need to protect our relationships as leaders!

Chapter 5 Continupus Renewal.....Finding a Balance!!!

I have gotten a little better at finding balance. I really love my kindergarteners and it is hard not to put them first...and I am not really good at taking care of myslef but I am getting better. Today I left work at 5:30 (I usually stay until at least 6 on Fridays). I have always made my family a priority even now that my kids are adults I try hard to be available when they need me or just want to hangout. But my life is still not balanced. I need to make exercise a priority and to spend much more time reflecting. What do I like to do best? Read and write with kids!! I also love to cook/bake, take baths and read a good novel. I need to spend some more time on reflection and getting a little more organized.
I can't imagine the overload a principal could experience....especially now that they only have their GIS half time! Having a good discipline policy in place would be a must!!! Dealing with discipline continuously can really cut into the day. Also making sure you and your staff are all on the same page and have clearly defined expectations communicated would surely be beneficial. Lots to work on!!!

Self-efficacy: Sunday dinner talk at my house!

When my daughter arrived for our traditional Family dinner last Sunday night I was reading this chapter. We had a good chuckle when I told her what I was reading about. Self-efficacy has honestly been a topic of conversation at our Sunday night dinners! My daughter is a graduate student in Social Work who is also working to get her PPS credential. She has done a good amount of reading on this topic and is quite knowledgeable about it. It will definitely have a prominent place in her thesis! She also likes to point out to me how I too frequently listen to my negative self talk and believe it! I am aware that I very rarely think that I am "good enough". My principal also points this out on my self evaluations-I always rate myself in a way that shows there is room to grow. I believe that an individual should always seek to grow and learn not only to better themselves but to stay current and challenge themselves.
What a responsibility we have in education! We not only influence students and parents but other staff especially as administrators. Encouragement and respect, self confidence and kindness are all ways we can influence our colleagues and assist them in feeling like they can do it! I got a lot out of this chapter in our book. I know I will go back to this chapter and use much of the information especially the list of skills needed.
It was affirming and a relief to read that One can never know everything and the beat thing ti do is to admit and go find the answer. A other key point was communication-it has been a constant throughout our admin credential journey. Listening with care and conviction
as well as having the ability to share his/her vision is important. The importance of humility in self-efficacy is another factor an administrator should pay close attention to not only in themselves but in staff as well.

A Safe Environment for All!

I have always been aware of the need for students to feel safe in order to learn...but did not ever take it to the level of how feeling unsafe effects our ability to participate in complex problem solving. As a teacher I have not experienced fear for my physical safety on many occasions although I have experienced this in my home. My husband is an attorney with the DA's office and we have received some threats over the year causing us to be a little fearful for our family's well being at times. I have never considered a teacher being bullied by coworkers or administrators. I suppose even parent could bully a teacher! Not a very pleasing thought! As I look back I recall a time when I could say I was bullied by a coworker. This did. Ot make for a very pleasant work atmosphere and I responded by withdrawing from the staff and avoiding interactions. It did indeed affect my complex problem solving skills. I lost confidence and even some of my passion for teaching.
Again the importance of communication (especially listening) and being visible and in touch with staff is a quality/characteristic of a good administrator or leader. Bullying among staff does not create an environment that is safe. This leads to mediocre teaching at best. Administrators must be aware and be willing to hold his/her staff accountable to respect for all!

Building a Foundation That Stands Firm: Leadership Connector, Support

"support is a basic need. ....this basic need must be met for people to be successful."

As I read this chapter I found myself thinking back to when I first joined the staff at my school site 15 years ago. It was a brand new school and it was my first permanent full time teaching position in CUSD. I could not have asked for more support. Everyone was willing to help in a variety of ways. It certainly made the beginning of my teaching career easier and enjoyable.
As I read on my experiences as a BTSA support provider came to mind. I have had good and not so good experiences. The good experiences have developed into lasting relationships and have become relationships that are mutually supporting, each of us listening and sorting through the other's concern, confusion, or frustration together.
Support for beginning teachers is extremely important but as a leader we must remember that all of our staff will need support from time to time. It could be for personal or professional reasons but it will happen. Being visible and knowing the staff will help me to stay in touch and determine who might need a note of encouragement, a treat in their mailbox, or perhaps just a smile to help them get through a hard time. Another instance when "knowing the story" of my colleagues is important!

Look, Listen and then Speak!

"...everything you say and do shapes people's opinions and feelings about you"
"...good communication is consistently recognized in schools as a key success factor."
"sharing information well is a high priority in school culture."
These quotes from Leadership Connectors by Phyllis Ann Hensley and LaVern Burmeister are cause to really consider how leaders at our schools communicate and to look very hard at my own communication style. As I read the chapter assigned on the first of six "connectors" I caught myself reflecting back on how my own "philosophy" or beliefs about appropriate ways to communicate have changed with professional and life experiences. I have grown to truly believe that looking for body language when someone is talking and that really listening to what they say before responding is essential in giving respect and developing rapport with colleagues, parents, and students.
Taking time to look and listen before speaking gives me time to process and determine if I understand what is being said or if I have the information I need to give the answers needed. I have often times found myself letting my exuberance for my passion cause me to respond too quickly and come across as if I am defensive. Taking the time to look and really listen helps me not to do this.
As I read this chapter my thoughts also turned to all of the ways we communicate electronically: email, text messaging, blog posts, and facebook comments. It seems to me hat sometimes these electronic ways of communicating can give false readings on intent because it isn't always easy to know what emotion is behind them. Are they joking? Are they mad? Are they annoyed? Clarification before responding makes the best sense whether communicating I person or electronically!

The End of Week 1 Leads to the Beginning of Week 2

I arrived in class on Wednesday evening a little frazzled after a crazy day with 32 kindergarteners in my PM class(who got to experience a fire alarm right as they were arriving at school) and attending a professional development session on the new Google format for our class web pages!
Class provided interesting stimulation through interaction with others in the class and the overview of the class as presented by our esteemed instructors. The DRIVE video provided a lot of information and was extremely entertaining. Boy can he draw! Motivating others whether it be students or employees in any profession is a challenge. I found it interesting that most people want to work toward mastery of a skill. I think our job then is to provide the tools needed by each individual to assist them in reaching their goal(s) of mastery. The question is how do we know what tools they need?
Week two of the school year begins tomorrow and I will have only 27 kindergarteners-t wait to discover the tools they need to a hive mastery!

This is ME

On my 55th birthday I did two things I thought I would never do-create a blog and set up a twitter account!
Tomorrow I will greet 33 five year olds and launch them into the adventure of "school". I can't wait to get to know each of their stories and begin to put the puzzle of their learning together and watch them grow!