My greatest surprise? That is hard for me as I hate picking one thing, ever. One thing I know is that if you go far enough "up the ladder", in any group, there is always the guy. Regardless of title, position, or office, if you really pay attention there is always the one person that makes things happen. Sometimes it actually is the person with the title, position, and/or office, but not always. Maybe it is the secretary. Maybe it is the janitor. Maybe it is the longest-term member. Maybe it is the new person that is full of desire, knowledge, and charisma. Groups by nature are full of people in search of something, be it belonging, acceptance, friendship, power, etc. When you take a step back and view the group with a wide angle lens you are more able to see what it is that has brought people to the group, what they are seeking, and what direction the group is moving in. Sometimes there is a person in a group that has a particular agenda, and they can totally sway and skew what happens in that particular group, sometimes from an apparent position of humility, innocence, and support. In schools this is no different. As an administrator (I am assuming that this particular question is being asked of me as a future administrator and not just a general question about me, some average Joe, and my feelings about groups in general) I will make it a point to know the people that are in the groups around my campus. I will make it a point to stay abreast and up to date as it pertains to the agenda, design, actions, and happenings of the gruops on my campus. Groups are a place where things get done, but they are also a place where power can, and often does, be assumed and grown. Sometimes it is good to have people in powerful positions. Sometimes it is not good to have people in powerful positions. An effective campus leader keeps an eye on everything that happens on their campus. There are countless groups, some formal some informal, and they all need different levels of attention from the principal. Finding that balance is the dance that we all must learn to be effective leaders of healthy campuses.
Part 2B:
Post three recommendations you would make for school improvement/student learning.
Testing is out of control! We are raising up a generation of test takers, in a world that is obsessed with technical advancements. It bothers me that so many, supposedly highly educated, "leaders" don't see that problem with this issue. We teach students about great thinkers, creators, and do-ers from the past yet we do little to encourage those same students to think, create, and do. My students are good at memorizing a set of facts for a periodic regurgitation of said facts on a piece of paper. The problem is that after the test is over the set of facts is forgotten as they were never important to the student and they were never made an integral part of the students life. There is a reason that we still espouse the teachings of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. However, we seem to have forgotten their classical style of teaching. Experiential learning has slowly and surely disappeared. I have always felt that my purpose is to push students to take a step. The step is different for every student. Some students need to step forward to speak. Some need to step forward to draw a picture. Some need to step into a leadership position. Some need to step down. Everyone is comfortable doing something. Helping them take one more step is what I do. That is what the classical teachers did. Ask questions like who, where, why, how. You don't need to memorize a contrived list of data when you possess the actual ability to think, learn, and achieve. Testing, it's a joke that isn't helping our educational system progress. If anything our continual testing is what holds us back from being able to succeed on a test.
Students need to write. Regardless of what subject a teacher is responsible for teaching their students must learn to write about it. To write is to think. By writing about a subject students can take what they've been taught and turn it into practical thought and understanding for themselves. Rather than just knowing that something exists, it is imperative that our students actually know how to use, implement, and manipulate what we tell them exists.
The last suggestion I have for improvement of schools is increasing teacher's take home pay. I know that this is something I have very little control or influence over. I know that many in society think that teachers are over paid as this is being written. All we ever tell our students is how important education is. Not just we as teachers, but society says it, television says it, everywhere you turn the word is education. Yet, teachers make it by on a check to check type of life in most cases. The parking lot of a former school I taught at looked like a Denali, Camero, and/or Hummer dealership. However, the teacher parking lot looked like "Bob's Used Car Lot" where the commercials would start with,"They're a deal, they're a steal, they're fore real!" One parent at the school would sometimes bring things to her son when he forgot them in one of her cars, an Aston-Martin. This was her daily "around town" vehicle. The son drove a$95,000+Nissan GT-R. This student was one of many at the school. This student's parents had high school educations, mom was a homemaker, and the dad worked in the oil field. Education may "pay", but only if you choose to use that education in a non-educational way. Those who choose to educate are looked down on oftentimes. Everyone has heard the phrase, "Those who can, do; those who can't teach." This phrase makes me frustrated as it isn't accurate. I used to live "on the road" as a musician, and trust me it isn't all sexy, glamorous, and exciting. Sure it is fun for a week or two, and then it is a really hard job. What so many touring musicians dream of is a "regular gig" where they could stay in one place and be with family. A buddy played with George Strait and told me that all the musicians hated it. All the spotlights were on George, even during a guitar solo by somebody else, and that you only got to play the notes assigned to you. When asked about how awesome it was to play with George each night his response was, "No, I play the same five notes at the same time in the same songs each night. You guys get to play what you want and actually say something with your music." I would probably hit the road tomorrow if King George called and asked for a rhythm guitar player, sax player, or backup singer. And the reason why is the money, not the standing in the back row in the dark. I love my job, and my students, but I'm not Unicef. This isn't a volunteer job that I do as a part of a charity organization. That doesn't put food on my table or clothes on my children's backs.Quote
