Post Conference Video Reflection

The teacher I worked with for the Full Clinical Cycle was Ms. H. Ms. H is in her second full year of teaching and teaches US/VA Government as well as AP Psychology this year. In choosing this teacher I specifically thought of a few items to help me through this process. I knew I would feel more comfortable asking her questions and observing her classroom because we had co-taught together in her first half year teaching. I felt very comfortable with her teaching style as well as the subject area as it was what we had taught together. In fact she currently teaches in my old classroom. I had not however been in to see her teaching as the lead teacher instead of the co-teacher since I left the classroom and she had had a full school year to grow as a teacher. I knew that she would be a good candidate for this assignment for those reasons. Initially I was very nervous to put myself in the supervisory role and decided to look at this assignment as a chance to be a peer coach instead. In my current position at the school I have the ability to be a peer coach and haven't done it as much as I would like in this setting with observing teachers and discussing how the lesson went. Once I thought of it like that it was much easier to take in the idea that I was "evaluating" a peer.

What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice about the environment and tone of the post-observation?

The post observation conference took place in Ms. H's classroom, we sat at two student desks 

facing each other. This was the first time I had ever sat in the supervisory role for a post conference, looking from this perspective, I the supervisor should have taken a better stance with my body language and eye contact. I spent much of the time looking at my list and did not feel confident in my approach. I have always had a problem with using poor transitions such as "Umm" . These are my biggest areas of improvement in taking on a supervisory position. 

My areas of strength would be my personal preparation for the post observation, which gave me confidence in my recommendations for her. 


What strengths and/or improvement areas did you notice in the conference about strategies to improve instruction?


I spent quite a bit of time preparing for the conference and finding answers to the questions the teacher asked during the pre-conference. I was able to provide her with feedback she asked for as well as some additional ideas to incorporate into her lessons. I also gave her some ideas how to help students who struggle with keeping focused, which she appreciated. We spent some time discussing her classroom management techniques as the class was a bit rowdy that day, they had a substitute in for her co-teacher as well as a trip to the mock election, then I walked in so the day was a little chaotic but she handled it very well. I made sure to compliment her handling of the chaos of the day as well as give her some ideas for handling students who did not come prepared. 
After the class period, Ms. H, told me that she changed around her lesson plan to something that worked a little better for her students, she mentioned that rather than having the students do the candidate research on their own using the candidates websites, she gave them a more structured assignment, I explained to her that I was going to suggest to her that she do something a bit more structured since the election comes much earlier than the government pacing guide takes students to the election unit.
I would like to improve my ability to give constructive criticism, while Ms. H did a great job with the class, I did feel the lesson could have been more dynamic and had a hard time explaining that and giving advice on how to do so. 


In the conference, which behavior did you seem to predominantly use?  Do you think this was an appropriate approach given the developmental level of the teacher? Briefly explain.  


Since Ms. H has been teaching for two years, almost three years, she did not need a lot of redirection. She is a good teacher who is well respected by her students and teaching peers. Since I have personally taught with her, my approach was shaped by that previous experience. We had always worked as a collaborative team and I felt that it was important to continue with the relationship we had already established.
I spent time in the post conference listening to her and reflecting with her on the class period and lesson. I also encouraged her to continue her classroom management techniques.


Overall I feel that my first full clinical cycle, especially the post conference was successful. I would like to improve my ability to be more confident in my approach towards the teacher, especially with my body language and my eye contact. I would also like to improve my ability to give constructive criticism and not feel bad about giving it. I feel strongly that my ideas and observations are helpful, but I have to come across as having confidence in that feeling. I also feel that my ability to read a teacher and the previous relationship we have can help to shape the approach I take for the conference is good and will only improve with more observations. 

Reflection Blog #1: Class Arrangements

Classroom arrangement was a huge part of getting ready for the school year every year for me. I wanted my classroom to immediately tell a story to the students. The desks in rows told them that I planned on talking at them a lot, the desks in groups gave them the impression they were leading the class (not always the exact vibe you wanted to give on the first day of school). I often changed arrangements throughout the school year and always let the students decide where they wanted to sit. The classroom arrangement isn't just about the desks however. If you have a room that feels welcoming and comfortable students are given a certain feeling about your room and your teaching style. Making sure my room was decorated in a way that wasn't overbearing but gave students the impression we were focused on learning, specifically learning AP Government was vital for me. In the last few years in the classroom it became harder for me to hang up student work on bulletin boards because I managed my classroom entirely from a Learning Management System, so instead bulletin boards became a place to introduce the topic we were currently studying and the classroom arrangement became less and less about the front of the room and more about how the students could interact with everyone in the room including myself. I found two arrangements that suited me best. The first was discussion rows, the students were in rows but facing each other. Often times there was a U Shape with students on the left and right (facing each other) and a smaller group of students facing the front of the room leaving room for presentations in the middle of the room. The second set up that I found very useful for my style of teaching was groups of four and for the most part always had my classroom in these groupings. Grouped desks were so useful, you didn't have to have students rearrange the room to collaborate, they could easily ask each other for help and the classroom really gave off the vibe I wanted it to. I wanted my classroom to be a student centered classroom where learning is placed at the responsibility of the student. I wanted my students to understand that I would facilitate their learning but if they did not jump on board they would not be handed anything for free.

As I walk around the school I work in (and used to teach in) I find that more and more teachers have moved towards collaborative set ups in their classrooms. Many classrooms are set up in pairs or groups. Many of the science classrooms only have tables for students to collaborate at. There are however many classrooms still set up in lecture rows. To be honest I am disappointed in how many classrooms are set up in traditional rows. I know how productive my classroom was without having to use rows and I find that so many times when walking by a classroom the teacher is still the "sage on the stage" and students are just being talked to rather than a more modern approach where the learning is happening with student involvement. What is very interesting to me is how many different room arrangements there are and how they really vary by subject area. You will see more groupings in Language Arts, Social Studies and elective courses where as in Mathematics and Science courses you tend to see rows. I will give our science teachers credit however, I rarely see the students in the rows except for the first few minutes of a class to give directions, they are usually up in groups around the lab stations, so they seem to have a hybrid of student/teacher centered classroom arrangements.
One Language Arts teacher actually requested tables be put in his room rather than desks. He felt that facilitated better conversations between students on the work being done in the room and likes the feeling of groupings better than individual desks. Quite a few teachers have moved towards collaborative groupings rather than traditional rows by putting the desks in pairs, the students are still in rows but have a partner to turn to during the class period for various activities. This is a huge step towards student centered learning and does give the teacher(s) more room to navigate the room while circulating during individual or partner learning time.
A lot of the evolution of classroom arrangements has been made out of our laptop program, our school has a 1 to 1 laptop program where every student is given their own laptop. Technology has played a large role in how teachers teach in our school. The teachers have more capabilities and more resources simply by giving their students the power to manipulate the material on their own laptop. I think the increase in group work and decrease in traditional rows is directly related to our students having the technology they do. Teachers also have laptops, ceiling mounted projectors, document cameras and pads that control their computers to help make them mobile throughout the classroom.
As the years have gone on with our laptop program, it has become more and more an expectation that teachers will be using the laptops in lesson planning and will be up and roaming the room while students are working. If an administrator was to walk by your classroom I believe this is what they would expect. I hope that in a few years we will see even less of the sage on the stage professorial model and move towards teachers becoming facilitators to student learning while students lead their learning.

Week 6: Culture

• Culture: What impact does the creation of a positive school culture have on school reform?

In order to really consider this question I had to think about a school that was devoid of culture, but my mental images came up with a school with a negative culture. So in answer to the question, the impact of culture in a school environment can be huge. If the school has a negative culture in which teachers, staff, administration and students do not respect each other, do not see the vision of the school clearly and lack motivation to succeed the reform movement will not be effective.
However if a school culture is one of collaboration, communication and there is a clear sense of the vision of the school the reform movement will have a better chance to be effective.
In my experience through various schools and administrators, I do think that much of the positive and negative feelings can be pushed back to how the administration handles and operates the school. Of course staff and students have a part in that but if I use the example of the current school I work in, we are moving onto our 3rd principal since I have been there (this is my 5th year). The first year I was there a new principal had taken over after a 20 year principal had been there. The culture of the school was bound to change. He was a man with a vision. He had goals for the school and we all knew what they were. We knew what was expected of us as teachers and so did the students. He had a eye for technology integration and knew what was necessary to help move us into our new building the following year. He also had a major focus on literacy and implemented a new program to increase our literacy rates. All teachers and students were to focus on that in every classroom. When principal #1 announced he was leaving very late in the 2nd year it was incredibly hard to find a new principal, so when principal #2 arrived on the scene he was supposed to be an interim principal. He spent his first month there (July) counting dump trucks working on the parking garage for our new building and not much else. By October he was annouced as the new principal and given a three year contract. My personal opinion is that he had already made a bad impression on the staff by telling us he spent a month counting trucks rather than helping with the needs of the school. For me as a teacher he had started off on the wrong foot. He definately did not have a clearly articulated vision for the school and it was clear he was biding time. The culture of the school again changed, rather than teachers moving towards improvement our scores dropped. Technology integration decreased dramatically and student behavior was out of control. After almost two years under principal #2 our school was sent a letter by the State and Federal Governments stating that we were not making progress and that our scores were not good enough, and that we would need to make some major decisions about our schools future. With in months we had hired a new principal to start in July. Once she was hired (the first female principal in the schools history) she not only spent at least two days a week getting to know the staff and helping to create the plan for the state and federal government, she also began to roll out her vision for the school by meeting with staff. She moved into the city and became a member of the community. It is now almost time for school to open and even though she has not opened the school year, she has already changed the culture of the school. I believe the best example is the turn out at an all day workshop taking place outside of contract days. On August 24th, the school and the technology services department are hosting a one day workshop on Blackboard (our learning management system) and almost 1/2 of the staff is registered to attend. This is before the teachers are required to attend. She made it clear that teachers were to use Blackboard and other technologies to create 21st century classrooms that students would be engaged in and be active participants. Two years ago we would have not been able to hold a session like this but now we are running out of space for teachers to attend. For principal #3 by creating a positive environment where teachers know what is expected of them but also that someone is there to do serious work and will get down in the nitty gritty with them, they are more likely to do the same.

Week 3 reflection

How has what you have learned so far in this course shaped your concept of an effective leader?


Phew, this first three weeks has been a lot of information. I was just telling my group this week that I feel the readings are starting to blend together in my mind, perhaps I should think about it as they are correlating to each other not blending! I have really enjoyed the readings and have done a lot of thinking about the current situation of my school and how perhaps had we not had such an ineffective leader(s) for the past two years we would not be in as dire of a situation, but then I remember the famous words of our superintendent, “Never waste a good crisis”. Change was needed in Alexandria, it was time for us to move into the 21st century and really give our students what they need, we have all the tools, great teachers, technology and amazing location and building, now we just needed effective leaders and a plan. So we have that now…perhaps we will once again get back to the top of Jay Matthews list (haha!). But in reality my concept of a leader has not changed, but I have been able to clarify the roles of the leader and how they can truly shape an organization for better or for worse.

Based on what you have learned so far, what are the top 3-5 characteristics you believe a successful principal must possess?

I would honestly say that communication would be on the top of my list, I feel that poor communication can break down all other goals you set. Collaboration would also top my list, collaborating with the staff, community, students, central office and other administrators to help with all the tasks of a large organization is essential. If you are able to collaborate and communicate I think you have won more than half the battle.

I think finally a vision or goals, if you don’t have something to aspire to then you are accepting the status quo and no organization is perfect, even Google and Microsoft have to work at things and improve, can you imagine if we had stopped at Windows 98 or if Google was still only a search engine? Any leader who wants to be effective must have vision for where the organization should move next.

Communication, Collaboration and Vision, three qualities you cannot live without in a leader.

21 Responsibilities of a School Leader

How do the results of the balanced leadership profile inventory compare with your own self-assessment of the 21 Responsibilities of a School Leader?

Initially I was having a hard time separating out my current school situation, the poor leadership we have been under for the past two years, my hopes for the new administrator and how I feel I would be as an administrator. It was really hard for me to choose my answers at first and I think I finally got the groove so I am not sure my results are entirely accurate. I also find it hard to think of myself as a principal as that is not in my immediate plans, but either way as a school leader, whether in my current position or in a central office position I will still need to possess these qualities, so putting myself in that frame of mind helped me complete the survey.

The results themselves really do match up, a couple even matched up perfectly. A few areas like discipline, order and outreach were much higher from the online survey than I gave myself credit for. On the other hand affirmation, contingent reward, and input were just the opposite, I gave myself more credit. Again I think some of this has to do with my struggle in the beginning to move past my current situation.

Consider your top seven strengths and top seven areas of improvement from your self-assessment. How do they correlate with student achievement (Fig 4.2, p. 63 of Marzano text)?

My strengths would be communication, focus, ideals and beliefs, involvement with CIA, knowledge of CIA, resources and relationships

My weakness would be affirmation, discipline, input, order, outreach, intellectual stimulation, and monitor and evaluate.


From Marzano’s chart, I think I am somewhere in the middle, in the 3rd, 4th and 5th highest ranked correlations, I believe those are my weaker areas, I really believe those are my weaker areas because I don’t believe in myself when it comes to those areas. I personally struggle with parent communication and community concerns, I have never been a disciplinarian and have also never been a test giver so those are areas where my confidence would be low which makes them my weakness, I know I could handle them as a leader but it would be areas I would like to focus on for my own personal improvement.


On the other side of that coin, my areas of strength that rank high on Marzano’s correlation chart would be order (#7), resources (#8) and knowledge of CIA (#9). In my current position all of those things are very important and something that I focus on daily so perhaps that was why I felt they were strengths, they are areas I feel comfortable and knowledgeable with them. If I were to have an administrative role (in or out of a school) I would let my strength in these areas help me to overcome my weakness in the other areas, I would use my knowledge of CIA to improve my monitoring and evaluating skills, my need for order to improve my discipline skills and my knowledge of resources to reach out to the community and create positive interactions with parents.

Reflection Log #1

• How do you define transformational leadership based on your reading?
• How can transformational leadership impact the way an administrator leads a school?
• How can transformational leadership impact the school administrator as he/she leads integrating technology with instruction?

The word transformation has come up a lot recently in Alexandria City Public Schools. TC Williams High School was recently awarded a special grant under the No Child Left Behind Act, citing the school as being “persistently low achieving”. This grant entitles the school to transform itself and create a better learning environment for students. Because of all of this the word transformation has been thrown around a lot, when reading about transformational leadership, one can’t help but think of schools that are in need of a complete transformation needing leadership like this. The two very much seem to go together.

Transformation itself is defined as “change in form, appearance, nature, or character. (“transformation”, 2010) according to Dictionary.com, in turn a transformational leader would be someone who is able to change their nature or form to evolve with the needs of the organization. This person would be able to grow as the organization grows. For a leader to be transformational they will need to be a person who is open to growth and change, this is not something common for most principals. Many principals run their schools in the same way that many teachers have been teaching the same classes for 20-30 years in a very traditional model. Transformation calls for a change; you cannot continue to operate under the same form as you did 20 years ago, not even 10 years ago. The world has been changed by technology and we are now in the 21st century.

A transformational leader can impact an entire school by setting the example for the change. If that principal takes it upon him/herself to be the example, much like the servant leader does, the staff and students will be more open to the change. A transformational leader does not get bogged down in the details of the day to day work of a school instead sees the daily lessons for the school as small parts of the overall vision. A transformation leader is one who changes the role that other staff plays in the bigger picture because that is what the growth model needs. A transformational leader is also one cares and values the work that everyone in the entire school organization is putting towards the school vision.

In regards to technology, a transformational leader would take advantage of the technologies available to them to implement the changes occurring in their organization. They would embrace the technologies that would make the transformation more user friendly and productive for all those involved, especially students. The transformational leader for TC Williams High School herself has already explained to the entire staff that using technology to enhance communication between parents, students, teachers and administrators is one of her top priorities and that using technology to keep students “powered up” is expected of all staff members. She strongly feels that students should not have to “power down” in a school environment, in order to be competitive in the 21st century, students need to learn to problem solve using the technologies around us. Because of her feelings towards instructional technology, she is showing the staff that she is a transformational leader because she is not looking at the day to day lessons happening in the classrooms as separate pieces, but rather one piece to the change we will over the next three years to the entire organization. She is seeing the entire vision rather than the daily events.

As schools across the country begin their own transformations, they will be looking for transformational leaders. Those who can envision the changes and play a part in those changes, leaders who can adapt to the changes and are ready to inspire the staff to change as well.



transformation. (2010). Dictionary.com. Retrieved July 25, 2010, from
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/transformation

Online Learning Orientation Week 2 Reflection

• What are your expectations for this program?

I applied for this program thinking it really was the next logical step for me in my career and knowing that my husband and I wanted to have more children I decided it was best to get this started and completed before I had two toddlers in the house. So when a co-worker suggested this program (he was already admitted), two of us applied, then a third (we now have 4 of us in the program and one who is completing this month). I really had no expectations for the program except that because it was associated with ISTE that it would provide me with a better understanding of how to incorporate technologies on the administrative level rather than just in the classroom. Of course being a Johns Hopkins program you always assume the highest caliber of education as well so I guess my expectations are pretty high. I expect I will be working a lot on my classes, I expect that I will learn a lot, I expect that unlike other graduate courses I have taken I will feel that the course was useful and beneficial. I also expect that by completing this program with three other colleagues will help me to stay focused and on track.

• What do you hope to accomplish?

I hope to gain some confidence in myself as an educator, but mainly as a leader. I am new in leadership roles and while I have always felt comfortable leading in certain areas, leading in a school environment is very new to me and I hope to feel that I am a strong and capable leader after this program is complete.

• Now that you have a good sense of the types of online activities and the rhythms of an active participant, what steps will you take to be successful in this program?

I absolutely plan to make a schedule with my family to ensure that I am able to complete my assignments. I will be adding to my family at the end of the second course and will be on leave from school for a couple of months with my newborn so I will have to learn to balance being a mommy and a student. I have confidence in myself that I will be able to do it but it will take scheduling. My colleagues and I also plan to have weekly lunch work sessions to make sure we are all on the same page and keeping up with the courses. I am looking forward to have a little face to face collaboration for the courses.

• Where do you still need additional support to be successful?

Like I mentioned above my family and colleagues support will make such a difference and I already feel like just this two week orientation helped me to gain confidence in myself. I am currently enrolled in another graduate course as well as a professional development course, so I juggled three courses at once, which was impressive in my book! I believe that JHU has set up a very strong support system and I feel lucky to be a part of this program.