Comments on: Effective Leadership http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/ Standing on the verge of a technologically educational revolution. Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:28:30 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ken http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1956 Ken Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:54:14 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1956 Ben great post. I always cringe when I hear folks refer to the principal at my school as a leader. I have the fortunate privilege to have experienced varying forms of quality leadership, sadly very few of these instances are within education. But, to borrow on my primarily athletic experiences I agree with your statements above and would love to see administrative credential classes reform such that at least one class is on the methods, strategies, characteristics, and implementations of good leadership. Being in a decision making and/or authoritative position does not automatically anoint a person to be a leader. Ben great post. I always cringe when I hear folks refer to the principal at my school as a leader. I have the fortunate privilege to have experienced varying forms of quality leadership, sadly very few of these instances are within education. But, to borrow on my primarily athletic experiences I agree with your statements above and would love to see administrative credential classes reform such that at least one class is on the methods, strategies, characteristics, and implementations of good leadership. Being in a decision making and/or authoritative position does not automatically anoint a person to be a leader.

]]> By: monika hardy http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1865 monika hardy Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:23:15 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1865 wm - i think you are certainly onto a key element. we need to start listening to and working with and empowering kids more. fostering their leadership potential. last year our student council started meeting regularly with admin. that was huge. even though that was a small part of the school population - because it was so meaningful and empowering to the stuco kids - it became something remarkable. kids school wide felt the ripple. others started acknowledging admin as a listening entity. one that was in fact there - first and foremost - for kids. changes the flavor completely. wm – i think you are certainly onto a key element. we need to start listening to and working with and empowering kids more. fostering their leadership potential.

last year our student council started meeting regularly with admin. that was huge.

even though that was a small part of the school population – because it was so meaningful and empowering to the stuco kids – it became something remarkable. kids school wide felt the ripple.
others started acknowledging admin as a listening entity. one that was in fact there – first and foremost – for kids.

changes the flavor completely.

]]> By: Ben Grey http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1832 Ben Grey Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:17:16 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1832 Jennifer- I agree with you that you can ultimately only determine changes in what you do and think, but don't underestimate the value of your influence on your students. Yes, I think you need to make sure you focus on what you are learning and doing, but you do so in a way that always has the students in mind. You don't change for the sake of changing, or change for the sake of your teaching, in my opinion, you change for the sake of the students and their learning. Melissa (JHU program professor)- I sure am glad I didn't start out that way. Thanks for the feedback. WM- An excellent question. I'm actually going to defer this, hopefully, to a couple leaders who I think can address is better than I can as they are presently in a position. I'll see if Chris Lehmann or Tim Lauer can respond from their perspectives as building principals. Jennifer- I agree with you that you can ultimately only determine changes in what you do and think, but don’t underestimate the value of your influence on your students. Yes, I think you need to make sure you focus on what you are learning and doing, but you do so in a way that always has the students in mind. You don’t change for the sake of changing, or change for the sake of your teaching, in my opinion, you change for the sake of the students and their learning.

Melissa (JHU program professor)- I sure am glad I didn’t start out that way. Thanks for the feedback.

WM- An excellent question. I’m actually going to defer this, hopefully, to a couple leaders who I think can address is better than I can as they are presently in a position. I’ll see if Chris Lehmann or Tim Lauer can respond from their perspectives as building principals.

]]> By: wmchamberlain http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1802 wmchamberlain Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:11:32 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1802 While there are exceptions, I think most education leaders in general are trying to lead teachers. Their goal is to cause a change in thinking among the teachers. What they don't necessarily address is how this change should filter down to the students. When deciding on what masters track I wanted to take, I purposely chose curriculum and instruction and not administration. I don't want to be an effective or exceptional leader of adults, I want to be an effective leader of students. I honestly think that is is very difficult to be an administrator that can be an effective student leader. I think it is too hard for the principal etc. to develop the relationships required to be a change agent for a student. I suppose that is why most focus on the staff instead. My question to you is how do you become an exceptional leader of students when you can't develop a close relationships with all your students? While there are exceptions, I think most education leaders in general are trying to lead teachers. Their goal is to cause a change in thinking among the teachers. What they don’t necessarily address is how this change should filter down to the students.

When deciding on what masters track I wanted to take, I purposely chose curriculum and instruction and not administration. I don’t want to be an effective or exceptional leader of adults, I want to be an effective leader of students. I honestly think that is is very difficult to be an administrator that can be an effective student leader. I think it is too hard for the principal etc. to develop the relationships required to be a change agent for a student. I suppose that is why most focus on the staff instead.

My question to you is how do you become an exceptional leader of students when you can’t develop a close relationships with all your students?

]]> By: Melissa Varley http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1762 Melissa Varley Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:56:00 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1762 You said, I want to be an exceptional leader. If I’m being honest, I’d like to be one of the best leaders in education. Ben, this is great. Should you start out saying, "Well, I'd like to be a leader and it doesn't much matter if I'm terrible?" You have a goal and it sounds like you have a good grasp on theory to help you reach that goal. Great job! You said, I want to be an exceptional leader. If I’m being honest, I’d like to be one of the best leaders in education.

Ben, this is great. Should you start out saying, “Well, I’d like to be a leader and it doesn’t much matter if I’m terrible?” You have a goal and it sounds like you have a good grasp on theory to help you reach that goal. Great job!

]]> By: Jennifer http://bengrey.com/blog/2009/08/effective-leadership/comment-page-1/#comment-1679 Jennifer Mon, 03 Aug 2009 13:08:01 +0000 http://bengrey.com/blog/?p=221#comment-1679 Ben, Great goal. Your philosophy is certainly student-centered, and that makes a difference. My concern about student-centered philosophies is that I can only change what I do and think, and I'm a teacher, so I need to be somewhat teacher-centered in focusing on what I learn and do. You seem to acknowledge your role in this, which sometimes gets lost in "student-centered" thinking. I look forward to following your progress to exceptional. :-) (although I think that by thinking this way, you already are exceptional) Ben,

Great goal. Your philosophy is certainly student-centered, and that makes a difference. My concern about student-centered philosophies is that I can only change what I do and think, and I’m a teacher, so I need to be somewhat teacher-centered in focusing on what I learn and do. You seem to acknowledge your role in this, which sometimes gets lost in “student-centered” thinking.

I look forward to following your progress to exceptional. :-)

(although I think that by thinking this way, you already are exceptional)

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