RUNNING HEAD: MCMILLAN REFLECTIVE PAPER

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Reflective Paper: My Four Biggest Ahas

Martha McMillan
UTC - EDAS 5810
Drs. V. Petzko & B. Kamrath
14 March 2015

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My Four Biggest Ahas

Throughout the past six semesters, I have learned a lot. Some things that I learned can definitely
be classified as more important than others, but I do know that everything I learned will make me
into a better educator, administrator, and altogether leader than I was before I started in 2013. It
took me a while to narrow it down to the four most important things that I learned, but when it
comes down to it, I think these four things are things that I knew all along - but they were reinforced all along my journey as an aspiring administrator. These four things are crucial to being
an administrator, but I think that they are also crucial to just being an educator in general.

Conclusion 1: Relationships Matter!

One of the most important things that I have picked up on in my quest as an aspiring
school leader is the importance of building relationships. As a school leader, my focus should be
on the people - not the programs. Relationships are the foundation of the school; not only does a
school leader have to have relationships with the students, but also with the parents, the community, the staff members, other school leaders, Central Office workers, etc. According to Roland
Barth, The relationship among the adults in the schoolhouse has more impact on the quality and
the character of the school - and on the accomplishment of youngsters - than any other
factor (2001, p 105).

I think that quote could be expanded to the relationship among the adults

as STAKEHOLDERS has more impact on the school.

Through my field experiences, I had to build a lot of different relationships. First and
foremost, as a teacher, I have had to build relationships with my students. As a grade level chair,
I had to build relationships with my team members. One year, since I had a team of four other

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brand-new teachers, I also had to teach my team how to build relationships with students. It was
noticeable, as I went into my mentees classroom that year, how students reacted to consequences - especially as I compared the reactions of students she had built relationships with and
the reactions of students she hadnt built relationships with. As I went out to K-12 Numeracy
Network meetings, I had to build relationships with those teachers who I would not normally be
interacting with. When I shadowed teachers, I had to form relationships with those principals, as
well as other teachers in the building who I had reactions with. Finally, as a recognized teacher
leader in my building, I have had to form relationships (and a reputation) as an emerging leader.
As I spoke both with my own administrative team, as well as the elementary school principal that I shadowed, they both mentioned that one of the hardest decisions they make is where
to place students in classes. I also ran into this as I spent time last summer creating class lists. It
is not enough for students to be separated into classes, but The key to raising achievement is
connecting students with teachers who support them not just as learners, but also as
people (Stipek, 2006). As an administrator, and an educator in general, relationships matter. If
I cannot form relationships with my faculty, the students, the community, etc., I will have a tough
time making it through.

Conclusion 2: Change is Inevitable - Be Ready For It!

Sometimes, Hem, things change and they are never the same again. This looks like one
of those times. Thats life! Life moves on. And so should we (Johnson, 1998). This quote
came from the book/movie Who Moved My Cheese, which I watched during my second class
at UTC. It was then that I realized the importance of being open (and ready) for change - espe-

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cially as an educator. In the world of education, no two years are the same; let alone, two days.
Changes are made in the demographics of the school, the teachers at the school, the students at
the school, the supervisors in central office, administrative teams, the curriculum, the standardsthe list could go on and on. If I, as an administrator or even an educator, am not prepared
for change, I will get left in the dust.
One of the constants within K-12 education is that someone is always trying to change it
- someone is always proposing a new program or a practice (Marzano, McNulty, & Waters, p.
65, 2005). As a teacher leader, I know this to be true. In my short four year career, I have run
into change many times - many of which I dealt with in different field experiences. As gradelevel chair, I had to adapt to a new team every year that I have been a teacher. As a teacher
leader in my school (and as the K-12 Numeracy Chair), I had to adapt to new math curriculum
and standards that I then had to bring back to my school and help those teachers adapt to the
changes. As the leader of the mentor program, I had to adapt to change when we learned that
one of our mentors was being transferred and her two mentees needed a new mentor. As a
member of the leadership team for three years, I had to help connect the administrative team to
the rest of the faculty and run new changes smoothly. Even currently, as a teacher, I am facing
the major changes of switching to Common Core Standards and the upcoming new standardized
test.
Heidi Hayes Jacobs, editor of Curriculum 21: Essential Education for a Changing World,
begins her book by saying, As educators, our challenge is to match the needs of our learners to a
world that is changing with great rapidity. To meet this challenge, we need to become strategic
learners ourselves by deliberately expanding our perspectives and updating our approaches (p.

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7, 2010). I think Ms. Jacobs was exactly right - as leaders and educators, we have to update our
approaches. We can never become satisfied with the way things are and then be resistant when it
is time to change. We have to motivate ourselves (and our students, our faculty, our community,
our stakeholders) and get them ready for the same changes. The education world will never
grow stagnant and neither can we.

Conclusion 3: Know How to Communicate Appropriately in All Situations!

In one of my very first classes in the program, I learned that, as an instructional leader/
administrator, there is a difference in how you communicate with different teachers. In the classroom, you have to know your students and adjust based on their needs. As an administrator, you
have to know your teachers and adjust based on their needs. The following chart came out of

High Relationship, Low Task

High Relationship, High Task

COUNTRY CLUB

DEMOCRATIC TEAM

MIDDLE OF
THE ROAD

Low Relationship, Low Task

Low Relationship, High Task

LAISSEZ-FAIRE

AUTOCRATIC LEADER

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one of those first classes at UTC and it is one I have looked back on many times during my field
experiences. [The chart is an adaptation of Hershey and Blanchards theory - from EDAS 5710,
Dr. V. Petzko, 08/28/2013]. Whenever, as a teacher leader, I am communicating with others, I
always try and consult the chart, reflecting about where that person lies in the situation and how I
need to use my leadership to communicate effectively with them.
Just like building relationships, the ability to communicate effectively is absolutely crucial in the education world. I do not think that I can name a field experience that I participated in
where I did not have to communicate with someone. Marzano, McNulty, and Waters (2005)
state: Good communication is a critical feature of any endeavor in which people work in close
proximity for a common purpose (p. 46). They also say, Effective communication might be
considered the glue that holds together all the other responsibilities of leadership (p. 46-47).
Being a good communicator is of vital importance as an educator. If one communicates in the
wrong manner, using the wrong tone, or even in the wrong situation, the wrong message can be
portrayed (even unintentionally). Its hard to rebuild those relationships when they start breaking
down because of communication.

Conclusion 4: Document, Document, Document!

In every class I took at UTC, I think at one point or another, when asked what a professor
did about a certain situation, his or her answer always included, And, of course, I documented
it. A student gets hurt at school - document what happened. A parent comes in upset - document what happened. A teacher is not performing to expectations - document it. A supervisor
from Central Office comes and does a walk-around your building - document what he or she

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says. A student with an IEP has a meeting - document it. A student needs disciplining - document it. Money is spent - document it. Anything is done concerning Title I - document it. A
strange airplane flies too close to the playground - document it.
Out of the four crucial ahas that I had, I think that this is one that I will have to work the
hardest on. All of the principals that I shadowed had a specific notebook (or six) where they
documented everything that had happened that year. They all kept a phone log to keep track of
all phone calls made and received. They kept all observation and evaluation notes together. I,
however, have always been a bit scatterbrained. I am not a clearly organized person and do not
necessarily keep notes in the same place. However, as an administrator, if anything happened,
and I was not able to produce documentation of what went on or the steps that I (or my school)
had taken to prevent it, it is my job and career that is on the line. I have to get better at being organized and keeping my notes and documentation logs together.

To Sum It Up
One of the principals that I shadowed told me that once, when she faced a problem with a
teacher, the teacher felt that she was owed an apology (by the administrator). The principals response to that teacher: The only thing that I have to apologize for is that I chose the students
over you. I do not have a responsibility to you - an adult. However, I do have a responsibility
for the children and their education. Dont put me in a position where I have to choose between
you and the children - because I will choose them every time. I think, as adults, we sometimes
let our emotions get the best of us. We forget who we got into the profession for and who it is
that really matters. We are adults - we can take care of ourselves. But, the children - they are

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what is important. I feel as though, through every decision I am faced with both as a teacher and
in the future (hopefully) as an administrator, if I cannot answer the question, How will this be
best for kids?, then the decision will be made for me.
The four major ahas for me are very interrelated. As an educator, I have to build relationships so that when I implement new changes, they are well-received. I also have to make
sure that I communicate effectively. Saying what needs to be said, how and when it needs to be
said, will help build those needed relationships, as well as implement those new changes. If I am
documenting everything, I can make needed changes in a students daily life, as well as in
teacher placement (or even teacher removal) without too much damage to the professional relationship. Documenting will also help the communication when I am giving feedback to teachers.
Lastly, if I am building relationships with students - if I am implementing new, necessary
changes - if I am communicating and letting others know what is working or not working - if I
am documenting teacher, parent, and student concerns, as well as documenting what is happening in a classroom - I am doing everything I can to make the students life (at school, anyway)
better. I am doing all of these things in the best interest of the student. I didnt become an educator for the teachers. I didnt become an educator for the paycheck or the summers off. I became an educator because I want to impact students. I want students to achieve more and have
more opportunities because I was a part of their lives. I want students to have a safe, consistent
place to come every day (for at least seven hours a day). Im in it for the kids - and I always will
be.

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References
Barth, R. (2001). Learning by heart. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Jacobs, H.H. (2010). Curriculum 21: Essential education for a changing world. Alexandria:
ASCD.
Johnson, S. (1998). Who moved my cheese: An amazing way to deal with change in your work
and in your life. New York City: Putnam.
Marzano, R.J., McNulty, B.A., & Waters, T. (2005). School leadership that works: From
research to results. Alexandria: ASCD.
Stipek, D. (2006). Relationships matter. Educational Leadership, 64(1), pages 46-49.

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