Running Head: Leadership

Leadership and Organizational Analysis

Shannon Russell
September 28th, 2016
EL 813
Dr. Patrick Terry
Wichita State University
Shannon I am returning the paper for APA improvement; there is nothing wrong with
the content in fact the first two sections are quite good, but it is so distracting noting and
correcting the APA errors. I cant concentrate enough on the content for a good reading.
This is the only individual paper you will write this semester so I want to make sure you
understanding citation properly. Please refer to the OWL at Purdue for guidance. Let me
know if you have questions.
Shannon Improved APA in text though you still have places where you place a
page number that is needed. Page numbers are only required when you use a direct
quote. Paraphrases require only author(s) and year. APA in reference list has one
main consistent error.
A couple of sentences that were incomplete or unclear.
Biggest obstacle is that you did not address Pedagogy and Staff Development in
either Part 1 or Part 2. The paper is not complete until those components are
addressed. I have attached a draft rubric. You can see that content in other sections
is good (Target). Please revise and resubmit.
Let me know if questions.
Introduction

Wichita State University

Educational Leadership

Leadership

John F. Kennedy said, Leadership and learning are indispensable to one another. The
purpose of this paper is to share my personal views on leadership, how I plan to transition to the
leader of the school, and what I have learned thus far about myself, my colleagues, and what it
takes to excel in this profession.
Part 1A/B
Perceptions of Leadership
There are many aspects to becoming a leader. We teach our students that anyone can be a
leader. It is the journey of becoming a leader, and the ability to possess leadership qualities
which distinguish between those who want to lead, and those who bring leadership to all those
they encounter.
According to Senge et al. (2012) collaborative inquiry is thinking together about a
complex matter (p.296). It is suggested that a collaborative environment is one where learning
is likely to occur, individuals feel safe and secure, and taking risks is encouraged. This is a highly
lucrative recipe for collaboration. Continuing with this recipe is the possibility of allowing for
different ideas of thought which will enhance professional practice while also giving a more
accurate way of interpreting practice. (Danielson & Mcgreal, 2000).
At Melinda Luke Academy, I strive to solve problems with those I have appointed as my
school leaders and others who would join us on this leadership journey. When teams of teachers
are collaborating, it allows for other points of view to be represented. I have been a part of teams
who have found certain levels of collaboration difficult. When there is a lack of collaboration the
team tends to fall to the wayside and important details get missed, or altogether forgotten.
According to Lambert (2003) teams who are locked into unskilled collaboration, will become

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unsatisfied and eventually abandon the work. People will find different ways of working when
there is no collaboration. Therefore collaboration is a skill that must be practiced, crafted, and
ultimately reflected on every day (Lambert, 2003).
Another important aspect of leadership is shared decision making. As a leader it is
apparent that if you try to complete everything yourself, you will fail miserably. According to
Hoch (2013) shared leadership should reflect multiple team members engaging in the leadership
process, making collaborative decisions, and sharing the responsibility of outcomes (p. 159).
One of the goals I have set for myself as principal is to relinquish some of the duties as
the leader of the school. This is not an easy task, but one I feel has benefited Melinda Luke
Academy during my time as their instructional leader. There have been times when it has been
difficult, but when thinking about the bigger picture, it will make me be a better leader and
visionary. Sharing the power that I have been entrusted with will allow for growth of leaders
within the school. Building leadership capacity within the school setting is a crucial component
to becoming an effective leader. It is important to instill opportunities for teachers to become
leaders and display those leadership qualities in a rigorous manor. It is also a distinguished
quality of a leader to have people around you that dont necessarily agree with everything you
say.
Finally as an instructional leader I would devote some one on one time and coach
individuals by listening to their ideas and invoking a sharing time between colleagues.

Perception of Communication

Leadership

Communication is key! As a leader you must get your message out there. When there is
communication from the top down, systems run smoother, people stay informed, and the door to
misinformation stays closed. According to Senge et al. (2012) in order to break the guesswork
cycle, you must reduce the distortion in the signals that you send, so that the signals dont
become amplified (p. 114). When signals are amplified people tend to take action on what they
perceive to be your intentions. When all participants are listening attentively and they can accept
and act on things which are being said both in social and cultural environments you will have
effective communication. (Stringer, 2008). It is good practice to work on improving your
communication skills with each person you meet and according to Cloke and Goldsmith (2011)
you must eliminate negative and ineffective communication behaviors (p. 48).
I have decided as long as I am a principal I will make the commitment to become a
committed communicator. I am well aware of how much responsibility on my part this takes. It
is so important to clarify this commitment with your mentors, staff, and anyone that you are
planning to have a viable working relationship with. As a leader you must not only communicate
your vision and ideas, but also be open to the ideas of those around you. If I accomplish anything
while at Melinda Luke Academy, I hope I have been an effective communicator with a vision
that incorporated those systems which were beneficial to a successful building.

Perception of Climate

Leadership

It is so important to establish a positive presence when you walk through the doors of a
school. The vibe or feeling one gets can make a huge first impression. School climate has been
defined as the shared beliefs, values, and attitudes amongst all of the stakeholders in the school
(Bradshaw, Mitchell, & Leaf 2010). It is these said ideals which help to identify what is
considered appropriate at the school.
School climate is a priority at Melinda Luke Academy due to the fact it has been linked to
improved student achievement as well as reduced discipline problems. (Mitchell, Bradshaw, &
Leaf, 2010). A high number of discipline problems in the classroom can cause students to have a
poor view of the overall school climate. The foundation of school climate starts at the classroom
level. Students need to feel valued by their classmates and their teachers. Poor classroom
management can lead to discipline problems within the classroom setting which in turn can cause
student achievement to suffer. It is the expectation as the instructional leader to lead teachers in
establishing a high structure of classroom management. It is my belief students will feel safe and
secure in the classroom environment with a high level of structure and routines. Making school
climate a focus is a first priority for our school. It is this priority that has allowed us to see in our
school a decrease in office referrals and suspensions.
Perceptions of Data Based Problem Solving and Inquiry
According to Senge et al. (2012) inquiry has been best defined as a way to solve
problems using intelligence, strategic reasoning, insightfulness, intellectual perseverance,
creativity, and craftsmanship (p. 240). Problems will arise in the school setting, from behavior, to
how long it takes to get lunches. These problems will be addressed by looking closely at the data
and figuring out the best course of action.

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It goes without saying that data should drive the instruction of the teacher; it should also
drive the school wide initiatives such as intervention, discipline, and technology. Using the data
to make a plan is a rigorous task, but one which will increase the productivity of the school and
therefore will allow all those involved a way to master the problems with which need to be
solved at the building level.
Perceptions of Conflict Management
Conflict management is a multistep process that begins with assessment. It is followed by
analysis, monitoring, and finally negotiation (Vollmer, 2016).. Many workplace conflicts tend to
stem from miscommunication, misunderstandings, irrelevant differences, unclear roles, and poor
leadership (Cloke & Goldsmith, 2011).
What a powerful thing it is to listen to someone else. When we are listened to,, the walls
begin to come down. We begin to feel valued, appreciated, even loved. When a conflict arises at
my building the most important thing I can do is take time to assess the situation. So many times
Ive seen people lash out over hurt feelings, but had they took time to think about what is
happening before they react. According to Goleman (2007) mirror neurons reflect back an
action we observe in someone else (p.41). It is these neurons that connect us to people in a sort
of knee jerk reaction kind of way.
Perceptions of Pedagogy and Staff Development
Student voice can generate highly effective amount of pedagogy according to research
compiled by Husbands and Pearce (2012). They go on to say that scaffolds are vital when it
comes to effective pedagogy. With the appropriate scaffolds in place you can provide the right

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amount of support to the learner, and as they grow, remove those scaffolds and add new ones so
that students might become more successful in the classroom.
According to Reed (2005), Professional development is defined as the process of
improving staff skills and competencies needed to produce outstanding educational results for
students (p. 1). Staff development is required because there are so many demands put on
teachers. A few of those demands are reducing the achievement gap while adopting evidencebased practices. They are asked to meet adequate yearly progress goals while managing the
requirements of second-language and special-needs students. While completing these tasks
teachers are expected to remain current on the increasing amount of pedagogical and content area
research. This is why the need for staff development is and must be a priority for the building
leaders. (Reed, D. 2005).
Part 2
Analysis and Comparison of School Leadership
I have been very fortunate to work under my current principal. Many of the ideals she has
set in motion at our school are ones I hope to instill in my building. When she came on as
principal the building was in bad shape. Things which were district initiatives, and should have
been implemented by the former principal, had not been taken care of. In no time she hit the
ground running. She put together our guidelines for success, as well as our school mission
statement. She reorganized our leadership team, and our outdoor structured activity. She also set
the tone for learning. Core instruction was going to become a priority. She set things in place
such as purposeful planning, organized team meetings, and para support during core instruction.

Leadership

When thinking about the problems that were in our building and how she modeled
systems thinking for the staff, I know I will use that model of looking at various problems in new
ways to incorporate systems thinking in my building.
Analysis and comparison of Communication
It has been three years since my principal came to my school. Each year her
communication gets better. The first year she was here, I and another teacher became teachers in
charge. It was obvious there was quite a bit of frustration on both ends. Many times I would
email her and it may takes days for her to email me back regarding a situation. I took a lot of
situations into my own hands and hoped they were the right decisions. Senge et al. (2012) refers
to putting down the negative and ineffective behaviors. There were many times I would try to
read her facial expressions and it was completely off, then she would become frustrated with us
because we didnt follow up with a particular incident while she was gone, but we were not sure
what her intentions were because there wasnt any communication. I had also noticed the
communication between Child Study members has also been strained.
System thinking identifies how a variety of different systems send signals in a kind of
circular loop (Senge et al., 2012). Depending on what type of communication you have
established, the loops can create a cause and effect relationship for the systems thinker.
Identifying your method of communication as a leader will establish a big picture or little picture
type of thinking. One way you know you have a system thinking style of communication is to
resist making the conclusions that can come from not using good problem solving techniques.
These techniques will establish a system of communication which will connect my overall
viewpoints to those with whom I partner with in education.

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Analysis and Comparison of School Climate

As I mentioned earlier when the former principal left, the staff was feeling very low
about themselves and the climate was not a positive one. My principal started a structure called
The Heart of the Wolf. There were three of these books, and she wrote in each of them about a
different staff member. Then, by the next staff meeting those three staff members had to write
about three different staff members. Well three years later it has changed our feelings about each
other. Some people of course have been written about more than once and now we have new
staff members so the heart of the wolf will continue even if the administration were to change.
Analysis and Comparison of Problem Solving
The district has a data based problem solving model. Since my principal has been at my
school we have used the model to solve problems, and she always uses the data to guide our
teams process. The steps in the process are plan, do, act, check. We looked closely at the data
when it came to setting up our intervention groups, put a plan in place, with the goal of using
progress monitoring as a way to check to see if the interventions were working. We also looked
at behavior incident data, and noticed there were quite a few incidents happening on the
playground and in the common areas. We used this data to help us come up with a solution of
placing one certified person on the playground during each structure. She had set aside a stipend
to pay the certified staff since they have a duty free lunch. Looking at the common areas she
assembled a behavior team that wrote lesson plans for teachers to use during the first five days of
school, before and after breaks, and other times as the teacher deemed necessary.

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Analysis and Comparison of Decision Making

One of the things Ive noticed about my principal is that she prefers to make decisions
that we can make together. Whenever a conflict arises that is based around a decision we made as
a staff, it is supported by the notion that we shared that decision. When the decision is solely
belonging to the principal its much more difficult to rely on a systems thinking of problem
solving.
Analysis and Comparison of Conflict Management
The conflicts that have taken place at my school tend to just dissolve without having been
resolved. I can say however that my principal doesnt involve those that the conflicts dont
directly effect. However its a small school and before long you know who has been involved in
conflict.
I would definitely want to incorporate systems thinking into my conflict management
program. When I think of my personal values, and how I would incorporate them into working
on collaboration as a school wide approach to problem solving, and inquiry I know this is an area
for growth at every level. When you are working with people there are going to be conflicts.
Solving the conflicts and moving forward with the systems approach is a way to measure the
worth of the institution.
Analysis of Pedagogy and Staff Development
My principal does a great job at bringing pedagogy to the forefront of our minds. This
year the district is focusing on rigor, as this is an area on the Marzano Teacher Evaluation Model.
It is also a focus, in my opinion, due to the changes in the state assessment levels. During
professional development we are always asked to bring artifacts to show what students are

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learning and how we have incorporated rigorous learning strategies into our lessons. One of the
strategies we have incorporated these past few years is the Comprehension Tool Kits. It is a
program which has many rigorous strategies built in, and each book builds on the previous one.
It incorporates anchor charts, and thinking strategies, and comes with a script of great higher
level thinking questions for teachers to ask students to get them thinking about their learning.
If I could change one thing about our staff development it would be to give our current
learning coach some pointers on organization. The time teachers have for PD is precious. She is
often not prepared for her presentation. There is time lost while she is looking for her notes, or
she left handouts in her office. In my building I would spend much more time having data
conversations, so that our decisions are completely data based. I would also have some coaching
time built in each week for my coach and I to be prepared with what should be brought to the
staff. Without good staff development you leave your staff unprepared, which can lead to staff
frustration and burnout.
Conclusion
Education is forever changing, as it should. In this day and age the world demands a new
set of tools to solve problems facing todays schools. Systems thinking models are specially
made for the purpose of bringing to the surface a way to deal with the ever changing student.
Todays students need a different skill set to function in society. Systems thinking, social
intelligence, and a vast set of problem solving skills are going to bring todays school into the
next era.

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References
Cloke, K. & Goldsmith, J. (2011). Resolving conflicts at work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Danielson, C. & McGreal, T.L. (2000). Teacher evaluation: to enhance professional practice.
New Jersey: Jossey-Bass.
Goleman, D. (2006). Social intelligence. NewYork: Bantam Books.
Hoch, J. (2013). The role of vertical leadership and employee integrity. Journal of Business and
Psychology, 28 (2) pgs. 159-174.
Husbands, C. & Pearce, J. (2012). What makes great pedagogy? Nine claims from research.
National college for school leadership, p. 1-16.
Lambert, L. (2003). Leadership capacity for lasting school improvement. Alexandria VA:
ASCD.
Mitchell, M.M., Bradshaw, C.P. & Leaf, P. J. (2010). A multilevel exploration of patterns of
discrepancy. Journal of School Health, 80 (6) p. 271-277.
Reed, D. (2005, June/July). Why is professional development so important? Reading First
Notebook, 1-12.
Senge, P. (2012). Schools that learn. New York: Crown Business.
Stringer, E. ( 2008). Action research in education. New Jersey: Pearson.

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Reflection

As I think about the kind of principal I want to become, I find myself clinging to several
components. My personal vision is evolving and allowing me to grow not only in my
professional life, but in the overall reality that is my life. I find myself assessing and making
choices that benefit those that are in my inner circle, and I am pleased with the direction in which
things are moving. It is my practice of reflective thinking which has developed the most since
pursuing this area of my career. Every decision I make seems to revolve around my own
perceptions as well as the perceptions of others. Questioning, and identifying what I can do to
improve in the areas of problem solving, collaboration, conflict management, and
communication. This paper pushed me to examine deep within myself, and it was challenging to
put all of the thinking into an organized document. I know todays school requires so much more
of administrators then most are led to believe. As the instructional leader of the school the
amount of hats worn, can become tedious, and some may even approach burnout. I believe that
without a personal vision, mentors and colleagues to collaborate with, this principal would not
make it to the finish line. Luckily I have found a path to continue on that will lead me to become
the principal I know I have the potential to become.