- How has your definition of leadership altered or been reinforced? Your definition of teacher leadership?
In the wake of taking the classes for my Masters, I have found myself saying certain things more and more to my classes.
Things like:
1) You can be part of the problem or part of the solution. No other choice exists.
2) Who would you rather listen to, someone who complains about everything or someone who offers a solution?
3) The simplest, yet most complex math problem to figure out is: You were born with how many ears? With how many mouths? Figure it out. (This one, I use when some student won't stop talking)
4) There was an old owl, who lived in an Oak...
the more s/he saw, the less s/he spoke...
the less s/he spoke, the more s/he heard...
why can't we be like that wise old bird...
A new one that I will be trying out. A quote from Rosanne Barr on CBS Sunday Morning...
Nobody can stop you from getting better at something, except you.
Nobody can stop you from making something right, except you.
I added the "except you's"
I had forgotten for a while, how much influence I could and should have on students. In this sense, I have had a rebirth in my opinion of teacher leadership
- Has your opinion of your leadership potential changed?
No doubt, it has changed. How can you realize your potential unless you try new things and feel you make a difference. We accomplish in proportion to what we attempt. We may fail at many things many times, but, if we never try, we will never succeed at anything.
- Do you agree with our textbook's assertion about "improving education from within"? If so, what will you do to help?
I have brought more work upon myself. Just what I needed. This past Friday in an "early release" of students / staff development, we, teachers, were asked to come up with some solutions to improving WKCE scores.
Being a math teacher, I came up with the idea and volunteered to make screencasts that I will send to other teachers to offer students example problems and their explained solutions. This will be the first of the changes I will choose to spearhead.
Bill, I wish I would have read your blog before I posted mine!! You reminded me that if you're not part of the solution your part of the problem, and with what I am currently going through in my school, I need to keep that in mind. I am happy to admit that I firmly believe that I'm part of the solution!!!! Thanks - I needed that reminder!!!
ReplyDeleteThis post made me think A LOT about my own influence on my students. I think we sometime forgot that we are not only a leader for our school and other staff members but we also have to be a role model and leader for our students. We are shaping them and have tremendous powers of influence.
ReplyDeleteI love your new classroom prases. I may be "stealing" them to use in my room! ;)