There are
so many things that I could envision as “pitfalls”. I’ve worked closely with my principal this
year, and have headed a few committees and events. Managing the budget was a bit stressful, but
wasn’t nearly as difficult as managing staff members. I understand the need to build relationships
with people, and I’m constantly amazed by my principal’s ability to deal with
such a variety of personalities. There
have been situations where I have asked the staff to do something by a certain
date and multiple staff would complain about the due date, require it to be
changed, or just simply not do what was asked.
When I spoke with my principal, he was very patient and understanding
with the staff and allowed extra time. I
was angry and wanted to ask the teachers how they expected their students to
follow rules and procedures when they themselves were so defiant. My principal explained that it was best to
keep moral high, and how in the long run, happy teachers were more beneficial
to the students learning. He managed to
reach an agreement that was reasonable to meet our deadlines, and make the
staff feel that their needs opinions were taken into consideration.
Working
with a variety of stakeholders takes patience and understanding. I have seen the importance of including
stakeholders in decisions, and I have felt the nervousness and tension of
dealing with the variety of opinions and points of view. There is definitely some skill involved in
listening to multiple opinions and needs and finding a way to include them in
final decisions. It’s important to
remember that you will never make everyone happy and that you can’t drive
yourself crazy trying. It is important
to listen to everyone and consider his or her thoughts. Once a decision is made, it’s appropriate to
follow up with stakeholders and explain the final decision.
This
course has provided me with the tools to analyze my and other schools. I have been able to build upon the strengths
that my administration has and concepts they have developed at my school. I have also been able to see some of the
areas that need improvement. I feel that
the data I’ve collected through the “look-for’s” have provided me with insight
to what is working and what needs to be changed. My school does a good job of collaborating
and is continually finding new and more effective methods, including the use of
Google Apps for Education. Staff as
teams and the administration continuously analyzes data to in order to find
ways to improve student growth. While
there are others involved in many of the decisions the administration makes at
our school, it is often the same people making the decisions. As an administrator I would do my best to
include a variety of stakeholders when appropriate. This course has made me reflect more on my
school, my administration and myself. Through
my reflections, I’ve confirmed some of my opinions and changed others, but both
have helped me grow.
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