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Hi Daniela,

When you think of the most inspirational school leader you have ever known and want to reflect on why they are so effective—I found it helpful to look at the ATTRIBUTES AND SKILLS they possessed. Now Marzano has published a book on responsibilities of an effective leader. Reviewing ATTRIBUTES, SKILLS and RESPONSIBILITIES helps me to put the role of an effective school leader into perspective. It helps me to view the role in action.

Niagara

Please disregard the lines going through—-not sure how to fix it but they are not meant to be there. Thanks! Karen

Last week I was at a conference and Todd Whitaker said that “in a great teacher’s classroomroom, every student feels like the favourite”. He went on to explain that when he was an administrator, he attempted to make every teacher in his school believe the same--that they were his favourite teacher. In his book, What Great Principals do Differently, he discusses many ways a principal can motivate and inspire their staff. He places tremendous value on people rather than programs, having clearly defined and enforced expectations, the importance of treating others with respect at all times, the power of being positive, teaching the teachers, and not being afraid to show you care—all things that it seems your current adminstrator eminates.

My most inspirational leader certainly supported what Todd Whitaker explained in his book. She also helped me believe in myself, created an environment where I was comfortable to take risks, helped me recognize my areas of growth and allowed my strengths to flourish. I think it is key (like your prinicipal does) to remember as adminstrators we are teachers. If we have the belief that all students in our building will succeed, then I’d like to think we feel the same about our teachers, inspiring and motivating them so that they in turn will inspire and motivate our students.

I have been fortunate in my career to work with some very good leaders. There are a number of attributes that come to mind when I think of those individuals and one leader in particular. He is respectful of staff and treats everyone fairly. He is honest, sincere and has integrity which in turn, has gained him the respect of the staff. This administrator is able to relate to all employees – encouraging inclusivity. All staff feel that they are contributing to the mission of the Board. It does not matter if you are in a support role or in a teaching position. He always makes time for staff – if visiting a school, he takes the time to chat. He actually listens to the staff and shows that he really does care. This individual is extremely intelligent and would be described as a “life-long learner”. He has a passion for what he does and instills that in others – making you want to be a better person. He promotes teamwork and the concept of working together for the common good. Obviously, you can tell he has strong people skills. He “walks the talk” and as a result, has gained the utmost respect of staff – an excellent leader.

Teh most inspirational leader that I have ever worked with was one who shared leadership and made risk taking safe. Perople were encouraged not ony to get involved but to lead as well. One of our Board’s leadership attributes is “Further Developing the Organization” this person was very skilled in thios area and has developed many other educational leaders.

In my career, I have had leaders that were inspirational and some unfortunately who were not.

Being a constant optimist, I managed to always find the good or at least create “learning moments” for myself when things seemed very bleak.

Sometimes, one has to experience the “bad” in order to really appreciate the “good.” What an inspirational leader is not is some of the following: 1.) Someone who comes into your classroom and says negative comments about you or your teaching style in front of your students. 2.) Someone who lets their bad moods effect the whole school atmosphere negatively. 3.) Someone who does not build relationships with their staff. 4.) Someone who offers no constructive criticism or words of wisdom or encouragement.

I really liked Kovenden’s comment from Todd Whitaker “in a great teacher’s classroomroom, every student feels like the favourite”. That is how I feel today and I know this new positive environment has helped me become the teacher I am today.

I agree with all of you, relationships, relationships, relationships seem to be at the heart of everything. If we are sincere in our relationships with those we lead we truly do make everyone feel like the favourite. When a good leader asks staff to perform a task or take on an extra job, people will bend over backwards. When a leader who does not garner respect asks the same of a group, the reaction is reluctance and, in some cases, outright refusal. If both tasks or extras are the same, it comes down to how people feel about the person asking versus the task itself. The best leader I have ever worked with was the most humble, sincere, open-minded, and caring individual. He was also extremely hard-working, organized, and supportive. His vision for the school was clear and he provided much opportunity for professional development. One of the other things that he was able to do was lead very quietly….he knew what you were doing just by popping by to say hello to the children every now and then. He walked the halls to touch base and say hello. He knew the children’s names. He knew his staff and asked about family. He made it clear when an initiative had to be met yesterday and when there was flexibility. He treated us as competent, hard-working individuals unless we proved otherwise. Just a few characteristics we could hope to emulate.

Hi Daniela,

I believe that the classroom teacher is the most visible person in a child’s life at school, but it is the principal/school leader who is responsible for providing a high-quality education for all students there. You ask what makes a leader inspirational? I believe great leaders vary in strategy, temperament, and leadership style, but great inspirational leaders:

• an understanding and appreciation of school culture
• a clear and inspiring vision of where school is headed
• a love of kids and a concurrent ability to relate to them
• a love of teaching and a concurrent ability to relate to teachers
• an ability to listen effectively
• an ability to make and implement effective decisions
• a recognition that neither the principal nor anyone else is perfect, and that’s ok
• a very thick skin (unfortunately!)

The most effective administrator I have worked for is the principal I have at present. He maintains the leader role and is not interested in being the teachers or the parents friend. We can have a laugh or share a joke but when it comes to student or school related business, he is able to view issues as the leader. When your opinion is asked on a particular topic, you know that it will be considered but that he will make the final decision. He delegates well and trusts that you will then take on that leader role. The school operates with rules and there is definately a safe, community feel.

To most impressive leader I have ever been around was a educator a Niagara university named Paul Vermette. This man had more energy than anyone I have ever been around. He took every flaw a person had and turned into a positive. Because He wanted us to do well we wanted to do well too. No person would ever challenge him on his knowledge and he was strong without being arrogant. He is the reason I teach the way I do today. He is the only “real” person in my life to have this strong of an effect on me. Usually I think I know it all and can do it all this guy made me think that I was only at the beginning of the journey and had some much more to learn and experience. I would love to work with him again.

In summary, an effective and inspirational school leader encourages excellence while promoting a community spirit of collaboration and collegiality. A valuable leader is one who understands the various roles and tasks that teachers perform on a daily basis, and takes the time to build lasting relationships with the staff. Principals must lead their school by setting realistic and attainable goals, and providing an opportunity for staff and students to develop to their fullest potential. This process involves working collaboratively with the staff and school community to identify discrepancies between current and desired outcomes, to set and prioritize goals to help close any gaps, to develop improvement and monitoring strategies aimed at accomplishing goals, and to communicate goals and change efforts to the entire school community in ways that are non- threatening or overwhelming. The administrator’s vision must therefore be in alignment with school improvement priorities, and the principal must work with the staff to ensure that these needs are addressed with appropriate professional learning and development opportunities. Demonstrating the following characteristics as a school administrator creates and reinforces a sense of community, energy, and leadership in a school environment:

- an understanding and appreciation of school culture - a clear and inspiring vision of where a school is headed - a love of teaching and ability to relate to teachers - an ability to listen effectively - an ability to make and implement effective decisions - a recognition of the fact that learning is a journey, and the leader is there to support the teacher on that journey