Final Blog Post....This is only the beginning

It was fun to look back at my first blog post and read at how excited I was to start this program and today I am just as excited to move forward and implement all I have learned.  I am a little sad to be done because I have truly enjoyed getting to know everyone, but mostly I am sad to not be learning new tools and tricks each week.  So many of the things we have discussed I have used in my classroom and I hope to keep exploring new things on my own.

This program has greatly affected me professionally.  The first time I realized how much I was truly learning was when I attended the TIES conference last year.  I have attended the conference for numerous years and have truly enjoyed it, but most years I have to look up so many things they are talking about because I didn't know what they were (example Web 2.0 tools).  Last year, I knew or had applied most of the things they discussed.  I actually felt like I belonged with that group of people.  That I wasn't just an outsider looking in wishing I could do half of those things.  When this years Keynote speakers came out I was thrilled because they were people I knew and have learned about.

The second way this program has affected me professionally is by giving me the confidence to become more of a tech resource for our district.  There has even been talk about me becoming our districts technology integrationist. I feel like this program has opened many doors for me.

Personally, this program has challenged me in many ways.  Balancing work, kids (including having one during the course of the program), and this program has been a huge challenge.  Sometimes I have wanted to quit or thought I was never going to get it all done, but I pushed through.  This program has made me realize how much I can do and given me the power to believe in myself more.  Although, I will miss the program I am excited for more time with my family.

I don't know if there is more I wish I knew.  I don't feel like I know much about hard drives, servers, etc, but I am not sure that is something I would ever use anyways.  The only thing I wish I had more of was time to explore all of the great tools, ideas, software, etc. that we learned about.  I have a list of things I want to check out, but never find the time.  Maybe someday....

Overall, I would recommend this program to anyone interested in getting their masters!  I have learned a lot and truly feel like I have grown as an educator.

CEDO 565 - Final Post

When we first started this class I thought of leadership as the Principals, Superintendents, etc.  I was naive in thinking that they were they only leaders in the school.  I have since broadened my understanding of leadership to encompass teacher leaders and others that help to lead the school.  Teacher leaders are just as important as other leaders, but don't seem to get the same recognition.  Teachers are the ones who implement change, promote change, and strive for achievement both within themselves and their students.  Without teacher leaders schools would have a hard time being successful.

I have never viewed myself as a teacher leader or one who wants to be in a leadership position.  I have been thrown into some leadership positions in the past that have made me feel uncomfortable so I tend to shy away from being a leader.  This class helped me to realize that being a teacher leader doesn't have to include evaluating others or telling them what to do.  A teacher leader can be leading by example or providing resources for others.  I feel comfortable and confident in that type or leadership role.

I do agree with our book when it said "improving education from within".  One person can't change education from the top down.  Those who are in the thick of it need to be accepting and willing to apply the change or it won't be successful.

CEDO 565 - Week 5

I enjoyed reading a few of the tips in the last chapter of How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader.  I feel a lot of administrators loose sight of the idea of providing instructional leadership.  It is important for administrations to be aware of what is happening in their building as well as provide guidance when they feel there is an area a teacher needs to improve on.  Most teachers aren't experts in everything and therefore could use some guidance.  Administrators also should be available to offer support for teachers when dealing with difficult students or parents.  Overall, administrators need to be present and easily accessible.

Administrators also need to provide staff with a solid curriculum that meets state standards and is aligned across grade levels.  This is something our district has been striving to do for years.  It is a key component for student and teachers success.  Effective teaching builds  and expands upon concepts that have already been learned in previous grade levels.  It is important for administrators to facilitate this conversation between grade levels and to provide a map of what is taught in each grade for incoming teachers.

Finally, the book mentioned how important it is to provide students with silent reading time.  This really hit home to me because our district is starting a new program called Action 100/100 Book Challenge.  Each day students are provided 30 min, uninterrupted, reading time.  They are supposed to be reading books at their level 1 hour a day (30 min in school and 30 min. at home).  We just started this program and I am excited to see how our test scores are in the spring.  Hopefully by making reading a priority we will increase our scores.

CEDO 565 - Week 4

To kick off the school year this year we had a speaker on being a leader and how everyone is in a leadership role whether they like it or not.  I have been thinking about some of the things the speaker stated and how they relate to what we are learning in this class on leadership.  I have realized I am comfortable being the leader in my classroom and in a few of the committees, but the administrative leader talked about in our book, How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader, is a role I am not striving to take on.  I have learned throughout this course that, although I have had administrators that I felt were ineffective, I need to realize the struggles they are going through as well.  Not only do they have be accountable for test scores, budget, student behaviors, etc, but they also have to work to create a positive working environment.  Creating an environment where all employees feel welcomed, appreciated, and work well together is nearly impossible.  I did enjoy reading the tips given in our book on ideas the administrator could do in order to validate teachers.  I really liked the idea of performing simple tasks for the teacher (like making copies) in order to help free up some of their time and make them realize that you understand they have a lot to do.  Overall, I am learning a lot about how to be an effective administrators, but I am not sure it is a role I will want to take on in the near future.

CEDO 565 - Week 3

This week we read a lot about change and how to promote and adapt to it in a leadership role.  This is a great topic to explore at the beginning of a new school year.  We are experiencing a lot of change in our district this year.  New hires, new students, but most daunting is a new reading initiative called Action 100/100 Book Challenge.  This new program is challenging all of us to step out of our comfort zone and teach reading in a whole new way.  Although it is exciting it has also caused a lot of people (me included) to become frustrated with our administration.  After reading some of the articles this week, I realized, as a teacher leader, I need to be positive about the up coming changes, provide support for those that are skeptical, and make sure I am leading by example and utilizing the program fully in my classroom.

I also enjoyed reading the Tune In article about the generational differences in school staffs.  This is something that truly hit home to me.  There seems to be this divide between some of the staff members and I think reading this article could help to bridge that gap.  I like how it explains that we are all different in our ways, but one is not necessarily better than the other.  This is a great tool for administrators  when dealing with a divided staff or team.

CEDO 565 - Week 2

This week we read a lot about building your team and how to be a good teacher leader.  Some of the points that hit home to me were how to deal with people on your team.  Committees and teams are made up of numerous different personalities.  This is a good thing when it comes to producing an effective outcome, but can be troublesome when working together.  I liked some of the tips given in this book on how to effectively communicate with members of your team/committee.

I also enjoyed the part on building your team.  I do believe that teachers should be involved in the process of building their team.  After all they do know what skills are needed to do the job and how well they will fit into their team.  A good leader knows when they can put the trust into their coworkers. 

So far I have enjoyed reading the book.  It has made me realized the skills it takes to make a good administrator as well as evaluate my past/present administrators.

CEDO 565 - Leadership

Leadership for me is something I use to be afraid of, but it seems to always find me.  Starting my first year of teaching I was asked to be a part of committees that I was really unaware even existed.  Being the "newbie" I never wanted to say no to any opportunity and now 9 years later I am glad that I was given leadership opportunities early on in my career because it has made me into a leader in numerous areas in my district.

Currently, I serve on numerous committees including the district leadership and staff development committee.  I am also a part of the technology committee, reading committee, scheduling committee, and much more. Being on these committees has given me the ability to have a say in what happens in the district.  I have also strived to be a leader in technology throughout our district.  I do this by sharing with others what I am learning and using in my classroom.  I have given classes to other staff members on different technology tools as well as try to be available to help others when they have technology issues.

I believe being a true leader is not only being on committees or being an administrator, but by being willing to try new things and give support to other coworkers when needed.  Due to all of the experiences I have had over the past 9 years I hope to someday have more of a leadership role in my district.