I wish to go back to my middle school, if Dawn is managing the post as the Vice Principal!!! I was blessed to get to know Dawn, a busy mom of a large family, lovely and responsible wife, taken up teaching as her profession and currently working as a Vice Principle in a middle school at eastern part of BC. The way I felt comfortable and relaxed to video chat with her from the very first minute proved how accommodating she is. There is no wonder why one could choose her in this leadership post if one gets to know her passion, her skills and the creativity in her thoughts. She is a motivator, a friendly person, moreover a blessed person to help her husband who is a Pastor and a teacher by profession to spread the word of God.
Our one hour and 15 minutes of video conversation didn’t feel like a long boring talk rather I expanded my understandings on the various topics we discussed using the questions I asked from Dan Rockwell’s article, ‘The Anatomy of Performance Enhancing Coaching Conversations’.
When I asked her to list the skills/behaviors that are essential for success in her role as the Vice Principal and If she was asked to give a number, a rank, for each of these skills and behaviors, what would that be? Dawn choose communication with students, teachers, family and other community members as the top most priority, followed by understanding policies and procedures, problem solver, creative, being consistent and concise, relational, organized, following ethical and moral values and innovative to be in the post of Vice Principal being a great leader and supporter.
It is evident that she sees herself satisfied and doing her best at communication skills and has innovative ideas on keeping track on students and concerns of teachers, by having email and direct communication. She is planning to find time to know each person in a better way. In fact, she is updated as she is consistent in checking her emails and is concise in her email messages as she understands that anyone might get bored reading long passages, instead she communicates efficiently with important information in emails and later expands her thoughts during teachers’ meetings.
When it comes to the second skill that she wants to incorporate is, understanding policies and procedures which is essential for her as she is in an authoritative level. Though she finds it challenging sometimes to keep updated on these areas though she kept ready few notes and books to read whenever she finds time. She understands the importance of it and is passionate to acquire more information and knowledge.
Thirdly, she identified problem solving skills to be important in her profession as she come across varied issues among students, teachers and family. She rates herself above average in this area, as she inculcates various skills to be problem solver and as she has planned and already implemented to find few solution to problems and bring it to her senior, the Principal and instead of he suggesting his ideas, she puts forth couple of options and he chooses the best one out of her proposals. This thought of her impressed me as she seeks help from her senior by doing her part which brought a team effort rather than a one man show where both leaders are equally responsible and satisfied for their decision.
Dawn’s long term goal after completion of her higher education and once her kids are settled, in 8 to 10 years, the couple want to go abroad and plant the seeds of education in areas where children lack opportunity to study, wish to start schools at remote areas and spend her life preaching word of God, educating and helping the needy along with her husband. And I strongly believe in her passion and pray for her dreams to come true. I was blessed to get a good friend, a motivator through this activity. Wishing Dawn and family all the best wishes to be fruitful teachers and to grow the garden of professional and well organized educational institutions in the days to come!!!