One of the hardest things about becoming a principal was that it meant spending less time in the classroom.  I entered education in the first place because I wanted the opportunity to  help students successfully transition through the middle years from childhood toward adulthood.   As a middle school teacher, I loved the opportunity I found in the classroom.  Early on, becoming a principal meant that I would have to leave that purpose behind or at least shift how it was accomplished.  As time went by, I was challenged to see my staff as a class.  I had the opportunity to build deeper relationships with them, to share our careers together and to help them be the best teachers and people they could be.  For this reason, exploring transformational servant leadership was really valuable for me as I was able to develop specific language and concepts for the new perspective I was developing as an educational leader.

I am a single administrator working with a relatively small staff.  I have been keenly aware of my colleagues in other schools using the phrase “administrative team”.  I like to make them aware that it is a privilege to use the phrase.  I really appreciated the content in Unit 5 regarding team leadership.  It has given me the opportunity to interact with my staff in a new way.  I seek to work in teams not because it is lonely at the top or because it distributes the workload but rather because it provides more of my staff members the chance to work on projects within the school that go beyond the scope of their classrooms.  They are able to set and work toward common goals, be collaboratively creative and to solve problems together (Northouse, 2016). In the togetherness of team, we are able to accomplish so much more than I could accomplish on my own.

Servant Leaders…

They choose responsible, behind-the- scenes action over public heroism to resolve
tough leadership challenges. These individuals don’t fit the stereotype of the bold
and gutsy leader, and they don’t want to. What they want is to do the “right
thing” for their organizations, their co-workers and themselves- inconspicuously
and without casualties. ~  Carolyn Crippen ( 2005) referencing Fullan (2003).

 

References

Crippen, C. (2005). The Democratic School: First to Serve, Then to Lead. Canadian Journal of Educational Administration and Policy, (47). Retrieved from https://ezproxy.student.twu.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ846732&site=eds-live

Fullan, M. (2003). The moral imperative of school leadership. Thousand Oaks, California:
Corwin Press, 3-47, 70-71.

Northouse, P. G. (2018). Leadership: Theory and Practice, Eighth Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.