Category: LDRS500

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Response to Simarjit Shergill’s rank, talk, write post.

I like the definitions and concepts that your reading brings forward. As a teacher, I am constantly reflecting on how to teach students to become critical thinkers. How do we teach this and instill this as a value in young learners?

Another part of your post that I found interesting is when you discussed that the book suggests that a person should not always do things a certain way. In my own reading, I read that if you are constantly doing things the same way, it is likely that you are not making mistakes. However, if you’re not making mistakes you are not learning. ‘We learn more from our mistakes than from our successes’ (Hoerr, 2017). I believe this to be true. How can we be more self-aware, reflective, and open to criticism if we continue to do the same things over and over?

 

I find your post particularly interesting as it is promoting my own personal reflections. In your writing, you state that  if one is not self aware while processing information, they risk preferring evidence that supports their ideas and rejecting information that is opposing to their beliefs.’ It is crucial for people to be able to look at the bigger picture, to be able to see things from another person’s perspective and to be able to be a critical thinker in order to experience success.

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Rank-Talk-Write, Unit 3

“Teachers and administrators need grit too—today more than ever.” (Hoerr, 2017, P2) This article is meaningful to me as it serves as a reminder that no matter how hard we work as educators, we are constantly being faced with new and possibly more challenging problems in our everyday work. “It’s important to note that using grit doesn’t simply mean working harder. Teachers and principals already work hard. But regardless of how talented we are or how hard we work, some parts of our job will always require added determination. Despite the effort and progress we’ve made, we’ll always face new challenges that will require us to try and try again while maintaining our focus and energy.” (Hoerr, 2017, P4) The article is a good reminder that grit – or perseverance and passion – will help us as educators experience success with even our most difficult situations.

Some key ideas that I picked from this article include:

  1. We learn more from our failures than our successes. (Hoerr, 2017, P5)
  2. Character traits like grit, self-control, conscientiousness and self-confidence are as important as cognitive talent in determining whether students succeed. (Hoerr, 2017, P2)
  3. When we face failure and seemingly overwhelming obstacles, our success will stem from how we respond. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
  4. The realization that we’ll need to persist through setbacks is particularly important. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
  5. We all have frustrations and problems that can’t be solved quickly or easily. It can be oddly comforting to learn that others also have frustrations—even those colleagues who never seem to sweat. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
  6. Grit can become a habit when we approach failure or frustration as an opportunity to learn. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)
  7. We need grit to meet instructional challenges as well as to navigate the interactions and tasks that are part of every school day. (Hoerr, 2017, P2)
  8. When your school tackles improvement efforts, do it with the understanding that things will not always go smoothly. When your school tackles improvement efforts, do it with the understanding that things will not always go smoothly. (Hoerr, 2017, P3)

This article serves as a valuable lesson for educators. Anything that we may be teaching our students, may have a stronger impact if it is something that we practice and value in our own lives. For example, it may be hard to instil values of faith and religion, if you are not practicing it yourself. It would be similar to trying to teach a language that you can barely speak. Teachers need to make an effort to live by the values and skills that they are trying to teach in order to provide meaningful examples and modelling for students.  By giving students real examples of how these skills are used in life, they are more susceptible to try and use the skills in their own lives. Grit is something that we need to work on in our own lives too.


I picked this article because I feel that the message behind it is valuable to me. Sometimes I struggle in my own career with trying to be perfect and it is healthy to be reminded that perfection is not necessarily something I should strive for but rather making progress and accomplishing smaller goals. “If you’re not making any mistakes, it suggests that you’re simply doing the same thing over and over; “Making new mistakes, on the other hand, means that you’re trying new strategies and not repeating your errors, so you’re learning.” (Hoerr, 2017, P5) Making mistakes and learning from them is the progress that I would like to strive for. Hoerr also discusses the dynamic environment that educators work in. It is a job that changes with each group of students that come through. The problems we are faced with are not the same each year and we  “They find it hard to accept that the job can still be difficult and exasperating for them at times. The reality is that each year brings new students, and the world continues to spin; no matter how good we are, new challenges—and, yes, new frustrations and failures—await us.” (Hoerr, 2017, P3)

Hoerr, Thomas R. (2017). Educators Need Grit Too! Education Leadership, Summer 2017. Pp. 60 – pp. 64

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Light From Many Lamps

‘Enjoy yourself-It is later than you think’ (Watson, 1979)  teaches a valuable lesson. We are often tangled in the chaos of everyday life that we forget to live. This story reminds us that life is short and that it is precious. It reminds us to not get so busy that we forget to live. I believe that leadership qualities are portrayed in this reading in different ways. It takes a leader to recognize that there is a problem and to look at the problem from different angles and be able to come up with a solution. In this case, Dr. Loomis recognized that something needed to change. He demonstrated leadership qualities by considering the impact that his decision would have on those around him. He didn’t want to burden anyone or make their time at work more difficult. This demonstrated a leader who is putting other people before himself. He also demonstrated leadership skills by setting a good example for his staff and for the people in his life. I also believe that a leader will listen and take into account the opinions of other people. Dr. Loomis listened to the people in his life and decided to take some time for himself. A good leader is also a good listener.

Dr. Loomis recognized the need to find a balance between life at work and his personal life. Leadership isn’t necessarily self-less. Since recognizing the need for a balance in his own life, he now has the ability to recognize the need for this balance in the lives of others as well.  

I am touched by this story as this is something that I struggle with in my own life. Sometimes, I spend so much time trying to please other people that I end up feeling burnt out or over-exhausted. The message in the story is a gentle reminder that life is short and it is important to take time to live our own lives and to dedicate time to ourselves.  In Light From Many Lamps, (Watson, 1979), theres is a quote that speaks to me. “Make use of life while you have it. Whether you have lived enough depends upon yourself, not on the number of your years.” (Michel de Montaigne) One of my lifelong friends has just been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I find myself reflecting on my own life and realizing that life itself can be so short. When you’re young, you think that you have an entire lifetime ahead of you. You never think that you’re going to be faced with an illness that can change your life like hers has been changed. Her experience has made me question whether I am fully living my life right now. Dr. Loomis’ experience has made me recognize that I may be feeling some of this imbalance in my own life and maybe I need to demonstrate leadership qualities by taking time for myself and setting an example for other people as well.  Part of leadership is recognizing the need for a work and personal life balance in yourself and in others.

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Response to Rob Tegelberg’s post, Unit 1, Activity 4

In his post, Rob Tegelberg posed the following questions, Is it possible to be a leader without taking on the role of manager? Can you think of a tangible example of a leader who is not also a manager?

I believe it is possible to be a leader without taking on the role of a manager. There is a staff member in my school who demonstrates leadership in everything she does. She volunteers in the school and outside of school. She is gifted with technology and volunteers to make ‘how-to’ slideshows for people who are not as skilled. She is always ahead and willing to help other staff members who are behind. Perhaps one of her most inspirational leadership qualities is portrayed in her love for the students. She takes the time to research to ensure that she is providing her students with the best possible strategies for learning and that she is providing them with exactly what they need in order to experience success. This individual is a classroom teacher. Even though she is not in an administrative position, she continuously demonstrates leadership qualities.  I find myself constantly reflecting on how I can follow her example and be a leader on staff as well.

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Unit 2, learning activity 3

I felt as though the results of these surveys are mostly accurate. I consider myself to be trustworthy, dependable, empathetic, friendly as well as sensitive. All participants strongly agreed that I portray these qualities. The participants informed me that they found it very easy to reflect on who I am and they felt that they were able to accurately answer the survey. In the categories of self-confident and self-assured, I ranked myself lower than the participants did. I feel that sometimes I hide things from other people and I believe that is why I ranked myself lower in these categories. Overall, I found that my friends and colleagues responses were expected. I was not shocked by any of the information they gave.

I am not surprised that my human skills score is the highest. I am confident in working with other people to achieve a goal. I also consider this to be the part of leadership that I enjoy the most. My technical and conceptual scores were a tie. I enjoy conceptual and technical work, however, I feel like I can definitely improve in these areas.

In the style questionnaire, I was slightly surprised by the results. My task score is higher than my relationship score. I would’ve expected a high relationship score and a lower task score. I believe that I am better at providing support and encouragement and that I am an excellent listener, rather than someone who is good at telling people what to do and spelling out their roles.

I am interested to pay more attention to this in future situations and to reflect further on what kind of leadership style I portray.

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Learning Activity 5: Blog Post 3

Northouse (2017) suggests several behaviours that are the central focus of servant leadership.

One of these behaviours is putting followers first. This includes placing followers’ interests and success ahead of those of the leader (Northouse, 2017). In my own experience, I can recall a time when I experienced this. In my first year of teaching, I was nominated for a teaching excellence award. There were 8 nominees from our local area. Together, we attended a banquet. Each nominee made a speech and was given the opportunity to sell themselves to be the winner of the award. I remember the feeling of success that I experienced for even being nominated. After all of the speeches had been made, I started to reflect on the things that I had heard. At that moment I truly felt like another candidate would be a better choice for the winner of the award. The superintendent of our school board asked me how I felt about all the candidates. I was truthful and told her that I felt honored to have been nominated but that I felt that there was a more deserving candidate. This is an example of putting the success of colleagues ahead of my own interests and success, which Northouse (2017) suggests as a behaviour of servant leadership.

The second principle I would like to comment on is creating value for the community. I take a great deal of  pride in giving back to the community that gave so much to me. I volunteer as much as I possibly can. I also try to instill these values in the children that I teach. For example, my class has done fundraisers towards our local food bank, a fundraiser for a poor community in Mexico, gift baskets for elderly people at Christmas time and other activities that give back to our community. Last year, my class collaborated with other youth to create a mural that would be donated to the town to celebrate Canada’s 150th birthday.

As I reflect on which principles will be challenging for me to consistently realize in my own practice, I am first drawn to empowerment. I have a difficult time allowing others to have control and the freedom to be independent (Northouse, 2017). I prefer to give a set of clear instructions and expectations towards achieving a common goal. Although I prefer to give and set guidelines, I am not opposed to accepting other people’s ideas or actions, as long as they are justifiable.

How do you allow people to have freedom and independence while still accomplishing a common goal? Can you provide specific examples?

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Learning Activity 4: Blog Post 2

According to Northouse (2017), some people are leaders because they hold a position of formality while other people become leaders because of the way that others respond to them. An example of this can be seen in the school in which I work. Our division was seeking to hire a principal for the current school year. The superintendent and the assistant superintendent looked at the employees in our school. They recognized people who demonstrated leadership qualities and recognized that these individuals are emergent leaders. These people were encouraged to apply for the position.At the same time, the division searched among people who were looking for a job and who had applied. One of these people was the successful candidate for the job. She is an assigned leader. Northouse (2017) suggests that an assigned leader is someone who is a team leader, plant manager, department head, director or an administrator. The principal of our school has been assigned a formal position and is therefore an assigned leader.

In 2016, I experienced emergent leadership. The school was seeking an individual who demonstrated Catholic leadership qualities who would take on the role of being the religious education coordinator for our school. The administrative staff spoke with other staff members and it became clear that I would be an exceptional candidate to fill the roll. Northouse (2017) describes emergent leaders as people who are not assigned a position of leadership, but rather emerge over a period of time through communication.

Although leadership and management are different, they are two concepts that overlap. (Northouse, 2017) As outlined by Northouse (2017), the essential activities of a manager include planning and budgeting, organizing and staffing, as well as controlling and problem solving. The essential activities of a leader include establishing direction, aligning people and motivating and inspiring. (Northouse, 2017) Managers and leaders can effectively play out these tasks by working together to encourage, inspire and motivate a group of people to effectively accomplish a common goal. (Northouse, 2017)

In order for an organization to prosper, I believe that the most effective approaches to leadership and management include effective planning and budgeting, controlling and problem solving, aligning people together and motivating and inspiring people. (Northouse, 2017) I believe that a person who wants to be effective in a management position must demonstrate strong leadership qualities.

Northouse 2017 states that there are clear differences between management and leadership but these two concepts overlap. A question that I have for further discussion is whether a person who exhibits exceptional management qualities can learn effective leadership skills or are effective leadership skills something that are inherent personality traits.

Northouse, P. (2017). Leadership: Theory and Practice.

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Follow The Leader

The leader that I chose to follow for this assignment is Michelle Obama (twitter page: https://twitter.com/MichelleObama.)

Michelle Obama is a well-recognized leader in the world. She is known for promoting healthy eating and encouraging people to change eating habits with the goal of minimizing the obesity crisis in the US. She stands for military families and is an advocate for women in working families. It is clear that Michelle takes pride in setting a good example for others and she strives to be a positive role model in the lives of many.

 

Michelle’s beliefs, values and leadership qualities are inspirational for me. Northouse states that “Leadership occurs in groups. Groups are the context in which leadership takes place. Leadership involves influencing a group of individuals who have a common purpose. This can be a small task group, a community group, or a large group encompassing an entire organization.”

 

I am particularly inspired by Michelle’s ‘Let’s Move’ organization. Michelle Obama is an advocate for healthy eating. She encourages people in the US, especially youth to take care of their bodies through healthy lifestyle choices. This is something that resonates with me as I am also an advocate for healthy lifestyles. Obesity is something that I have struggled with my entire life. In the last 5 years of my life, I have battled to overcome this obstacle and I believe I have won. As someone who has been there, I know how serious it is. I feel inspired by Michelle as I too strive to inspire others to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle. In my teaching career, I am only required to teach minimal amounts of health curriculum throughout the week, however it is something that I consciously try to teach every single day through modeling good behaviour and by encouraging students to make better choices.


In one of her final speeches as First Lady, Michelle stated, “I want our young people to know that they matter, that they belong. So don’t be afraid. You hear me, young people? Don’t be afraid. Be focused. Be determined. Be hopeful. Be empowered. Empower yourself with a good education. Then get out there and use that education to build a country worthy of your boundless promise. Lead by example with hope; never fear.” https://www.biography.com/people/michelle-obama-307592

 

This is something that inspires me in my teaching career. I continuously try to lead my students by setting a good example. Eating healthy, practicing my faith journey, working hard, being kind and dedicating my free time to the betterment of other people. I endeavour to help others who are less fortunate than I and I make my strongest attempt to encourage others to do the same.

 

On January 13, 2017, Obama made her final speech as First lady at the White House, saying “being your first lady has been the greatest honor of my life and I hope I’ve made you proud.” https://www.biography.com/people/michelle-obama-307592

 

This is something that I live by. I want to make others proud, to provide meaningful impact to those around me, especially my students. I want to encourage them to be good people in the world, to live with kindness in their hearts and to achieve their fullest potential.

 

Her dedication to current social issues makes her a more respected leader.  She address issues that people can agree on on both sides of the political spectrum. (poverty, racism, gender inequalities, etc..) She encourages people to work together toward a common goal. This is exactly what Northouse suggests in leadership.

 

I am inspired by Michelle’s dedication to making meaningful impact in the world, especially towards our youth who are the future of the world.

 

I feel that Michelle is an effective leader and speaker. If I could give her advice it would be to take her movements even further. Target more people who are at risk for obesity. Find ways to have even more followers on social media and to post more about the actions she is taking towards leading groups to common goals.  

 

https://www.biography.com/people/michelle-obama-307592