Management vs Leadership- This is an interesting discussion. Do you have to be a good leader to be a good manager? Do you have to be a good manager to be a good leader? There is certainly an overlap between the two. In both instances organization, competence and communication are going to be essential. It was interesting to listen to discussions about principals that are currently "bogged down" by the management aspect of their position. How many principals spend at least 51% of their time on instructional leadership? I certainly have more questions than answers after this weekend which isn't a bad thing.
Instructional leadership excites me. As a future administrator I need to find a way to efficiently and effectively manage in order to efficiently and effectively lead instruction. We talked of delegating responsibilities is huge. My only question is how will this be perceived as a first year administrator? Real life management issues and examples from current and past administrators would be very beneficial to myself and the rest of the cohort. An example: How do you make sure you cover all the scenarios with emergency plans? I am excited for the results and presentations of our cohorts FBLA assignments. I feel this will be one of the most authentic learning experiences we have had in this program.
Technology- This was an interesting and stimulating discussion. I would fall into the "tech enthusiast" category. To me there are so many advantages of using technology in the classroom. Stakeholders are going to have to understand there will be growing pains with this transformation. Currently one of the most prevalent growing pains is how do we embrace technology without making face to face communication skills deteriorate? I have tried several lessons involving technology in my classroom. Some have worked, some haven't. To maintain status quo pedagogy is a mistake. We should never ignore an opportunity to help our students LEARN. As an administrator I will want to challenge current thinking. This will result in either a change in pedagogy or a rationale for current strategies.
Great post. You really reflected on the discussion, and added insightful thoughts. I like your "effective management to lead effectively," thoughts, but do you think it also works in reverse? If I can effectively lead, it reduces the amount I need to manage, and increase my proficiency at managing.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. As a techno-enthusiast how do you spread that passion to others who are not so enthusiastic? What if your status quo pedagogy is getting results?
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