I've been a critic because I believe that most dollars in schools should be spent on staff that directly service students. I'm not a fan of a thick outer layer of educational supports in school systems, though I do realize there needs to be some leadership--leadership to energize the team, complete the paperwork, interact with outside agencies, synthesize goals, and set overarching targets.
I believe that those leaders should serve as coaches--coaches that both lead the system and support effective practice. Hence I took my post "Educator Excellence: Are You a Good Coach?" and revised it to outline the coach/leader attributes that would serve me well as an educator? I hope my students will outline the same for me at the start of the year in their introductory letters.
Wanted: Educator Leader/Coach
Qualifications:
Know Me
Take the time to get to know me through conversation, observation, and working together. Don't let hearsay or singular observations frame your knowledge of me.
Service
Just as I work to serve my students, I hope you will serve me by working to support my ability to do a good job with optimal systems, time, effective efforts, streamlined paperwork, advocacy, and professional learning opportunities. In turn, let me know how I can help you reach meaningful, student-centered goals as well.
Transparent Communication
Clearly identify process, goals, efforts, and result. When communication is hidden that hinders effective practice. Regularly let me know where you stand and what you're doing. Also, don't tell me you've become a leader so that you didn't have to do the hard work of classroom teaching (Yes, sadly a number of coaches and leaders have told me that, and that doesn't lead to respect.).
Set Goals
Make the time to set meaningful goals with me, not for me.
Strategize
Strategize with me. Bring good ideas, experience, and facts to lead this effort, and make the time to listen and respond to my ideas too.
Analyze and Revise
Use statistical data, observation, and conversation to analyze results with me. What went well? What didn't? Why? How can we make optimal changes? Be transparent in data analysis and let the whole team know where we are hitting the targets, and where we need to work better.
Encourage and Inspire
Make the time to notice what's working. Acknowledge success. Point out good work. Do this regularly--teaching is hard work, and educators profit from this positive response.
Seek Support
Be a learner yourself. Share your learning, mistakes, and journey. Model for me what you ask of me.
Understand Learning
Plan and Teach
Plan, model, collaborate, and do the hard work of teaching children well, don't just lead as a "sage on the stage." Instead, roll up your sleeves and work by my side to teach children well. Just as you want to see me doing the job well, demonstrate your efforts with transparency. Let me notice your hard work, planning, and care in school and after hours.
Focus
Share your focus and goals upfront. Let me know what's important to you and why? Acknowledge that we can't do it all, and make everyone aware of the priorities. Regularly elicit feedback in this regard.
Create Community
Build team and community with the teachers you coach and lead. Share the good news of effective practice, effort, and result in ways that create community. Don't share with some and not others as that serves to create competition and fracture rather than team and community. Be inclusive and transparent.
Celebrate
Build in time to celebrate success in meaningful ways that matter to educators.
Keep Students Center Stage
By keeping students' needs center stage you will make critique and goal setting a more holistic, meaningful process rather than a personal, potentially ineffective process.
Lead Time
Always have a "loose-tight" plan in place and communicate that plan with lead time. Your goals, focus, and strategy should be known by all, and updated and revised regularly to reflect your responsive attitude and efforts with regard to students' and teachers' needs.
Disagreement and Debate
Welcome respectful disagreement and debate and see it as a process of refinement and growth. Similarly don't be afraid to disagree and debate when you feel an educator's work is not focused in a way that best benefits students.
The role of education leader, similar to the role of parent or educator, is a limitless role, but when this role is done with a sense of coaching and creating team, the learning community benefits.
What attributes would you add to the "education dream leader/coach" list? What attributes would you add to a "dream educator/practitioner" list?
The more we communicate about our expectations, needs, and desires for roles and responsibilities in schools, the more we'll move towards revising and refining education roles and responsibilities to best meet students' needs and build optimal learning communities. I look forward to your thoughts.
