My Catholic School Leadership Experience

Achieving a school district’s mission and vision requires the commitment of its stakeholders. In order to involve them in the process, it is necessary for educational leaders to “motivate staff, parents, students, board and community members” (Educational Leadership Constituencies Council, 2002, p. 4). The transformational leadership theory emphasizes the importance of educational leaders acting as role-models in order to motivate and inspire the school community. This approach has the potential to involve all stakeholders, leading to increased student success (Bush, 2007). The Assistant Director of Special Education in Northwest ISD directly supervised the school district’s assessment staff. Her education, experience, and passion set an example for her subordinates, stimulating them to achieve more, leading to her promotion to Executive Director of Student Services.

Firstly, in my Academic Career, I have held a multitude of leadership roles. My sophomore year , I was a class representative for Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America, commonly known as FCCLA. It was my duty to alert members and keep them up to date regarding meetings and activities. As a representative of FCCLA, I learned how to work as a unit leader and a team member.That same school year, I ran for the district office of secretary for FCCLA. The nomination and election process, gave me the opportunity to grow and nurture my leadership abilities. It was eminently challenging; but I learned the importance of discipline and hard work. I accomplished my goal and was nominated Secretary for FCCLA. This office allowed me to meet plenty

I developed my leadership skills throughout the 2008-2009 school year. I worked alongside the principal, lead teacher, system superintendent and other stakeholders. I attended meetings ranging from building layout and infrastructure, to technology planning for classroom, to collections and materials for the media center as well as throughout the school. In the spring of 2009, I joined what would later become our leadership team for the opening of the new school. Not only did this team design the framework of policies under which our school would operate, we created our motto and mission statement. In addition to the local aspect of planning, I also met with leaders at the

Teachers as leaders. Crowther, Ferguson and Hann (2009) in their book, Developing Teacher Leaders (2nd ed.) defined that “Teacher leadership is essentially an ethical stance that is based on views of both a better world and the power of teachers to shape meaning systems. It manifests in new forms of understanding and practice that contribute to school success and to the quality of life of the community in the long term.” They also described the six elements of Teachers as Leaders Framework. (Crowther, F., Ferguson, M., and Hann, L. (2009). P.

Teacher leaders and administrators play a vital role in the overall organizational structure of a school. As discussed in Educational Leadership, there are ten roles that teacher leaders tend to gravitate towards. The roles of teacher leaders vary according to duties and responsibilities placed on the teacher leader, they include the following: resource provider, instructional specialist, curriculum specialist, classroom supporter, learning facilitator, mentor, school leader, data coach, catalyst for change, and learner (Harrison & Killion, 2007, pg. 74-77). As a teacher leadership at Lake Oconee Academy, I personally see my duties and responsibilities covering several of these roles. Since the beginning of my employment at Lake Oconee

One defining leadership moment in my high school career was becoming a co-teacher for the nursery at my church. I was the co-teacher of the nursery bible class ages 1-8 every fourth Sunday of the month. This position allowed me to understand what teachers experience, how to be prepared, and how to be engaging for different audiences. I now have more gratitude to educators and the hard work they out in to teaching children and adults. The experience was very important to me because I love kids and I love watching them grow because of the difference one person makes in their

There have been several times where I have shown leadership here at Saint Viator. I have been a part of Service and Song every summer, where I have lead 6th through 8th graders who are interested in helping others, and dedicated in bettering our community. Every year I have been a group leader, leading them through our service trips, leading them through group discussions, and leading icebreakers. When doing this I made sure to get everyone involved and make everyone feel comfortable with each other. I also had the honor of really getting to know the kids who will one day be walking through our halls. For me being, a leader means always doing the right thing and inspiring others. Another time I have shown leadership is when I didn’t have a

One who is in a leadership position must be knowledgeable in his or her field. If one is not knowledgeable, then he or she cannot provide adequate guidance, be innovative, effectively advocate on the behalf of students, or effectively collaborate with a team of professionals. I strive to be competent by being aware of the latest evidence based research, by collaborating with my colleagues, and by pursuing more about the field of education through continuing my education as a high-quality teacher. An effective educator must be proficient in the skills needed to be a leader. If one is not competent in showing compassion, perseverance, innovation, and collaboration, one cannot depict positive acts of

Leadership can be about making others better as a result of your presence and making sure that the impact lasts in your absence. The leadership program has been such a wonderful experience for those within the district. There are so many positive things that have come out of the program so far. The fundamentals which include Myer's Briggs Type Indicator have given the groups a great way to connect to one another and get to know each other better. This can continue within each school and classroom to help build on and create a positive environment for adult-adult, adult-student and student-student relationships. Action research is another way to learning about improving schools and empowering educators. This is going to be

The way I look at and feel myself today would readily reveal not only the palpable changes in me but the undeniable transformation that happened to my whole self brought about as a product of my undertaking the Superintendents’ Leadership Program. A number of my subordinates and local stakeholders have noticed that difference in my person since I subjected myself to the strenuous but enjoyable regiment of the Superintendents’ Leadership Program.

An example of my leadership experience is when I volunteered at Saint Stephen's Food Pantry, where we reached out into the community to help those in need like the homeless and low-income families. At the pantry, I'm in charge of signing in and pulling out the person's file. Aside from doing what I am assigned, I also help translate since I am trilingual. Because I can speak multiple languages, I am able to interact not only with the people who volunteer there but also with the people that come to have their basic needs met. I have volunteered for a long time at the pantry, many of the people who come recognize me and I recognize them. For instance, when I see them, I can immediately pull out their file because I know who they are. From this

In order to be effective, leaders must listen, communicate, act with openness and integrity, and collaborate. To be an effective Catholic leader, they still must do these things, but they must also have an explicit mission as a Catholic and see themselves as God sees them. Leaders have goals that must be accomplished. Catholic leaders have goals that are shaped and formed by how they live their faith. Being a leader does not simply mean telling people what to do, but guiding them, helping them to grow as people, and helping them to develop their God-given gifts. As a leader, the main focus should be upon the people that you are leading and not yourself. This takes practice and patience; trial and error. But helping others to grow allows a person to grow as well. Leadership should be the means to put out an impact throughout the world so that the love of God can descend upon the world and change it.

Throughout this book, Sergiovanni is attempting to reframe the role of leadership in a school from an old paradigm focused on management and control and the view that a school is a formal organization, to a new paradigm of empowerment through caring, acknowledging the expertise of teachers and students, and facilitating their active participation in the school.

Over the course of my studies I feel I have grown as a teacher leader. I no longer take leadership opportunities for granted. The courses here at Lamar have shown me that no matter if the leadership opportunity is formal or informal it still can have an enormous impact on student success. I also attribute my growth to the additional

Even though I still need experience in being a gifted education leader before I can direct an entire program, I have many experiences that have driven me toward leadership. I hope these will help me to be an