- I don't give our administrators enough credit. In the past, to be honest, I have been somewhat critical of some of our administrators. Passing judgment on some of the decisions they have made. Not that I didn't like them, or think they did a horrible job. But I have questioned some of their calls. I feel bad for doing this. I feel like I should apologize. Not that we should never question decisions made by our superiors. But I realized today that "They" are people too, they make mistakes, but they are trying their hardest to do what is right, and do what they can. It's not always up to them, sometimes their are laws, policies and regulations that keep them from making the "optimal decision". I need to be more understanding.
- The second thing I learned is that our administration really cares about the kids. That is the number one focus, and that's good to know.
- The best advice he could give me, or anyone going into administration, was to work on your ability to develop relationships with people. Other parts of administration are important, but to be able to develop a relationship with someone and to have their support or be able to have an open/honest conversation, even when you may not agree, is one of the most important things. People skills are key, and without them administrators have a hard time.
As part of another assignment, and what started as the purpose of this blog was to create my leadership philosophy. I won't bore you with all the details, but my leadership philosophy can basically be broken down into two main statements.
1. Doing what is best for students
- Above all, what will benefit students the most?
2. Your people are your greatest asset
- You need to gain the support of the people with whom you work, with the community, with students and parents, because if you have their support, then you can make great achievements, but without it, you can't do much.
To me, these are the two most important things to remember as an administrator, and principles that will guide me in my future decision making as a school administrator. I feel like through my interview today, that the importance of these principles was reaffirmed. It is good to know that others share my philosophy.
Very good food for thought. It is easy to criticize people for their judgments and say "If it was me I would do this....". But we need to take a step a back and remember that they are humans too and you can't please everybody. The important people are the students. Good interview and thanks for reminding me who the important ones are!
ReplyDeleteI believe that there is a balance between idealizing and realizing people. It’s one that, literally, takes an eternity to hone. It’s a mistake to throw either concept under the bus. …like justice and mercy. The idea applies to subordinates, superiors, spouses, friends, family, and children with equal magnitude. I won’t to pretend to have proficiency, but I am aware.
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was hired as an intern. My first year of teaching was crazy, but we had some good orientation that helped us through it. My principal was the first one to teach me about the human factor. He said we are working with people. I have given it a lot of thought since then and we must provide for the human factor in all we do. At times I have felt pressures from my superiors or from the students themselves that have pushed me to the limit. It has always been comforting to know that I am human, but sometimes I have felt that others haven't considered that aspect.
ReplyDeleteAdministrators, even with everything they must accomplish, must always remember that they are working with people. These people have limitations. It's difficult to inspire and lead a group of people if you come down on them with unrealistic expectations, or criticisms.
I really liked a statement given by Julie B. Beck. She said "we are doing better then we think we are, but we can still do better". Hopefully as administrators we can encourage people to improve and at the same time inspire their confidence. Affirm the great things that they are accomplishing, while at the same time extend an invitation to do better.