Instructional Leadership Philosophy
An outstanding school encompasses a balance of leadership, adult learning and student achievement, clear and purposeful communication, and shared partnerships. Healthy conversations on instructional practices based on research in a supportive and valued culture are the norm. An outstanding school environment creates the contagious energy around teaching and learning the whole child.
The hallmarks of instructional leaders within this environment are many and the pathways in which I plan to lead. I believe instructional leaders need to develop a shared vision with the staff to ensure and maintain focus and direction towards student achievement. Collaboration around common and shared goals allows inquiry, research, instructional practices, school environment, and community to cultivate for a core set of values and goals. As an instructional leader, I can depend on these foundations to be accountable for making decisions, holding critical conversations with constituents, and hiring staff all to meet the needs of our shared vision.
Instructional leaders are charged with addressing the professional development and learning of their staff. I am a firm believer in establishing professional learning communities focused on learning not teaching, working collaboratively, and holding ourselves accountable for desired results. The major characteristics of professional learning communities I would develop and help facilitate are supportive shared leadership, open dialogue and collaboration, shared vision, values and goals, student centered school improvement, and ongoing inquiry and reflective practice. Facilitating this shift is essential in uncovering the professional practices that contribute to self-discovery and meaning within a staff.
I am currently building the foundations of professional learning communities within my school through a series of integral steps as an instructional leader. Success in building a foundation for professional learning communities is rooted in building alignment of district, school, grade, and individual goals throughout the school to provide pathways and structures highlighting the significance of working for the benefit of all children. There, natural professional learning areas grow as educators reflect and determine what their professional needs are in order to elevate the learning for students. The other foundation pieces I have found pivotal to the success of professional learning communities is building the culture of shared learning through discussing group dynamics, professional needs, and learning styles. As an instructional leader it is important to know your staff on a personal and professional level, but it is even more important to provide opportunities for your staff to learn about and with each other. Promoting supportive relationships and pairing teachers using my interpersonal skills can help align the needs and goals of our school from the inside talents of our staff to the outward successes and accomplishments throughout the school.
As an instructional leader, I look to balance my responsibility to facilitate the learning of the students and staff with my continual learning needed to stay current today. I am an innovator, creative and critical thinker, and highly reflective in my personal and professional life. I look for new education research, trends, and ways to bring our student’s world to the frontlines of education. I am determined to look to the future and plan for today because the students I will serve deserve the best and the staff deserves the opportunity to challenge themselves and each other in new ways. Richard DuFour shares, “When learning becomes the preoccupation of the school, when all the school’s educators examine the efforts and initiatives of the school through the lens of their impact on learning, the structure and culture of the school begin to change in substantive ways.” (2002) I hope to lead that shift in schools, and acknowledge that change is hard work, but rewarding to whom we serve, and instills a mission to why we serve.