Summary+of+Learning

The dictionary describes learning as gaining or acquiring knowledge of or skill in something by study, experience, or being taught. I think I would have to add to that definition by including, “and then applying those skills in applicable situations.” I have taken seven classes towards my administrative endorsement at Concordia University. Within each of those classes I have acquired skills that I was immediately able to apply to my current position as literacy coach at Exeter-Milligan Public Schools. However, beyond the academic scope of things these seven courses have also taught me the importance of self-reflection, being a good listener, being an open-minded leader, and serving others. In EDUC 581-582, I focused on vision and instructional leadership. Through this class and practicum hours, I learned that vision comes from the core of a person, from the heart and gut. Vision is truly a compass. It is used to keep one on track and on task while trying to reach that ultimate destination. Without a vision you are basically a person without a map. Through this class and practicum hours, I have also come believe that instructional leadership is a moral responsibility of all school leaders to ensure the success of every student. As principal, giving teachers ample opportunities to receive “quality” professional development and supervision will help to ensure the success of every student. Helping teachers to recognize and value collaboration with fellow colleagues will create a learning-focused community, which will also aide in the desire to ensure student success. It all goes back to having a vision. If there is a shared vision among teachers and administrators, and that vision involves making sure ALL students are successful, good teachers and principals will collaborate to find the tools necessary to meet this goal. EDUC 552 taught me about six different leadership styles. It was quite insightful to do some self-reflecting when concluding which type of leadership style(s) I leaned toward. This process and understanding of the different leadership styles helped me to build a tolerance, for lack of a better term, for those teachers and leaders that operate on a different premise than I do. Not all leaders lead in the same way, and personality plays a role in the type of leadership style you possess. Reading all the case studies that went along with this class helped me to understand the many different circumstances that a principal may or may not have to face during the course of his/her career and how ones leadership style plays a big part in how those situations are handled. EDUC 553 was great for keeping up with current events where school finance was concerned. I learned a lot about how to communicate with the public when controversial financial decisions must be made by a school district like bond issues or levy override situations. It was interesting to learn about the different financial issues when it came to public versus private schools. The videos that displayed interviews from several different leaders were especially beneficial. If there was one thing that I took away from EDUC 554 it would be that, helping each child reach his or her potential as a learner starts with your ability to help each teacher reach his or her potential as an educator. This is HUGE! During this class, we had to come up with a definition of educational supervision. This took a lot of thinking and self-reflecting. I was not only trying to come up with a definition but also a reflection of what I want to be as an educational leader. This is what I came up with and hope to strive to be: Educational supervision is being very //intuitive// in nature. It’s having the ability to //inspire// the less inspired while taming the overly enthusiastic. It’s the ability to //communicate// effectively; knowing exactly when to talk and when to listen. . It’s //persevering// when times get tough and being //dedicated// and //passionate// enough to keep on going. Educational supervision is the ability to assist others in seeing the benefits of //collaborating//, //harmonizing//, and //achieving//, as we are all working towards the same goal. It’s having the knowledge to be an //activator//, //arranger//, and //motivator// while realizing educational supervision still involves being a //learner//. One word for EDUC 551, WOW! Just when I thought I you knew quite a bit about curriculum, this class comes along and made me realize that I have barely touched the surface. The text book for this class is definitely one I will keep and probably refer to often. I had no idea of all the aspects that are involved in curriculum. It’s no wonder school personnel need to make it a practice to revisit it often. It was definitely unanimous with the participants of this class that too many standards have a way of minimizing the curriculum and that continuing to teach locally designed components of the curriculum is equally as important. Government mandates on education can open a whole new can of worms that is impossible to deal with. The most important thing is to prepare kids for a life beyond high school no matter what that vocation may be. SOC 565 was a class of total self-reflection. This class really made me focus on myself from the inside out instead of the outside in like people commonly do. During this class, I focused on who I am and how did I get to be this person? I came to realize that I have nothing to do with who I am or how I came to be this person. Everything about my life was God’s decisions for me. God worked through others to serve me, and that is how my vocation as an educator came to be. This class allowed me to grow as a Christian and reflect on my faith and my beliefs, and therefore brought me closer to God. I now know enough about school law to be dangerous, or maybe I should say to be safe, thanks to EDUC 557. The week of face-to-face was intense but very good. It was great debating with peers on case studies and court decisions. Unfortunately, I could see many of the cases we studied happening at Exeter-Milligan. It doesn’t matter the size of the school, unlawful acts happen all the time. No school is exempt. Because of this class, I now feel competent to at least see the “legal” red flags when dealing with what and what not to do during certain instances. Knowing that Implementation, Supervision, and Documentation are the three important acts to remember is helpful. This will always be in the back of my mind. Knowing the structures of law and the court system and the different types of law will definitely benefit me during my principalship. As you can tell from this summary, I “learned” a lot from this program and the professors at Concordia University. But I like I said at the beginning of this summary, proof of this learning is in the application. It is my goal to now be able to take this information and apply it in my new position at Exeter-Milligan Public Schools as the elementary principal. I have complete faith in the education I received, and I am certain that the application, although not easy at times, will be a testament of my dedication to my vocation.
 * Summary of Learning**