Need for Blogs?
I have to admit to being the ultimate wall flower. Drama Queen? Scene stealer? No, more like stage hand, behind the scenes,
curtains, in the dark is more like it.
Solitary confinement would not be a problem for me as long as I had
unlimited access to reading material.
That said, a blog is almost as bad as a crowded room. I have no problem until I have to hit the
submit button. Something so final about that action. When I think of blogs, I have visions of
historical journals, Diary of Anne Frank, Journals of Lewis and Clark, and
oddly, also Avatar. I never feel I have anything of import or interesting to
say compared to those. I also have
reservations about writing. When I
taught English, I learned much more about my students through their writings
than speaking to them on a daily basis.
I tend to second guess everything I write. On a scholarly level, I can see the need for
a blog. Connecting to people on a
personal, but yet controlled basis is important. Schools are seen as an extended community and
the need for communication is vital for many reasons. Cooperation is needed to gain trust, a
relationship, and working partnership. A
blog can allow others to see the person behind the title. People, teachers, students, parents and the
community, can see the person behind the title.
The leader seen as a person is not such a target. People are much more forgiving of mistakes if
the intent is known also. Steady, mass
communication can keep control of the message.
Public relations can be a key and vital role for success. A blog can be maintained on a regular basis
and allows for feedback from followers also.
Sometimes people just like to have an outlet, to be heard or to feel like
someone is listening. It isn't always
about You (the leader), and the blog isn't really either. It is about your audience. Feedback is important. Perception is not always the same for
everyone, and a blog will reveal that.
Research Action Plan
A plan with a stated goal and measurable objective gives a much needed sense of satisfaction and sense of accomplishment than a simple research that sits gathering dust on a shelf with quotes from outdated research materials. Quite frankly, no one reads those except to reference more studies. The action research plan is not only an objective and plan but also the strategy implemented to resolve a stated problem. Dana, N.F (2009) cites Sparks' (2002) citation of Educational Research Service's 1999 publication Professional Development for School Principals, staff development should be "long-term, planned, and job-embedded; focuses on student achievement, supports reflective practice; and provides opportunities to work, discuss and solve problems with peers."(pg. 8.3) I have done 25 years of in-services and concur with that statement. (which is why I went to so much trouble to go through the triple citation!) Too often reports are done for the sake of paperwork's sake, meetings are done to meet an agenda and could usually take fifteen minutes instead of the requisite forty-five minutes to an hour's time, but an action research plan is definite and finite. It has a definite beginning, middle and end. Its stated goals are clear and concise. As leaders of schools, we are expected to lead in a specified direction. Test scores establish much of that direction or current if one wants to mix metaphors, which I tend to do quite often. Having problems identified, data studied, strategy determined and plan implemented shows strength of that leadership. Great schools do not just happen by accident. Leadership can make a school by identifying needs and addressing those needs with a plan. I believe the plan does not have to be done in isolation however. I have seen many principals in mentorship within a school and other schools who have shared best practices. Reaching out to others who may have already resolved an issue or problem can save a great deal of time. Thomas Edison said something to the effect he didn't fail 10,000 times, but rather he found 10,000 ways that won't work meaning the process of elimination. A research plan can cut the failure rate of those 10,000 failures especially if shared.
Dana, N. F.
(2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge: The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.
Martin, G., Danzig, A., Wright, W., Flanary, R., & Brown, F. (2012) School Leader Internship: Developing, Monitoring, and Evaluating Your Leadership Experience. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
Harris, S., Edmonson, S., & Combs, J. (2010). Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools. Larchmont, NY: Eye On Education.
Martin, G., Danzig, A., Wright, W., Flanary, R., & Brown, F. (2012) School Leader Internship: Developing, Monitoring, and Evaluating Your Leadership Experience. Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.
I don't know why you worry about writing. You are great at it. I am a science major and my English Comp teacher told me to make short concise statements. She said I was the comma splice queen. I know what I want to say but have a hard time putting it into words. You have a wonderful blog.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your ideas of action research. I also have been in many staff development meetings which had a lot to say but achieved very little after they were over. Too often documentation makes administration happy. However, my students don't often benefit from documentation.
I understand about your reservations with blogging. I felt the same way the first year our new principal had us participate in a book study and blog about it. I was worried about not sounding "professional" enough! It turned out really well and as the case in many instances.. I worried a lot about nothing!
ReplyDeleteTo use the old proverb in order to paraphrase Emerson, it is true that "actions speak louder than words." I think administrators can model their action research process for their teachers to also use these refelctive strategies for themselves. This is the same way teachers model for their students. We are the best observers of our own campuses and communities. You are right. Why pull out a dusty research paper in order to help acheive our immedite goals, when we can tackle the problems within our own learning community?
ReplyDeleteOur superintendent uses a monthly newsletter with a very controlled message. I think it helps people to see him and allows him to talk to people on his terms. As a parent of teenagers, I like the uninterrupted conversational aspect of it! I use text messages to speak to them, because they HAVE to read those, and I can't see the eyerolls.
ReplyDelete