Guided Response: Answer any follow-up questions your instructor may have for you after reading your post. Read your classmates’ posts and respond to at least three of them. Add to their reflections by making connections or suggestions. Share specific examples from your own personal and professional experiences. 

Respond 1

Option B:

According to Lieberman and Miller what are the three main roles of teacher/educational leader?

Advocacy- to stand up for or show a public support of

Innovators- introduces new methods and ideas in creative ways

Stewards- careful and responsible individual who are influential (Phelps, 2008)

For each role, describe your own leadership capacity.

As a leader I advocate for all persons under me including my staff, families, and children.  I am here to ensure the best services for everyone.  I try to innovate ideas and ensure that the program is staying up to par with standards and being ahead of the curve.  I am a steward of myself and I also instill that into the people I lead.  I want each person to have the attitude to do everything they can as a part of the program as well as on their own. 

 Which role fits you the best and why?

As of right now I am an advocator.  I speak in high support of education. I am not someone who has enough knowledge or experience yet to fit into the other two categories.

Which role is most foreign to you and why?

I would have to say the role most foreign to me would be the innovator.  I am still learning the ways so for me to change something has simply not happened yet. In the future I would like to innovate new ways and ideas however, I have to first learn the ideas that are associated with the educational programs now.  I realize that being an innovator is a process that is required in order to stay relevant in the educational system.

Resources

Phelps, P. H. (2008). Helping teachers become leaders. The Clearing House, 81(3), 119-122. doi:10.3200/TCHS.81.3.119-122

Respond 2

Option A

Three areas of teacher-leaders influence: “schoolwide policies and programs,” “teaching and learning,” and “communications and community relations” (Phelps, 2008, p.2).

Schoolwide Policies and programs and my leadership capacity provide an understanding of the policy and programs by making sure I know about all the updated information on a new policy. For instance, “IDEIA requires continuous assessment of a student’s progress in his or her special education program to determine if the student is learning” (Yell, & Drasgow, 2007, p.1). We, as educators, should remember this resource and information when working with special needs students. I see this area as my weakest because sometimes we forget that policies in place can help solve issues and problems. I do not use these resources much as I could to help improve my classroom and help the students to the best of my abilities. Research can come I handle for this weakness to improve.

Teaching and learning Communications and community relations and my leadership capacity. A teacher’s role should guide students through modeling, coaching, and observation to understand their students’ needs in all areas of education. As an Educator understanding how to make up for both learning, teaching, and observing will help meet all the requirements for children’s development domains. Learning through an approach that provides children the chance to explore concepts that help in real-world problems for a child’s learning. Communication assembles the way we interact with one another and how it can affect our lives working with children and families and their roles in communicating in a society. Through activities, parents can participate in getting to know one parent-teacher conference, parent volunteer, home visits, calls, and emails of children’s growth in development and collaboration, correlating between home, school, and early childhood education. Both these areas are my strengths due to me working with children, I must perform my role as a teacher when I speak to parents, peers, and outside members of the community.

Option B

Advocates, Innovators, and Stewards (Phelps, 2008, p. 2).

Advocating for children and their families as a professional and leader are essential because all students’ educational needs can assist in developing appropriate teaching strategies for all students, especially those with disabilities. Innovators are something great in the world. Teachers are learners, and they find new ways to teach. For instance, for the student I work with to teach him new words, I say it, he will say it, and then we sign it. Stewards shape my leadership capacity by helping me strive to become a part of the school administration team. The one role foreign to me is the stewards because I have not yet completed this area of my life, but I know that once I’m there, I will understand my role to the staff/teachers, family, and children. Both Innovators and Advocators fit me best because learning how to work with children with and without special needs can understand how to teach and be taught on their success academically.

Reference

Phelps, P. H. (2008). Helping teachers become leaders. The Clearing House, 81(3), 119-122. DOI:10.3200/TCHS.81.3.119-122

Yell, M. L., & Drasgow, E. (2007). The Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 and the 2006 Regulations. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 32(4), 194.

Respond 3

Option A:According to Danielson’s framework (as cited in Phelps, 2008), what are the three areas of teacher-leaders’ influence? For each area, describe your leadership capacity. Which area do you see as your strength and why? Which area is your weakest and why?

The three areas of influence are knowledge, skills, and disposition. 

Knowledge: My leadership capacity involving knowledge is strong. I am typically very knowledgeable on any subject that I am presiding over.

Skills: In my experience it has been most important to be skilled and well versed in all matters of the classroom and curriculum especially when it comes to ensuring that knowledge is successfully transferred to teachers, staff, and even students.

Disposition: disposition is typically regarded whereas a leader or an educator may stand on particular issues or topics. When gaining understanding about disposition one might also reference fairness. Does the educator look at issues through an objective lens? Does the educator keep the rights of the students in mind when making decisions? 

My Strengths and Weaknesses

I think that personally I am strong in all three areas. I think my strongest would be knowledge and skills. I make a personal effort to remain knowledgeable on all subjects that could possibly be within my gaze or realm. I also think that my years of experience have provided me with several skills that can be put to use at any given moment within the Early Childhood Education field. 

The only area that might not be as strong would be the disposition. I think that disposition can often be misconstrued depending on the experiences that someone brings to the table. I particularly think that I have a fair disposition, especially when it comes to the students. I treat all students fairly,and typically try to apply the concept of meeting the child where they are at to developmental, as well as behavioral situations.

References: 

Phelps, P. H. (2008). Helping teachers become leaders. The Clearing House, 81(3), 119-122. doi:10.3200/TCHS.81.3.119-122