Teachers and principals both need to be regularly sustained with quality conversation of a personal and/or professional nature (Burmeister & Hensley, 2004). This study reminded the researcher of the value of building positive relationships with classified staff and providing support for them.
Principles need to make a point to communicate with others daily. It proves valuable, the researcher learned, to enlist "office staff, yard monitors / security, maintenance/facilities people, and bus drivers as allies" (Burmeister & Hensley, 2004 ¶ 11). Learning from others in their areas of expertise helps the principle, instead of putting out fires, plan for prevention of problems.
Being the school team's facilitator, cheerleader, communicator, and caretaker of hope, presenting possibilities to overcome barriers also reduces isolation. During the process, others become inspired to help the principle do the work that needs to be done and ultimate celebrate the results with him/her.
VI. Managing a Learning Environment Implementation
To utilize the newly acquired knowledge and any skills the researcher obtained as an educational leader, the researcher plans to:
1. Participate in meaningful assessment practices to address their professional growth needs .(McCollum, Kajs, & Minter, 2006, conclusion section ¶ 2)
2. Confirm areas of strength and to develop an action plan to address content, skill, and disposition needs. (Ibid.)
3. Administrator training… program[s] and… gauge the program's curriculum and delivery mechanisms. (Ibid.)
4. [Implement] processes of self-evaluating, self-supervising, and self-motivating, along with goal-development, planning, attention management, implementation of learning approaches, and solicitation of assistance from others when necessary comprise self-regulated learning. (McCollum, Kajs, & Minter, 2006, conclusion section ¶ 4)
VII. Managing a Learning Environment Experiences
Previoulsy, one experience the researcher recounts that proved helpful in examining managing a learning environment occurred during a time the researcher engaged more in isolation than in purposefully, actively engaging and interacting with others in the educational setting. Burmeister and Hensley (2004) point out that: "Teachers are isolated from their colleagues, yet they work in densely populated schools. Principals are isolated from other principals, yet they work in densely populated school districts" (Burmeister & Hensley, ¶ 1).
VIII. Managing a Learning Environment...
7). As noted earlier, despite reservations regarding this projected practice, the researcher hopes this to prove true.
References
Burmeister, LaVern & Hensley, Phyllis. (2004). it's all about relationships: isolation has become part of the organizational culture of schools. But by building solid relationships based on trust, administrators can substantially reduce or eliminate the isolation they experience.
Leadership. Association of California School Administrators. Retrieved March 31, 2009
from HighBeam Research: http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-123675759.html. Florida educational leadership standards understanding and implementing Florida's new principal leadership standards. (2005). Florida Department of Education. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from http://74.125.93.104/custom?q=cache:0jXkGKj9C1cJ:www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2
05_01_18/PrincipalStandards.pdf+principal+leadership+standards&cd=1&hl=en&ct=cl &gl=us&client=google-coop-np Interstate school leaders licensure consortium standards for school leaders.(1996). Council of Chief State School Officers State Education Assessment Center. Retrieved March 31,
2009 from http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/isllcstd.pdf Florida educational leadership standards understanding and implementing Florida's new principal leadership standards. (2005). Florida Department of Education. Retrieved March
31, 2009 from http://74.125.93.104/custom?q=cache:0jXkGKj9C1cJ:www.fldoe.org/board/meetings/2
05_01_18/PrincipalStandards.pdf+principal+leadership+standards&cd=1&hl=en&ct=cl k&gl=us&client=google-coop-np
Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards (ISLLC) Interstate school leaders licensure consortium standards for school leaders. (1996). Council of Chief State School
Officers State Education Assessment Center. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from http://www.ccsso.org/content/pdfs/isllcstd.pdf McCollum, Daniel L., Kajs, & Minter. 2006. A confirmatory factor analysis of the school administrator efficacy scale (SAES). Academy of Educational Leadership Journal. The DreamCatchers Group, LLC. Retrieved March 31, 2009 from HighBeam Research:
http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1291466861.html.
