PQP Reflection Portfolio

 Module E: Building the Organization 

I have included resources dealing with the Individual Education plan, discipline and hard conversations because these are some of the key areas which principals will have to directly be responsible and have a significant impact on the organization. 

 The slide to the left indicates the overall domain that requires leaders to go beyond their comfort zone. 


Reflection: The following leadership domain seems like one of the areas where many leaders need to continue to work through. I would also suggest that culture must include the new and expanding realm of social media. 

The slide to the left shows the changes to the regulation changes as it pertains to the Individual Education Plan and has significant impact on schools where these 

Personal Reflection: This is an area that I am very interested in because of members of my family, quite close, have dealt with this issue. Our family has been fortunate that we have resources and an extended network of family members that can lend support. However, I would like to continue to work on providing accommodations to individuals outside of the formal school setting and working on how to integrate and manage issues in real life, especially as the specific mandate of including a plan of transition by age 14.  

One issue is mental well being that I feel will continue to grow as the use of technology grows and subsequent issues surrounding the mis use of various new and up and coming technologies.  I would like to be more proactive on this issue because I have attempted to study technologies on influencing behaviour, however, research was minimal at best approximately 4 years ago.  

 I have included this slide because I think that bringing parents into the school of a student who potentially has been difficult to handle has a number of issues, often in my own expereince is shame. 

 The model presented in the course is a really proactive and responsive approach to dealing with one of the major responsibilities of a principal.  There were two important points made: 

1. If principals don't intervene other teachers will lose respect for the position and also the offending teacher is showing obvious and disrespect for the school and the process and this will negatively impact the working environment. Just as a happy teacher can spread positive vibes, a negative teacher can do the same. 

2. Principals have to be aware of contamination of a room- always presenting bad news to staff in the same spot. 

To the left are the actual steps to implementing this type of plan. These steps provide principals with a tool to effectively and fairly implement and enforce a method of creating a positive whole school approach.  I really appreciate the comment of "fair teams" in terms of having a staff with a union representative. 

 In the schools that I have worked at counselling and then a non renewal of contract has been the most common exit plan for teachers. In some of the more serious cases, teachers are flown home for medical reasons. The reality of living overseas means some teachers have taken a long leash and schools are unfortunately responsible for the behaviour of teachers that they sponsor in the country. Unfortunately, since there is no union representative at any school I have been at I have also witnessed intimidation and exploitative practices during my tenure overseas. When I come back to Canada I appreciate the right and also the whole system wide implementation of checks and balances that does not exist in many parts of the world. To some degree, any type of accountability is one of the fundamental reasons that countries are unable to move or significant changes.  

Personal Reflection: This is a formalised approach that could be easily implemented in any school environment.  If I was in the position of leadership I would introduce this early in the school year. 

 

 To the left is a summary of the reasons why we don't have hard conversations. I think that these are useful as to why you won't, as a principal, want to engage in these types of awkward conversations. 

This slide represents some of the detrimental impact of avoiding or not dealing with a hard conversation.  Once again looking through the lens of a principal, the role requires us to create the environment but also help set the tone and enforce norms of the school.  

Personal Reflection: One of the most common comments I have heard by teachers in regard to a principal's duty is, "That is why they are getting paid the big bucks", having those awkward and difficult conversations. They are responsible for providing a function setting the tone and this is in alignment with Steve Munby (2010) suggestion although principals are responsible for being accountable they are responsible for change and I think this is what I am at. I would want to take this duty on as a way to create impact on a school cutlure, which in my opinion is 

 Reference: 

In Conversation The Authentic Leader An Interview with Steve Munby (2009) Ministry of Education

 The use of an action plan would help a principal alleviate stress and apprehension with regards to having a hard conversation. It would also focus the discussion and focus on the role of the principal and that is building relationships but also creating a collaborative working environment. It is a starting point on how you can best address these issues for the first time or at least until you feel comfortable conducting them on your own.