In January 2009 I left the classroom and have been working in various leadership positions since then. Even though I long often for the classroom, I have found if I remember these ten things I did in my classroom, I am more successful as a leader. I only wish being a leader hadn't meant having to leave the classroom because it shouldn't have to be that way. Teachers are leaders too!
- Value each individual. No matter how busy my schedule became or how many students there were, I found it important to treat each unique individual with respect because respect goes a long way in building student/teacher working relationships.
- Provide choice. Student choice in learning was by far one of my favorite tricks in my teacher goody bag. When people feel they have a choice about what they need to do, they generally enjoy the task and learn in the process.
- Provide frequent feedback. Frequent, descriptive feedback has been shown to be one of the greatest factors for improving student achievement.
- Use passions positively.
I entered the teaching profession because I am passionate about
teaching and learning. Sometimes
these passions cause me to react emotionally to imprudent decisions made
in public education.
- Be creative with resources.
I spent my entire teaching career in Title 1 eligible schools, so
we always had to be creative when looking for books, supplies, and
equipment. It’s amazing what you
can get when you ask for help from the community.
- Encourage collaboration and creativity. These skills are supremely important for
living a productive life, so I always liked to provide students opportunities
to collaborate with one another and with opportunities to express their understanding
of text in creative ways (e.g.
through creating a painting, a poem, a song, a movie, a skit, etc.).
- Listen more than talk. This goes back a long way for me. As an undergraduate, I practiced
Rogerian Therapy (Person Centered Therapy) for part of my graduation requirements
for a B.A. in psychology. This was
all about listening to the client.
I employed similar listening skills in my classroom.
- Provide experiences. As a believer in John Dewey’s philosophy of
education, I believe students should experience positive interactions and
learning opportunities which will prepare them to be confident and capable
citizens in society.
- Don’t try to do everything because I can’t and shouldn’t. This theory applies in the classroom and
in the work place. For a smooth running
classroom where learning was happening, I needed the students to work
harder than me. This took a ton of
up-front preparation, but my classroom always ran itself when I was a
facilitator of learning rather than a deliverer of knowledge.
- Set specific and measurable goals, but don’t forget the stuff that
can’t be measured. While achieving success and reaching goals often meant I needed to have numbers or measurable data for my students, I believe we must remember that being human centered doesn't always equate with measuring in numbers.
