Ced0565: Week Two - Data

This week brought together the two things that I had always assumed I hated most - data and data analysis. Typically when anyone places a page full of stats in front of my face, my eyes glaze over and I begin dreaming of happier, peaceful places where numbers don't matter and the beer is always cold. And then when I realized that I had to look at data from my school, I really thought I was going to suffer, but, once again, I was pleasantly disappointed.

Rather than study the stats from my small school - we really don't have much data to report, I decided to find out what I could about the Diocese in which I teach. Lately, there has been some changes made and those changes are trickling down to my level. On occasion I have been scratching my head, wondering what the heck is going on and why we're making these changes. After study some of the data, however, things are beginning to make sense.

Anyone who attends a Catholic parish which houses a school understands how vital the parish/school relationship is. In most cases the parish helps to support the finances of the school, alleviating a portion of the tuition cost in order to encourage families to send their children. There has been a decrease in enrollment, however, in our Diocese, and so we're beginning to feel the effects of this change. Having never looked at the actual numbers, I never realized just how drastic the changes were. Not only is enrollment declining, but the monies that support the schools are dwindling as well. There is a greater expectation of both teachers and administrators to pitch in and volunteer their time on major projects, such as curriculum development and standards. Until I looked at the data, I didn't understand why people weren't being hired for these tasks. Now I get it, although I don't necessarily agree with the method of enforcing the changes.

Now that I understand the data, I really want to find out how, as a mere teacher, I can use the models of leadership to do something? I'm not easily envisioning how the two items will mesh. I think I am trying to do my part by becoming a team member of the tech group that has been organized to develop new standards, beginning this summer. I also have been in constant communication with certain people at the Diocesan office and have collaborated numerous times with my principal to help develop our technology plan at school. But at what point do these leadership qualities we're supposed to strive for get in the way of other, equally important things, like my family? Where-o-where is the balance???

565: Week One - Leadership Assessment

The timing of this class was really interesting. I have been starting to take a closer look of what my role at my school should be. Originally, five years ago, I was hired to teach computer classes and be the librarian. Since then, however, my role has changed drastically and I find myself taking more of a leadership role as the technology specialist. Hence, I found taking the assessment as a principal helpful. Obviously I'm not a principal but the questions asked helped me define some of the areas where leadership is important.

Currently, my leadership role is rather undefined; yet, I'm constantly looked to for advice and to in-service other teachers as well as make financial decisions for our technology at school. Since my principal has limited technology knowledge, including trends and practices, I'm the one expected to direct us. In some respects this role is empowering and in many ways I feel fortunate that I don't have to deal with all the red tape others do. At the same time, I feel a huge responsibility and pressure to make the right choices when sometimes I'm not sure what the best direction is. Fortunately, each year I'm feeling more comfortable with my role, as I really work to define exactly what my position is.

This weeks lesson was also eye-opening after something that happened at school. At the beginning of the school year, the first and second grade teachers met and decided to modify the grade descriptions they give to their students. Since I help with our grading program, I had spoken to them and was aware of some of the changes. What we all discovered later, however, was that they had also drastically changed the grading scale, which affected all of us who teach specials. What was once an A was now a B or C. The change was that big. So at our last staff meeting I, once again, was going on and on about how frustrated I was with the change to the point that the first and second grade teachers were becoming frustrated with me. After I got home, I tried to carefully think through the reason behind my angst, and thanks to our lesson this week, I think I figured it out. Because the two teachers had made the decision without anyone else's input, they had ignored each of the four frames we talked about. They failed to get everyone on board with their decision. In the end, it's not that I necessarily disagree with the decision they made. In fact, in retrospect it makes sense, but they failed to explain the philosophy behind their decision in the first place. Also, they didn't take into account how many others are affected by their decision. I had no idea the scale had changed so when it came time for me to do my grades at the semester (specials only give grades at the semester), the grades were very different from what they were in the past because I was not aware of the change in the scale. In the end I apologized to the teachers and spoke to the principal about it. I explained to her why I was frustrated, and I think she understood. It has all been a great lesson in how leadership works - or doesn't.