Competencies
Leadership Dispositions & Competencies
Communication: Effectively listens to others; clearly and effectively presents and understands information orally and in writing; acquires, organizes, analyzes, interprets, maintains information needed to achieve school or team 21st century objectives.
I have had many instances where I have had to communicate effectively with staff, students, and parents. Through face to face discussions, to phone calls, to communicating through email, I have had to use various ways to keep the focus on student learning and building positive relationships in the school community during my residency.
I have had many instances where I have had to communicate effectively with staff, students, and parents. Through face to face discussions, to phone calls, to communicating through email, I have had to use various ways to keep the focus on student learning and building positive relationships in the school community during my residency.
Change Management: Effectively engages staff and community in the change process in a manner that ensures their support of the change and its successful implementation.
I have presented new ideas to staff and parents in ways that help them to understand any new changes or the implementation of new ideas that would help improve the school, whether it dealt with the culture or school expectations/processes.
Conflict Management: Anticipates or seeks to resolve confrontations, disagreements, or complaints in a constructive manner.
I am in charge of all discipline at my school and have helped to develop ways of tracking discipline through the use of a shared google doc with admin. Keeping the focus on student learning is a top priority to me as well as teaching students life skills necessary to succeed in school and in life.
Creative Thinking – Engages in and fosters an environment for others to engage in innovative thinking.
I am in charge of the parental involvement committee and have challenged the members on my committee to create new ways to engage the school community into our school environment. We have even implemented new sustainable functions for our school going forward.
Customer Focus: Understands the students as customers of the work of schooling and the servant nature of leadership and acts accordingly.
My number one priority in my residency has been to serve the students and staff in my school. I do not hesitate from meeting the needs of teachers and students in my school and have always strived to have a team player mentality while serving everyone in my school.
Delegation: Effectively assigns work tasks to others in ways that provide learning experiences for them and in ways that ensure the efficient operation of the school.
While in charge of the parental involvement committee, we have put together several functions in the school. I cannot accomplish everything on my own and have delegated tasks to members of the group. There are also tasks that needs to be done that I do not do as well as others, so I have involved the expertise of others to ensure the best product possible.
Dialogue/Inquiry: – Is skilled in creating a risk-free environment for engaging people in conversations that explore issues, challenges or bad relationships that are hindering school performance.
I have used many google forms to request important information from staff and parents to help create a better culture at our school. I have also had face to face conversations with stakeholders to create better experiences for all involved. I have done all of this while building a trusting relationship that information gathered was simply to help our school community, not destroy it.
Emotional intelligence: Is able to manage oneself through self awareness and self management and is able to manage relationships through empathy, social awareness and relationship management.
My true color is blue, so my emotional intelligence is a big strength for me. I am a relationship builder first. I feel like working with others requires a strong relationship foundation. Without a positive relationship as a foundation, it is extremely difficult to get work done that everyone can be proud of. It is my goal daily to ensure that everyone is taken care of to the best of my abilities for the good of the students, staff, and parents. I am very aware that how I handle situations can affect how outcomes may turn out.
Environmental Awareness: Becomes aware and remains informed of external and internal trends, interests and issues with potential impacts on school policies, practices, procedures and positions.
I have learned throughout the course of my residency how the environment on our campus might be very different from the environment our students come from. I see how the external effects can affect how students behave and react to various situations. I also see how this affects the relationships our staff has with parents and the community stakeholders. I am also in charge of school safety and am constantly in contact with staff about bettering our ways of keeping our school safe at all times. Getting their thoughts has helped me to make sure I am not missing anything I may not be aware of.
Global Perspective: Understands the competitive nature of the new global economy and is clear about the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful in this economy.
My school has become a global school this year, with the inclusion of a dual immersion class included to one of our kindergarten classes. All of our classes have focused on global learning which helps to prepare our students to be globally aware. Global awareness is one of our goals in our school improvement plan. The staff and I have taught students about important skills they will need to be successful in the ever changing world.
Judgment: Effectively reaching logical conclusions and making high quality decisions based on available information. Giving priority and caution to significant issues. Analyzing and interpreting complex information.
During my residency, I have been put in many different scenarios where I have to make good, quick judgement to support my school community. I take all of the information I have and make the decision that is morally and ethically the best decision for all persons involved.
Judgment: Effectively reaching logical conclusions and making high quality decisions based on available information. Giving priority and caution to significant issues. Analyzing and interpreting complex information.
During my residency, I have been put in many different scenarios where I have to make good, quick judgement to support my school community. I take all of the information I have and make the decision that is morally and ethically the best decision for all persons involved.
Organizational Ability: Effectively plans and schedules one’s own and the work of others so that resources are used appropriately, such as scheduling the flow of activities and establishing procedures to monitor projects.
I have organized meetings with staff and parents so that student learning is not affected. Whether it is an individual teacher meeting or a full staff meeting, I organize all of my meetings so that they are effective, straight to the point, and supportive of everyone I serve.
Personal Ethics and Values: Consistently exhibits high standards in the areas of honesty, integrity, fairness, stewardship, trust, respect, and confidentiality.
I understand that the position I am in requires me to hold myself accountable of all of my actions and that I am looked to as a school leader. Holding high ethical standards for myself and having values that others can look to is something that I have always been aware of. I know that I am a role model to others and must carry myself in a manner that is of a positive nature, on and off of the campus.
Personal Responsibility for Performance: Proactively and continuously improves performance by focusing on needed areas of improvement and enhancement of strengths; actively seeks and effectively applies feedback from others; takes full responsibility for one’s own achievements.
I am constantly looking for ways to improve. Whether it is in my servant leadership or knowledge of instructional practices, I always feel like I can improve. As a band director, music was never perfect. It was an opinion and there was always something that could be done better, no matter how the performance or results may have gone. This has helped me as a school leader and I am constantly trying to find ways to improve myself so that I can continue to serve others in the best way possible. Whether it is learning at a conference, having conversations with mentors, or having others evaluate my performance, I am always open to becoming better at all that I do.
Responsiveness: Does not leave issues, inquiries or requirements for information go unattended. Creates a clearly delineated structure for responding to requests/situations in an expedient manner.
Anytime I have been needed in my staff, parents, or students, I have always dropped what I am doing to help others. I truly believe in servant leadership and others needs at the school is my top priority. I am not in school leadership for accolades, I am in it to help others and create the best school environment possible.
Results Orientation: Effectively assumes responsibility. Recognizes when a decision is required. Takes prompt action as issues emerge. Resolves short-term issues while balancing them against long-term goals.
I have had many scenarios where I have had to make decisions on how to handle different situations. Our PBIS celebration required those not participating to have to do something during that time and be somewhere. I created a plan where I would work with some school personnel to take those students to create a training on making better decisions on the future, with our goal being that they would also be included in the next PBIS celebration. I had one day to create this function which did not give me a lot of time to plan. We got it done and it turned out great for us and the students.
Sensitivity: Effectively perceives the needs and concerns of others; deals tactfully with others in emotionally stressful situations or in conflict. Knows what information to communicate and to whom. Relates to people of varying ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds.
In my residency, I was presented with a parent who had not yet been served with a restraint order from her children. It was an awkward situation to be in, but I was sensitive in the way I handled while also upholding the law. The parent left calmly and understood the position we were in when we had to deliver this unfortunate news.
Systems Thinking: Understands the interrelationships and impacts of school and district influences, systems and external stakeholders, and applies that understanding to advancing the achievement of the school or team.
Being in charge of the parental involvement committee and given me many chances to work with people off of our campus. The relationship with our staff and the community is so very very vital to supporting the students of our school and I have seen the great benefits to these positive, working relationships and how they affect our school community.
Technology: Effectively utilizes the latest technologies to continuously improve the management of the school and enhance student instruction.
I have had many opportunities where I have led staff meetings using technology and even teaching students during my residency using technology when I presented on my trip to Singapore. I had the students work in groups and answer some questions using a google form to introduce them to a different way of collecting information. Showing the students and staff how I can effectively use technology to enhance understanding gives them an example on how technology can be incorporated in the classroom.
Time Management: Effectively uses available time to complete work tasks and activities that lead to the achievement of desired work or school results. Runs effective meetings.
I use planners to help guide what I try to accomplish on a daily basis. I also put minutes on my agenda in meetings so that the staff can see that I value their time. I adhere to these times and it builds trust and respect between myself and the staff.
Visionary: Encourages imagineering by creating an environment and structure to capture stakeholder dreams of what the school could become for all the students.
I use my vision daily to show others that I believe in a positive, nurturing, safe environment that everyone wants to be at. It is at my core and shows through my actions with students, staff, and parents.