[Ous-lp-rp13] EDAD 6020, Response to Answer Question # 2

[Anthony Gillman]

*Dakota,I am pleased that you not only feel comfortable with the
organizational structure of your new school, but also can appreciate it due
to the experience you gained during your time as a student teacher.  I
would also agree with your assessment that the preferred method of school
structure seems to be ‘professional.’ As I stated in my original answer, I
too feel that my school is leaning strongly to this type of structure.What
I have noticed about myself, and what I need to make sure not to do, is to
get too lax on my duties in this type of structure.  I sometimes find
myself not finishing particular requests on time and sometimes not until I
am asked a second time to get them completed.  I will admit that I behave
this way because I feel like I can get away with it and I justify it by
telling myself that it isn’t going to benefit my students in any way and it
is a waste of time.  Although this may be true (most of the time), I would
say that it isn’t the best choice of action (kinda like bringing baby
Yorkies to class ;-) lol!) Just kidding...love you buddy...sorry for the
digression Dr. Larson.  But really, as principals, we will need our
subordinates to complete certain tasks for us in a timely manner.  And it
will take a blended balance of a professional and authoritarian structures
to deal with some subordinates like myself.  Also, from a subordinate point
of view, I might be contributing to the loss of a professionally leaning
structure in my building and that would not favor my personal
interests.Thank you for sharing and giving me something to reflect
on!TonyP.S.  Those puppies are well trained...and darn cute!*

Dakota's Original Answer



*Through reevaluating my experience in my student teaching semester and my
conversations about expectations with my new principal, I have come to the
conclusion that I have not experienced a Weberian, authoritarian, or
chaotic educational structure. I am thankful that I am not going to work
under these circumstances because I firmly believe that creativity and the
human side of teaching/educating is negatively affected by running a school
like a factory or through showing power and aggressiveness on subordinates
through cruelty and forcing conformity.During my professional development
hours, conversations, and discussions with two different
schools/principals, I found that Green High School is certainly a
professional structure. This school has recently adopted programs like ICU
(behavior/academic focus). The ICU program is a program that keeps track of
each student’s missing assignments. These missing assignments must be
completed or they remain on “the list”. The students are consistently told
that they are on the list and that they must get off before they can return
to regular lunch room and not lunch help. I found this intervention to be
extremely effective and proved itself as a professional structure because
the schools focus is based on change and improving educational/behavioral
aspects. This was just one example of how this school aims to change and
show progression in their commitment to incorporating new structures within
the school. Throughout my several conversations with my new principal, I
have found that he insists on his teachers being themselves, being
coachable, and working in teams. There are 2 sets of teams within each
grade level (6-8). Ashland Middle School is a larger school and the 6 grade
alone has 300 students enrolled. The team concept within each grade level
is awesome and each group of 4 content teachers is on a specific team
(math, science, english, social studies). If there is a problem student or
issue within the team then we are all expected to come together and discuss
it. If there is an angry parent or a problem that needs to be talked about
then all the team members within my group will come together to have the
conference with the parent. This is just one example of how the school
function is progressing and improving teacher protection. I get the
impression that my new boss wants me to be creative within the classroom
and be collaborative and resourceful among my team members.*

-- 
*Happiness is a proper balance of preparation and recreation.*
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.ohio.edu/pipermail/ous-lp-rp13/attachments/20180619/3ad08237/attachment.html>