The administrative team was silent. The teacher looked uncomfortable. Gazes moved around the room but nothing was said. Everyone waited, hoping that someone else would speak. The parent searched their faces for answers. Still nothing…
We all want answers, and the sooner the better, but our honorable quest to comprehend the complexity of the human mind along with the human experience is not an artless task. The scene described above is familiar to anyone who has been in education long enough to know that we don’t always have the answers, especially when it comes to students with a complicated history of academic, behavioral or other developmental challenges. However, I believe that an ethical leader never gives up. We do whatever it takes to empower each and every child; no matter what the challenge and no matter how long it takes.
As an ethical leader, it is critical to me that I lead others in the belief that students will learn if they can learn. In his book, Lost at School, Dr. Green explains, “kids do well if they can” (Greene, 2008, p. 10). We need to understand and truly believe that kids do want to learn. If that is not our current perspective, then the change that must take place is in our minds, in our philosophy of kids and their unique paths of learning. If we all agree that students will learn if they can, then it becomes our job and our ethical responsibility to make sure that they can.
This philosophy requires a solid team approach, ownership, and true belief in the idea that it takes a village to educate a child. As educators, we play a critical role in every child’s “village”, and our perspective must emphasize the relationships between administrators, teachers, support staff, students and their families. As we form relationships with one another, we begin to notice each other’s strengths, and we realize how much we need every member of the team. Our relationships with our students help us to understand what they are passionate about and what motivates them, which gives us insight as to how best they might learn. “One of the most significant contributions any educational team member can make is to identify and build on an individual student's strengths and gifts to form a basis for future success in personal, academic, and vocational pursuits” (Stainback & Stainback, 1992). When we tap into our students’ interests from the very beginning, they start to make connections that ultimately define for them their why – their reason to never stop learning.
We all agree that it is helpful to know what motivates a child, but if we refer back to the insight of Dr. Greene (2008), it is also important that we figure out what skills our students are lacking so that we can address their specific obstacles and come up with the most effective plan that will ensure that they can learn while at school. Our village participation – aka collaboration – is the key, meaning we take a team approach to problem solving. For example, a student with challenging behaviors is never simply the responsibility of the homeroom teacher. Equally, we cannot expect the Special Education department to be the sole provider of services for our students with disabilities. We also do not have the liberty to say that our English language teachers are the only ones responsible for our students’ language development. All parties involved must agree, “no single individual, no matter what her or his discipline or experience, has the ability to meet the range of diverse student needs that may be present in a heterogeneous classroom” (Stainback & Stainback, 1992). Instead, we draw upon the strengths, knowledge and expertise of our entire staff, as well as the insights and perspectives of our students and their families, to discern possible setbacks and develop appropriate solutions.
Forming a team of experts is the only way to decide how to effectively educate and support each unique child. This team must always include an administrative staff member, the student’s classroom teacher, and input from both the parents and the child. As applicable, we also tap into the knowledge and resources of the school counselor, our English language support staff, behavior specialists, learning specialists and or the school psychologist. Every month, we collect data on students of concern and formally monitor their progress, observing their interactions both with the academic rigor as well as with their peers. We also hold voluntary weekly meetings as a venue for teachers to discuss specific student progress towards their academic and or behavioral goals. This thorough, team approach allows us to look through several lenses, consider various perspectives, and ultimately come up with the best possible plan for each child.
When it comes to ethical leadership, there is nothing more important than the individual child. Judy Willis writes, “The principal goal for all students is to achieve their own highest level of success in supportive classrooms, taught by teachers who give them the tools to overcome obstacles and learn to their fullest potential [emphasis added]” (Willis, 2007). With a village perspective, we take personal ownership in the educational experience and success of every child that walks through our doors. We raise our standards of ethical leadership and do all that is within our power to support every student to rise above his or her greatest challenges and find the unique path to his or her full potential.
REFERENCES
Willis, J. (2007). Brain-Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Stainback, S. and Stainback, W. (1992). Curriculum considerations in inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing
Greene, R.W. (2008). Lost at School. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.
We all want answers, and the sooner the better, but our honorable quest to comprehend the complexity of the human mind along with the human experience is not an artless task. The scene described above is familiar to anyone who has been in education long enough to know that we don’t always have the answers, especially when it comes to students with a complicated history of academic, behavioral or other developmental challenges. However, I believe that an ethical leader never gives up. We do whatever it takes to empower each and every child; no matter what the challenge and no matter how long it takes.
As an ethical leader, it is critical to me that I lead others in the belief that students will learn if they can learn. In his book, Lost at School, Dr. Green explains, “kids do well if they can” (Greene, 2008, p. 10). We need to understand and truly believe that kids do want to learn. If that is not our current perspective, then the change that must take place is in our minds, in our philosophy of kids and their unique paths of learning. If we all agree that students will learn if they can, then it becomes our job and our ethical responsibility to make sure that they can.
This philosophy requires a solid team approach, ownership, and true belief in the idea that it takes a village to educate a child. As educators, we play a critical role in every child’s “village”, and our perspective must emphasize the relationships between administrators, teachers, support staff, students and their families. As we form relationships with one another, we begin to notice each other’s strengths, and we realize how much we need every member of the team. Our relationships with our students help us to understand what they are passionate about and what motivates them, which gives us insight as to how best they might learn. “One of the most significant contributions any educational team member can make is to identify and build on an individual student's strengths and gifts to form a basis for future success in personal, academic, and vocational pursuits” (Stainback & Stainback, 1992). When we tap into our students’ interests from the very beginning, they start to make connections that ultimately define for them their why – their reason to never stop learning.
We all agree that it is helpful to know what motivates a child, but if we refer back to the insight of Dr. Greene (2008), it is also important that we figure out what skills our students are lacking so that we can address their specific obstacles and come up with the most effective plan that will ensure that they can learn while at school. Our village participation – aka collaboration – is the key, meaning we take a team approach to problem solving. For example, a student with challenging behaviors is never simply the responsibility of the homeroom teacher. Equally, we cannot expect the Special Education department to be the sole provider of services for our students with disabilities. We also do not have the liberty to say that our English language teachers are the only ones responsible for our students’ language development. All parties involved must agree, “no single individual, no matter what her or his discipline or experience, has the ability to meet the range of diverse student needs that may be present in a heterogeneous classroom” (Stainback & Stainback, 1992). Instead, we draw upon the strengths, knowledge and expertise of our entire staff, as well as the insights and perspectives of our students and their families, to discern possible setbacks and develop appropriate solutions.
Forming a team of experts is the only way to decide how to effectively educate and support each unique child. This team must always include an administrative staff member, the student’s classroom teacher, and input from both the parents and the child. As applicable, we also tap into the knowledge and resources of the school counselor, our English language support staff, behavior specialists, learning specialists and or the school psychologist. Every month, we collect data on students of concern and formally monitor their progress, observing their interactions both with the academic rigor as well as with their peers. We also hold voluntary weekly meetings as a venue for teachers to discuss specific student progress towards their academic and or behavioral goals. This thorough, team approach allows us to look through several lenses, consider various perspectives, and ultimately come up with the best possible plan for each child.
When it comes to ethical leadership, there is nothing more important than the individual child. Judy Willis writes, “The principal goal for all students is to achieve their own highest level of success in supportive classrooms, taught by teachers who give them the tools to overcome obstacles and learn to their fullest potential [emphasis added]” (Willis, 2007). With a village perspective, we take personal ownership in the educational experience and success of every child that walks through our doors. We raise our standards of ethical leadership and do all that is within our power to support every student to rise above his or her greatest challenges and find the unique path to his or her full potential.
REFERENCES
Willis, J. (2007). Brain-Friendly Strategies for the Inclusion Classroom. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Stainback, S. and Stainback, W. (1992). Curriculum considerations in inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing
Greene, R.W. (2008). Lost at School. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster, Inc.