Erin Bigler Administrative Internship
Do what you feel in your heart to be right–for you’ll be criticized anyway. —Eleanor Roosevelt
Judgement & Problem Analysis Artifacts
Reflection & Learning
A significant experience that helped me develop effective skills within this competency was the role playing scenarios throughout my student management course. At times, administrators can use a slow approach, allowing themselves significant time to reflect, or leverage a democratic approach to problem solving. At other times, a decision must be made immediately. One thing I have learned is, even in situations where you must make instantaneous decisions, the extra 30 seconds it takes to stop, breathe, think, and weigh your options can be extremely helpful in making a well thought out plan. I was surprised to see how taking time to role play different scenarios helped me feel more comfortable and confident in making quick decisions. This is a practice I will continue to use in the future, both for myself, and also with staff members.
In reflecting on decision making situations that allow for more time, I took comfort in seeing how often my own principals (who have years of experience and a wealth of knowledge) will pick up the phone and call a colleague at another school for advice. Admittedly, one thing that causes discomfort in becoming a principal is the idea that I might not have a team of multiple administrators - especially with many elementary school positions, there is only one principal. Therefore, it is crucial to build relationships and cultivate a strong professional network outside the walls of my school, as well as working closely with your support positions like the social worker, school psychologist, and office staff. I was grateful to have the opportunity to explore the MESPA (MN Elementary School Principals’ Association) website with my mentor principal, and also within the Field Experience Seminar course. Here, I learned that principals have access to a directory of administrators, which highlights areas of expertise, among many other resources for professional learning. It is important to remember that technology makes it easier than ever for professionals to connect and cultivate supportive relationships.
Artifacts
PD Session: Re-Thinking Instruction During A Pandemic
I gained a lot of practice with judgement & problem analysis in coaching teachers through their instructional practices during the Covid-19 pandemic. For one of our staff learning sessions, the reading specialist and I collaborated on a PD session about guided reading. Our learning goals focused on how teachers could re-think guided reading (and still make it happen), given the new constraints of health & safety protocols. Analyzing the problem and providing realistic solutions was a helpful process to experience. Often, when faced with challenges, it is easy for teachers to say "it's just not possible right now" so it is critical, as an instructional leader, to remain solution oriented and keep an open mindset to new ideas.
Resource: Change Initiative Action Plan
This is a tool that was shared with me by my principal. It provides a very thorough framework for implementing change within a school setting, and poses some excellent questions that can help a leader conduct a thorough analysis of a change process. Some of the key steps it walks through include:
Creating urgency
Identifying Barriers & Identifying A Support Team
Developing & Communicating a Vision
Empowering Action
Identifying Short-Term Wins
Consolidating & Anchoring Change
Research Project: EDS716 Three Year Change Plan
An assignment that paired nicely with my previous artifact (Change Initiative Plan) was the Three Year Change Plan paper I was asked to write within my leadership for teaching and learning class. Within this paper, I explored a model for supporting our English Language Learners in the mainstream classroom. This felt timely because it aligned with our school's improvement plan and was grounded in data we were already collecting at our school.
I enjoyed this assignment because it challenged me to think through an entire change process. In the initial stages, I utilized our MAP testing data to identify school-wide needs and areas we were experiencing success. From here, I noticed a strong growth trend within one of our grade level classrooms and started digging deeper to understand why students were finding success in this particular classroom. I spent time researching, conducting observations, and interviewing the teacher. This research led me to three key areas of focus within best practices for EL instruction, which could be used to guide future staff learning.
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A lot of time and energy went into creating this project, but it helps me remember that any change process must be well thought out, grounded in data (to ensure it works), and incorporate ways of celebrating success along the way. It was exciting to see students thriving in a particular classroom and work closely with that teacher to better understand what was working well.