Todd Whitaker provides techniques for principals to evaluate their personal leadership style against highly effective principals in his book, What Great Principals Do Differently. Dr. Todd Whitaker states that this book is about what great principals do that sets them apart. Clarifying what the best leaders do, and then practicing it ourselves, can move us into their ranks (Whitaker, 2009). The goal of a great leader is to help teachers understand and improve their practices and to gauge the effectiveness of their instruction. Educational leadership is constructed with knowledge acquired from many sources, and self-evaluation and experience help solidify leadership. In today’s educational world, a place where students are struggling with
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When teachers trust their principal, it builds a relaxed working atmosphere. This atmosphere will keep the communication lines open, which creates a respectful and caring community. Principals need to focus not only on the programs, but on the people within the school (Whitaker, 2009). Great principals find ways to promote individual growth and build relationships. They focus on people rather than programs. Teachers need to believe that the principal has their best interest at heart. Teachers also need to feel that the principal is dependable and has the necessary skills and knowledge to lead the school. “One of the hallmarks of effective principals is how they treat people. Like effective teachers, effective principals treat people with respect,” (Whitaker, 2009). No matter what wonderful programs, textbooks, and activities are established in a school, the success of the school and essentially the students will depend on the relationships, both internal and external, among the stakeholders. Interpersonal relationships do not just happen; it takes time to create, nurture, and maintain. “My central goal was incredibly simple and incredibly complex. I wanted it be ‘cool to care’ in my school. I wanted everyone-every student, every teacher, each staff member, all the parents-to think it was cool to care,” …show more content…
“Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, effective principals ask themselves one central question: ‘What will my best teachers think” (Whitaker, 2009)? As part of the decision-making process, great principals should ask themselves: What is the purpose of this, will this actually accomplish the purpose, and how will the most positive and productive people feel about this? Making teachers feel a part of the decision-making process is very beneficial and very important. When principals discuss their ideas with staff members, they become more accepting toward the implementation of change (Whitaker, 2009). Effective principals have the confidence to seek input in advance from staff members and feedback after implementation. Effective principals also use their best teachers to gather and implement new ideas. As respected role models for other staff members in the school, your best teachers lead the way for implementing new ideas (Whitaker,
When teachers trust their principal, it builds a relaxed working atmosphere. This atmosphere will keep the communication lines open, which creates a respectful and caring community. Principals need to focus not only on the programs, but on the people within the school (Whitaker, 2009). Great principals find ways to promote individual growth and build relationships. They focus on people rather than programs. Teachers need to believe that the principal has their best interest at heart. Teachers also need to feel that the principal is dependable and has the necessary skills and knowledge to lead the school. “One of the hallmarks of effective principals is how they treat people. Like effective teachers, effective principals treat people with respect,” (Whitaker, 2009). No matter what wonderful programs, textbooks, and activities are established in a school, the success of the school and essentially the students will depend on the relationships, both internal and external, among the stakeholders. Interpersonal relationships do not just happen; it takes time to create, nurture, and maintain. “My central goal was incredibly simple and incredibly complex. I wanted it be ‘cool to care’ in my school. I wanted everyone-every student, every teacher, each staff member, all the parents-to think it was cool to care,” …show more content…
“Before making any decision or attempting to bring about any change, effective principals ask themselves one central question: ‘What will my best teachers think” (Whitaker, 2009)? As part of the decision-making process, great principals should ask themselves: What is the purpose of this, will this actually accomplish the purpose, and how will the most positive and productive people feel about this? Making teachers feel a part of the decision-making process is very beneficial and very important. When principals discuss their ideas with staff members, they become more accepting toward the implementation of change (Whitaker, 2009). Effective principals have the confidence to seek input in advance from staff members and feedback after implementation. Effective principals also use their best teachers to gather and implement new ideas. As respected role models for other staff members in the school, your best teachers lead the way for implementing new ideas (Whitaker,