Many times school leaders may think of “year ending” tasks to complete in May or June. In reality, there is no “end” to our work but the constant work of reflecting upon our experiences, adjusting our practices and then striving for greater areas of excellence.  This takes intentional focus and the ability to see things from other perspectives and use data to help drive this reflective work. Leaders grow in their impact upon others through this reflective work and allows the impact of the leader to build confidence in others, impact the thinking of others and their behaviors while developing greater trust. This all supports building collective efficacy and a culture focused “what’s best for kids” in schools.

The areas below are the areas that I use to help reflect upon my craft. In this blog post, I share how I reflect upon the key tenants of my work; a self-reflection that helps determines the next steps and how to create a balance in our work.

 

Core Tenants – Reflection

1. What are some ways that you connect with your school community? (Fostering Effective Relationships)
2. What are some areas of teaching and learning that you can lead in the school? (Instructional Leadership)
3. What are you hoping teaching and learning looks like in your school and how do you communicate that vision?(Embodying Visionary Leadership)
4. How do you build leadership in your school? (Developing Leadership Capacity)
5. What will be your “fingerprints” on this building after you leave? (Creating Sustainable Change) 

 

How to take the next steps – A self-reflection

What did I do well this year?

Where do I need to grow?

What things will I challenge myself with next year?

How will all of these answers impact the learners I serve?

 

Reflection on the 4 quadrants within a leader’s role

 Area                   Start                        Continue                  Stop

 Positional role

 Professional role

 Personal role

 Passions or Hobbies

Leaders work extremely hard to serve others, which is very important. However, they must also be intentional upon their own growth and find the right time to think deeply about their work and best methods to continually improve.  We owe that to our students and staff that we serve. I look forward to hearing from you how you reflect and grow as a leader.  Comment below or reach out to me at leadlearnerperspectives@gmail.com

 

 

Learn

   Engage

      Adapt

          Delegate

             Empower

                  Reflect

                       Serve