This chapter contains my new learning as I understand it. This study helped me begin to articulate my standards of practice by which I wish to be judged as I fulfill my role as vice principal. Based on my values, these standards are the first step on a new movement in the composition of my life (Bateson, p. 1989). Becoming aware of my standards as I perceive them today, will allow me to test and rework them as I continue to seek evidence of their existence in my practice. They are my "living educational theory" (Whitehead, 1989) because they will shift and become more clear whenever I feel their negation in my practice. That feeling of discomfort will push me to improve my practice by striving to correct that negation.
In my "Program Notes" I alluded to my reasons for leaving my past position as a music teacher and tackling my new position as elementary vice principal and learning resource teacher. I truly believed that I would find a place where I could work to my values, more readily; I was still looking for that place where I would "fit." However, while the "fit" rubs a little less often, there is still some discomfort. I have shifted my attitude, and now I no longer expect that I will "fit." Now I have grown up and stopped seeking approval from others for my being. I have found a place inside where I am comfortable and I take that place with me wherever I go. I believe that it is necessary to seek validation for my actions, my methods, my decisions, and their impact on student learning, but I am responsible for validating my person by keeping my promises to myself. This has helped me to understand my need for my personal standards of practice by which I choose to be judged in my professional role.
In a discussion with a teacher last December,
I was asked why an action research project had to be finished to be effective. In other words, what if her project did not offer anything new to the professional knowledge base? I told her that her knowledge would be special because it was her knowledge, and she would know it in a different way because she experienced it rather than read it somewhere. Driving home, I realized that I had answered part of my own question, "What would make my project worth reading?" Then it hit me. My standards of practice would be different than the standards of any other person because every person is a different combination of values; that is what makes each of us unique. Therefore, if my standards were based on my values, then my standards are just that, mine! The ability to show that my values are evident in my practice and the knowledge that they make a difference in student learning will go a long way in helping me define my role as an administrator. In fact, I may become more aware of my values because they are being tested more than they would be in a job I had done for years. (Personal Journal, December 2000)
The significance of my process has been the creation of my personal standards for judging my professional practice. In the spring, I participated in a Covey training session based on the book, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People (1989). My immediate superior, the school principal, and five peers were asked to complete profiles on me regarding my effectiveness in the seven habits. My five peers were people that I felt knew me well enough to answer the questions and be honest with me. Wherever appropriate, I include their responses to substantiate my claims to working to my standards.
The following Standards of Practice are not rigid. They comprise my "living educational theory" (Whitehead, 1989) and, as such, will shift as I gain experience and learn about my personal/professional self. There is some overlap and connection between the standards as they exist. Kushner (2001) quotes the definition that Stenhouse holds for the term "standard." Stenhouse refers to "criteria which lie behind consistent patterns of judgment of the quality and value of the work" (p. 130). These, then, are my 'patterns of judgment'; the criteria by which I choose to be judged.
My Standards of Practice are:
- Choosing to take responsibility for maintaining a professional attitude
- Building relationships with parents, fellow educators, and students based on honesty, trust, humour, respect, and care to improve the learning of students
- Consistently exhibiting a professional work ethic committed to excellence
- Creating a collaborative work environment where each person's strengths are valued and weaknesses are supported to improve student learning
- Valuing the voices of others (whenever possible) while negotiating win-win solutions to conflict situations
- Striving to help students develop into socially responsible adults
- Supporting professional development of teachers through the action research process to improve student learning
- Exhibiting a commitment to lifelong learning for myself and others
- Contributing to a professional knowledge base of practitioner-researchers as an administrator and music educator
- Creating a positive and safe school culture conducive to instilling a love of learning where the dignity of every child is maintained.
How Am I Working To My Standards?
- Choosing to take responsibility for maintaining a professional attitude
I have the power to choose a professional attitude. I will not wait to be treated as a professional before acting that way. My role is not a cloak of professionalism that I assume automatically--from the outside in, but my attitude must come from the inside out. I define a professional as one who appears outwardly calm and cool in awkward situations and treats all people with respect. I do not knowingly undermine the self-worth of each individual and, most important, the dignity of the child (Senge, 2000, p. 118). Assuming that position means that I believe that every person has value, so I assume they are doing their best. This attitude necessitates an awareness of my values and consistently choosing to work from the inside out, allowing me to respect myself as well as others. Regan and Brooks (1995) believe that "intrinsically motivated by a moral code of conduct, a leader empowers others to achieve mutually agreed upon goals and, when necessary, guides others to behave in morally responsible ways" (p. 41).
A professional attitude also includes a positive outlook. Jackie Delong, in a draft of her standards of practice for her dissertation, stated, "Part of my obligation as a leader is to carry the hope for the people for whom I am responsible. My own concern or depression cannot be visible."(2001, p. 10) My hope is that I can provide that type of support and exhibit that level of professionalism.
In an interview on December 22, Susanne Reid expressed some of her observations to me. She has been my coworker in my role as learning resource teacher and, as mentioned in Chapter Four, we have established a very healthy relationship in which we can be honest. She mentioned a particular teacher who is a "reluctant player" using the coaching analogy. "I felt you got his number really quickly. ...He sometimes can be difficult to work with....but you have such a nice approach with him that you've built[a rapport]." "He was sharing things, he was doing [extra things] positively that I've never seen him do before" (Interview transcript). I realize that there is a very narrow line between valuing and working to the strengths of the individual and manipulating. I also realize that maintaining a professional attitude could make me appear stiff and somewhat unapproachable. Susanne also said, "it ''t take long 'til people realized that if they had..that you had no time or patience for staff room [griping]"(Interview transcript, December 22, 2000).
The other side of attitude is behaviour. Carrying a professional attitude also implies acting appropriately. No gossip, no inappropriate language or discussions, and being discreet. The security surrounding student records and custodial parents, especially in a school with a large parent volunteer contingent, is important and must be respected. However, my personal credibility rests on the fact that this must not appear to be an "act" or a role that I am fulfilling, but an extension of who I am on a personal level as well.
- Building relationships with parents, fellow educators and students based on honesty, trust, humour and care to improve the learning of students
Overlapping slightly with one aspect of my previous standard is sharing enough of yourself that people see you as genuine. I believe that is vital in building honest, trusting relationships. Working from my values means that in order to keep a promise I have made to myself, I have to treat all the people in my environment with respect. I do not attempt to manipulate, merely find some element in common, and with the teacher mentioned above it was our sense of humour and our value of the arts. I believe that any person is more likely to try to improve if they are treated as a valued individual. One of my Covey respondents wrote that I have a "positive sense of humour" and "the respect of [my] peers" (p. 19). Another wrote that I am "fun loving and spontaneous, establishing wonderful rapport with individuals of all ages" (p. 20). There was 100% agreement with the phrase, "cares about others and tries to build lasting friendships" (p. 15).
Heather Knill-Griesser, my critical friend wrote to me after I presented during a master's course. "You strive to promote and maintain harmony in every relationship that you establish. You understand people just like your expertise of the capabilities of every instrument in the orchestra. Your suggestions for fine tuning helps us all to become 'the best that we can be'" (Email, January 14, 2001).
One of the school council members has a son who attends our school. While in the school to volunteer one morning, she asked me if I would be back in the fall.
"As far as I know," I laughed and shrugged.
"Well, if you need a petition signed, just let me know," she said, also smiling" (Personal Journal, May, 2001)
We both knew that a petition would not change the situation if I was needed elsewhere; however, I appreciated the thought and the humour in the remark.
- Consistently exhibiting a professional work ethic committed to excellence
There are two parts to this standard. First, I avoid shirking the less pleasant aspects of my role and I refuse to waste valuable energy by complaining or wishing things were different. Second, I try to do everything to the best of my ability. I do not accept the phrase "good enough" when tackling a job; however, I frequently reflect on improved practice and greater efficiency when a project is completed. The one factor that can affect the quality of my work occasionally is that time constraints sometimes mean that I may have to prioritize certain aspects of my role.
One morning, after being in the role for about six months, Stan Worosz, the principal, told me,
"I've rarely given a new vice principal as much as work as you've done this year. But you may be in your own school soon, and so any experience you can get here will help" (Personal journal, March, 2001).
In the Covey response, he stated that I "follow through with commitments, [am] organized in handling multiple tasks and projects, produce[s] high quality work and take[s] initiative"(p. 19).
- Creating a collaborative work environment where each person's strengths are valued and weaknesses are supported to improve student learning
Regan and Brooks (1995) define collaboration as "the ability to work in a group, eliciting and offering support to each other member, creating a synergistic environment for everyone" (p. 26). Their experience in schools suggests "that the most successful educational leaders maintain this connectedness to students and to their staffs when they move into administering" (p. 26).
Shortly after the results were released for the province-wide academic testing, we had division meetings to discuss how those results would affect the professional practice at our school. We analyzed the numbers for patterns and discussed possible causes for those patterns and ways they could be addressed to improve student learning. Since I had never worked in an elementary school before, nor experienced the testing process, I felt somewhat out of my depth while chairing the meeting. My responsibility was to collaborate with the teachers to create a plan of action for improving our results. Rather than tell the teachers that I expected each of them to investigate their practice, I suggested they create a list of favourite techniques and best practices. Devising a plan to improve testing results is necessary. Involving everyone in the process of creating that plan will increase their ownership of the plan and will result in greater commitment to the steps that need to be taken. "A significant by-product that often results from this approach is the development of new leadership and greater self-esteem for those empowered through shared ownership" (Regan & Brooks, 1995, p. 26).
Susanne was at the meeting and described it at our interview a couple of weeks later. "Now, initially, I sat back and thought, you know, you've never been through the grade 3 testing, it will be interesting to see how you are going to approach this....You inherited a problem, you inherited statistics." After the meeting she was speaking with Cindy, a grade 2 teacher and asked her how she felt about the meeting being chaired by someone inexperienced with the testing process. The teacher stated, "Cheryl always comes and says to me, ... I'm a professional, I'm pro. I've got lots of experience and, [she]values what I have to say"(Interview transcript, December 22, 2000). Cindy is the other teacher in charge, and is one of the most professional and disciplined people I know. Knowing that I am able to help her feel valued for her quality of work and for who she is as a person means a great deal.
I am not the only "musician" that thinks this way. On December 9, 2000, in the Toronto Star, Michael Stern wrote an article that described his choir conductor's management style.
"June's style works because it's genuine. After rehearsal, she'll hang around to talk or answer questions as long as people want. She encourages feedback, and is not above adopting members' suggestions on how a certain number should be sung or staged. She's in charge, but she knows that leaders can learn from their group" (Section G, p. 1).
- Valuing the voices of others (whenever possible) while negotiating win-win solutions to conflict situations
The very first day of school, I was asked to call a mother who had called the school and been verbally abusive to the principal and to both secretaries. I took a deep breath and phoned her to find out why she had not sent her son to school that day. She was very, very angry and began berating the principal.
I suggested that I would speak to her about her son but I would not listen to any negative comments about the principal.
She said, "Fine, but did you say the same thing to him when he asked you to phone me?"
I didn't answer immediately. She said, "That tells me a lot."
I said, "He asked me to phone you because you seem to have some issues with your son starting school here."
She said, "I'm sure he said more than that."
I replied, "We are professionals and speak about others in the same way."
She said, "Alright, but please do me the same courtesy to ask him to stop when he says negative things about me."
"Deal." (Excerpt from personal journal, September 5, 2001)
From then on, I was her contact at the school and through the year we developed a working relationship. Her son had some severe behaviour issues and his teacher frequently expressed her frustration with him. I worked on some behaviour programs with him, but found it difficult to be consistent enough due to my double role of learning resource teacher and vice principal.
By the end of the year, everyone was running out of energy. The boys in this young man's class were very physical and gaining energy at the prospect of summer vacation. Peter was not physical and did not react well to the physical energy of his classmates. The situation was escalating and tempers were shortening, so I decided to put him on a special in-school program for mornings and home in the afternoons for the last few days of school. His teacher was thrilled because she was tired of dealing with his tantrums, and his mother was happy because he would be on a special program. Any contacts between his teacher and his mother became more and more heated until they could interact only through me. It was important to tread carefully so that everyone's voice was valued honestly and no one felt patronized.
The last day that Peter was at school, he brought me a present and a lovely card from his mother. I gave him his own copy of the book that we had been reading together. He said, "I'll treasure this for ever." He hugged me and left. He will be at a new school next year. Susanne Reid had a comment about my relationship with Peter.
"He is at times a hard person to even like. And I think you try and get past that and have so many wonderful times. ...all of sudden he realized he had a sense of worth, he was valued, he was important and if you said, 'jump' he would say, 'how high?'"(Interview Transcript, December 22, 2000).
The role of vice principal involves many situations like the one described above. Listening carefully to both sides is crucial to understanding the priorities of both parties so that a negotiated settlement may be reached. In the Covey profile (1998), "works to find win-win solutions" (p. 16) was identified as one of my strengths. I needed to help the teacher feel supported, the mother feel valued, and ultimately do what was best for the boy. Had this combination of elements converged earlier in the year, I would have tried to find a way to keep Peter in his class. However, all parties agreed that the time necessary to negotiate that result would not be well spent for only the last few days of classes.
- Striving to help students develop into socially responsible adults
I frequently see adults who have difficulty accepting responsibility for their own actions. The courts are full of people trying to be compensated for situations which were not their fault. I believe that working at the elementary level I can help students understand their role in situations, thus making discipline situations into teachable moments. A student, who I shall call Rudy, was in my office on a regular basis for the first few weeks. The complaints were numerous--shoving, pushing, too rough on the school yard, unwilling to work, homework not done--to name a few. Each time I saw him, he was punished to fit the crime and we both carried on. Finally, I decided to try a different approach.
"What do you want people to say about you behind your back?" I asked.
"I don't know," he answered.
I gave him some options then suggested that he was developing his own personal reputation at his early age(grade five) and that he had the power to choose what kind of reputation he earned. He thought for a minute, we wrapped up the meeting, and he went back to class.
About a month later, I saw him walking down the hallway. At my 'hello' he said, "When's the last time you heard something bad about me?"
I said, "You know, Rudy, I can hardly remember when I last heard something bad about you."
He said, "Thank you, thank you" and took a couple of bows as he walked into his lunch room. (Personal journal, January 2001)
I decided to take some personal credit for his improvement in behaviour. Timing is important, so maybe he was just mature enough to really hear the message this time. A couple of months later, in a brief conversation, he said,
"Vice principals keep leaving this place. How long are you going to stay?"
"How long would you like me to stay?" I asked.
'Til I graduate!"
(Personal Journal, January 27, 2001)
From that comment, I believe that I did make a difference for him.
In Hearts and Minds, Sandra Dean (2000) encouraged the teachers at her school to do the same thing, especially with the younger students. Frequently, students will act without thinking about the possible repercussions of their action. Classroom meetings to discuss behaviour and consequences helped to make students more accountable to each other and to themselves for their actions. Punishment means that the responsibility for appropriate behaviour still remained with the teacher or the vice principal rather than the child.
- Supporting professional development of teachers through the action research process to improve student learning
For 3 years now, I have been chair of the Brant Action Research Network (BARN). Monthly, teachers engaging in action research are encouraged to meet and check in with their progress in their projects. Problems are shared for suggestions, and successes are celebrated. Specific elements of the process are frequently discussed and people leave the meeting with renewed vigor about their classroom practice. At the final meeting of the 2000/2001 school year, Donna Howey presented her project. In the midst of her presentation, she stated,
"As suggested by the action research group leader, Cheryl Black, I am going to keep a personal journal about my teaching practices. This is a way to tell my daily teaching stories, express my feelings about events at school, to reflect on successes and failures of strategies tried, and to develop new plans in hope of future successes. At the end of the year, my journal will become evidence of what had transpired over the course of the year" (Transcription, June 20, 2001).
As I am writing this paper, the 14 other remaining cohort members are doing the same thing. We hope to finish together. As a result, one member sent me a chapter and asked me to validate his claims to knowledge. I made some suggestions and in his reply Phillip wrote, "Awesome!! I knew you would come through for me. Your criticisms are excellent and I'll see about incorporating them asap... it's so hard writing in a vacuum without some kind of sounding board" (Email dated July 14, 2001).
I have helped organize conferences and been guest editor for the Ontario Action Researcher, an online journal. Currently, I am cochair of the Ontario Education Research Council's conference committee for the December 2001 conference.
- Exhibiting a commitment to lifelong learning for myself and others
Currently, as I am completing this degree, I am investigating the options for further study. Having attended the American Educational Research Association Conference in Seattle, 2001, I realized that the more I know, the more I know I do not know. As a result, I am excited at the prospect of further study. Not all people are as committed to lifelong learning as I am. I realize that the only learning that is truly valuable is that which is self-directed and, therefore, personally relevant. Frequently, colleagues will ask me how my research is going and ask questions.
At the April staff meeting, I introduced the concept of action research in a short, interactive workshop and two teachers offered to become engaged in projects of their own in September. I asked Jackie once how to get more people involved in research and she said, "One person at a time" (Email, June 2000). I believe that investigating personal practice involves a certain amount of risk, and people have to be resilient enough to handle the negatives as well as the positives. Teachers must choose to research their own practice; they cannot undertake productive research under duress. As such, while modeling my love of learning, I can only try to balance the "pressure and support" (Fullan 1991). I provide for teachers to engage in their own research. However, introducing professional literature and suggesting books or conferences as I come to know teachers' preferences and interests is as natural to me as breathing.
- Contributing to professional knowledge base of practitioner-researchers as an administrator and music educator
This has happened in two ways. First, indirectly as there have been two articles written about action research in general and my work specifically. Second, I have also published one article and have another pending. My first action research project was part of my professional growth strand. I wrote my paper describing the research into my practice and after presenting the paper both locally and at the OERC conference in Toronto, it was published in the first issue of the Ontario Action Researcher, an online journal. Since then, I have guest-edited one issue and will be coediting for the next 3 years.
In the September 2000 issue of Professionally Speaking, there was an article published that included a section about my work. Last December, three professors interested in action research visited Brantford from Japan and, consequently, my classroom. My students were able to describe the process, and their visit was described in the local paper as well as a newspaper in Japan.
I have cowritten two papers with Jackie Delong and we presented them at The International Conference for Teacher Research--one in Magog, Quebec in 1999 and the other in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 2000.
- Creating a positive and safe school culture conducive to instilling a love of learning where the dignity of every child is maintained.
I believe that a child must be helped to understand the distinction between a bad deed and a bad person. If they make a bad choice and have to be punished, that does not mean that they are a bad person.
In May, two grade 3 boys spoke to me about David, a grade 6 boy who had been accusing them of bullying his younger brother and, in the process of his accusation had threatened and sworn at them. As I investigated the complaint, the plot became more and more complicated. Apparently, a year previously, David had been bullying one of the grade 3 boys. The younger boy felt so threatened that he had brought a knife to school. The mothers of the grade 3 boys called me to ask for a resolution, and the mother of the grade 6 boy dropped in to ask that her younger son be protected. I explained that her older son needed to understand that it was not his place to defend his younger brother, and she agreed.
After watching the dynamics on the playground one recess, I called David's father and explained that his older son was teaching his younger son to react with his fists whenever someone butted in line at the slide. I suggested that David was having difficulty distinguishing between being assertive and aggressive. He agreed that it was inappropriate and volunteered to speak with his boys. In the meantime, I spent extra time on the playground to witness that all were playing appropriately.
I watched for a few more days and saw that David, the grade 6 boy, began playing with his contemporaries, the grade 3 boys played together, and David's little brother played with his friends in his kindergarten class.
I believe very strongly that everyone needs to feel safe in order to learn. Students are taught to say, "No, thank you" and tell a grown-up whenever they are accosted on the playground. Due to the new legislation regarding safer schools, we encourage students to seek help when mediating disputes thus ensuring situations are less likely to escalate.
Did I Answer My Research Questions?
- How can I improve my practice by valuing the voices of others?
- How can I continue to value voice in my new role as vice principal?
- How can I continue to ensure that my values remain evident in my practice through the transition from secondary teacher to elementary administrator?
As I solve problems, mediate conflict, and fulfill all my other duties, valuing the voices of students, parents, and teachers allows me to improve my practice. Empathetic listening allows me to define each problem and situation so that an effective solution may be reached. Then, checking back with the parties involved helps me determine my level of effectiveness. The process of writing about my practice and later reflecting on my reasons for my effectiveness has allowed me to begin to formulate my standards of practice by which I choose to be judged. The standards described in this chapter may need to be articulated differently as I gain experience and self-knowledge. They will also be reprioritized as my values are tried and tested. The ability to articulate my standards has allowed me to test them with colleagues and ask for honest feedback regarding improvements in my practice. Susanne stated that I "make every effort to maintain individuals' integrity and sense of self-worth. I think of students, teachers and parents"(Interview transcript, December 22, 2000).
June Dale was hired to conduct the all-male MegaCity Chorus. As mentioned earlier, her management style was described in the Toronto Star. She "believes in positive reinforcement" but "occasionally,...has to put her foot down." She "understands instinctively that leading people is all about making them want to follow you." She was quoted as saying, "My goal is to have the chorus deliver a high quality musical performance while everyone enjoys themselves and has fun--for each person to know that their part in the group is important, and that every voice contributes." Michael Stern believes that "Management philosophies don't come any better than that" (Stern, 2000, p. 1).
As a child, my parents and my experiences shaped my values and gave me the start on "composing my life" (Bateson, 1989). As a musician, I was very used to the quest for that elusive perfect performance when every element clicked at the same time and the audience and I both felt the magic. In my current position, I feel that magic each time a child slips their hand into mine and smiles up with complete trust. How does this relate to my former role as a conductor/teacher in a school music program? I use the very same skills every day as an elementary administrator. Let me paraphrase my closing statement from my interview for the position of elementary vice principal.
"I must ensure that every member of the ensemble has the appropriate equipment, in good repair, to fulfill his or her role in the 'band'. They must be placed in an area where their strengths are best utilized so they gain the satisfaction of knowing they are a valuable contributing member. Frequent parental contact is important so their support is also available as the group works toward the long-term goal. As leader of the group, I must help everyone remain focussed on the final goal so we arrive there, together. If I have fulfilled my role well, then at times I will not be needed. However, I must remain ready to cue someone who has lost their place and, to help the group move through tempo changes or time signature shifts, together. I have to be able to think on my feet, in case there is an unforeseen incident like a drummer losing control of a drumstick. I must be ready to make instantaneous accommodations or adjustments so the group may continue together. Direction in music is provided by the pattern of harmonic tension and release, much like life."
I realize that the perfect performance is still elusive, however, the process of working together in an atmosphere of collegial support can be refined. As the curtain closes on this performance, preparation will begin anew because a true artist continues to seek perfection.
