An Explanation for the Descriptor “Leader”

Educators should be able to demonstrate effective leadership skills to initiate and facilitate transformational systemic change. A prerequisite to lasting change is effective leadership (Fullan, 1998). As researchers increasingly focus on the need for all educators to assume a degree of leadership within their schools in order to promote a higher level of learning, it becomes essential for all educators to demonstrate effective leadership skills (Kaplan & Evans, 1997). Over the last 15 years, we have seen a shift from the expectations of educator competence in the individual setting toward “professional community” expertise— educators jointly defining goals and taking responsibility for all students’ progress, engaging in on-going inquiry and experimentation, and assuming leadership in school development (Anderson, Rolheiser, & Gordon, 1998). In order to ensure that educators engage in transformational systemic change, they must have the capacity to lead.

Click Context Clues to view me demonstrating leadership.

During my internship at Carrollton Middle School, I developed this lesson in order to help teach context clues.  I created my own word and used it throughout a story.  Students had to figure out what my made up word was by using the context clues in the story.  Students were able to figure out my word eventually but they had to pay careful attention to the clues that were in the context of the story.  We also completed a cloze passage on Christopher Columbus, which tied in great with Columbus Day. 

As a leader, I also engaged my students in some online context clues learning.  Students enjoyed play Cow Context Clues.  This lesson and its activities promoted a higher level of learning.  It also allowed me to demonstrate effective leaderships skills.  I created a lesson that was interesting, attention holding, and beneficially educational.  I took responsibility for my students and their learning and engaged them in an higher level activity.

Click Wacky Weather Instruments to see how I was a leader.

During Block III, I implemented the lesson Wacky Weather Instruments.  Students were learning about weather, and this lesson allowed students to engage in weather condition predictions.  Students learned about the different types of instruments used to predict the weather.  The also created some of the instruments they were studying about.  We observed our weather predicting instruments on a daily basis and forecasted the weather.  Students really enjoyed creating their weather instrument, and were eager to examine them each day. 

This lesson indicates that I am a leader because I lead students in the study of weather forecasting instruments.  Goals and expectations were defined at the beginning of the lesson, to students, in order to reach expectations and their responsibilities.  I allowed students to investigate, observe, and explore their ever changing world around them.  By allowing students do this, it promoted higher level thinking which lead to higher level learning. 

Click Money Mix-Up to view me being a leader.

During Block II, I created Money Mix-Up to help aid my second graders with money identification and counting.  This lesson shows me being a leader because I saw what students were struggling with, and I created a lesson to help them.  By designing, implementing, and completing this lesson promoted a higher level of learning among my students.  This lesson helped students who were struggling with money.  It also allowed students who grasped the concept.  They were allowed to help explain the concept.  This lesson demonstrates that I am a leader because I took responsibility for all my students' progress and engaged them in an on-going inquiry.