Instructor: Nicole Royer
Choose one of the ICE Monographs and complete the activity.
Read "Understanding and Cultivating Authentic Community"
“A genuine community always holds the rights and needs of the individual in a creative tension with the rights and needs of the communal whole. In holding that tension in ways that give life, the recognition that ‘we are all in this together’ is balanced by the appreciation that we are not all the same. Note the word appreciation. In genuine community, we don’t just ‘tolerate’ differences. We actively affirm and appreciate them for the richness and depth of understanding they provide.”
Review the following questions as you reflect and choose three questions, select on a format (i.e., narrative, poster, video, PowerPoint, etc.) for sharing your collective responses. Post your responses and respond to one other candidate post.
How does this quote resonate with you as a Catholic School Leader?
In your own school community who are the individuals most at risk of not being a member of your authentic community?
What are some immediate actions to address this situation and these members?
As the Catholic Leader, how can you address balancing the ‘tension’ while addressing ‘appreciation’ and ‘tolerance’?
Use an equity lens to explore any issues related to the recognition and removal or barriers inherent in the school/system.
How can this quote help to move you toward a more inclusive school for all learners and narrow the gap that exists in schools with various populations of students who have traditionally been underserved?
After reading the entire monograph, what actions might you consider with your school team?
With whom might you share this monograph and why?
OR
Read "An Effective Communicator"
“Being able to see themselves in their learning and make connections to their background, culture and Catholic worldview, students learn how to be effective communicators “in a culture where communication is increasingly commercialized”
Reflecting on this quote, the SEA AQ course content and the monograph, comment on how leaders in Catholic schools use Effective Communication to enrich the lives of students to be persons of dignity and freedom, created in the image and likeness of God.
Communicating effectively also requires listening - we need to know where our students, their families, our colleagues and what their concerns, questions, and ideas are. The relationship with all these parties is one of respect, trust, care and integrity (Ethical Standards). As leaders, comment on how our communication, whether listening, speaking, writing, or communicating electronically must always reflect the Gospel ideal of love of God and neighbour.
OR
Read "A Reflective, Creative and Holistic Thinker"Reflect on the quote from the ICE monograph and the students with special needs in your school community, respond to three of the questions below.
“To make the world a better place to live, holistic, creative and reflective thinkers are needed to contribute thinking and ideas that impact lifestyles positively and create a common home where all humanity thrives.”
Reflecting on this quote, the SEA AQ course content and the monograph, respond to the following questions.
As a leader, how do I devote additional effort to creating high expectations among staff for the achievement of students who have traditionally struggled to be successful at school or who have been traditionally underserved?
In my position as a classroom leader (currently) I open discussions with my colleagues who I need to align with and ask them, at the beginning of summatives and units, where they see the end goal of this class. These sorts of collaborative conversations occur regularly between teachers, not necessarily always in a manner that inspires action as it is a part of the "water-cooler" conversation, but the idea being that in some cases it is applied to inspire changes/understandings to the current/relevant classroom materials/experiences of students.
I make sure that my collaborations are accountable, wherein a staff member may say, well, "Multiple-Choice based tests are just easier.", I ensure that we document these conversations and that it is stated with clarity that we have clearly deduce that this is the best way forward in a summative assessment. In other cases where it is not so much, accountability for the selection of summative formats, but the content itself, the discussion begins with, "What has been done in the past?" and evolves into, "Well based on the student profiles I had them submit from Week 1's introduction materials, this is the reading level gap in my class."
In both situations, that call for qualitative street-level data, where the teacher is conducting collaborative inquiries into their student's abilities in the subject/classroom (to some degree), the results end in the decision of classroom content which ultimately sets the standards for the classroom. In this sentiment, ENG1/2L some teachers may suggest steering away from novel-study based units and others believe that a novel-study is a healthy challenge produced for the students by the teacher (as well as for the teacher).
How do I encourage staff to assume responsibility for achieving the school’s vision and goals for ALL students?
After viewing the Monograph, I think back to experiences and previous learning where in I was watching Through the Eyes of the Learner: From Student Work to Teacher Practice (2014), two schools developed a PLC in which the teachers are setting goals to develop and strengthen their roles as teachers in this subject specific area which will foster success as students transition to each coming grade thereafter their own. This video is important because it explains the "how" of making a PLC effective not only as a leader in a department or school but as an individual teacher building rapport, development and grit in their own teaching/teacher as a learner challenges.
As an in-class observer from my time in the position of Vice-Principal at HBIC, within the PLC, or maybe even of the English department in particular, the co-learner is one who is developing their own abilities through observation and discussion based on learned material. As a leader of the PLC or school itself, a co-learner is one that does as previously mentioned but further facilitates the manner of which this learning is used thereafter as well. This is a good point for leaders to incorporate success stories among the staff to share something positive about their team and faculty members. After consideration of comfort levels and rapport, it is important to understand that leaders (whether they are department heads, or principals), do need to practice sensitivity (personal leadership resources) in regards to their feedback. Sensitivity to the reception and dealing of feedback can strengthen as well as hinder a team or teacher's confidence if not developed in a healthy manner in the beginning stages.
Thinking about how professional learning is something that is most effective when it is engrained into the school culture, I spent some time observing the ideas of Kelly Rizzo. A school culture reflects the overall attitude that is taken to the community and its members, in the video "Establishing a School Culture" by "Professional Learning Supports", our speaker Kelly Rizzo speaks to the idea of building a sustainable circle of experts to systematically help develop a strong sense of existence and development within the school community itself. To extend on the idea of a rich school culture, Rizzo also focuses on the inclusion of parents as a form of educational input/output for students after school. These ideas are echoed in Chapter 2 of Culturally Responsive Leadership (Khalifa, 2018) in which the principal undergoing the ability to demonstrate how epistemologies can be included into the school and its framework as a part of what makes it an effective school, teachers can develop from the model, confidence and direction.
References:
[Professional Learning Supports]. (2017, January 11). Ken Leithwood: Principal as Co-Learner and Enabler [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/88174131
[Professional Learning Supports]. (2017, January 11). Michael Fullan - Leader as Learner [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/118495104
[Professional Learning Supports]. (2017, January 11). Through the Eye of the Learner [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/91624205
Ontario (2014). Principals as Co-learners: Supporting the Promise of Collaborative Inquiry. Capacity Buillding Series K-12, (38). https://doi.org/1913 8490
Ontario (2013). Dynamic Learning. Capacity Buillding Series K-12, (33). https://doi.org/1913 8490
