A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by understanding, responding to and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.
"The research is clear: nothing motivates a child more than when learning is valued by schools and families/community working together in partnership...These forms of involvement do not happen by accident or even by invitation. They happen by explicit strategic intervention."
--Michael Fullan
Advocate for children, families, and caregivers
Recently, my colleague and I had the chance to speak with a group of graduate students at Oakland University about collaboration and facilitating positive interactions. After considering many options, we decided to employ the thinking protocol "Circle of Viewpoints" to examine a variety of perspectives in problem-solving meetings. We started the discussion by creating a typical scenario and then assigned meeting roles such as: parent, teacher, principal, coach, support staff, special education director and paraprofessional. During our role play, we stopped to ask participants how they were feeling in each perspective. Through this process, we discovered that seemingly small details had a large impact. A surprising revelation for the class was how tone of voice, body posture, and seating arrangements can impact the outcome of a meeting. One aspect of the conversation that was unsurprising however, was that when all participants felt respected, had a voice, and had the best interest of the student at heart, the meeting was a success.
This process also allowed me to reflect on the role of administration in such meetings. I found myself saying that the role of administration is to support staff and parents in the problem-solving process, encouraging the team to work together to reach a common solution. I also found myself stepping in to clarify, providing additional insights, and working to shift the tone and mood of the meeting. It also made me realize how often I engage in such behaviors as a caseload teacher in IEP meetings.
Another critical point we hoped to relay was the importance of objective data. While charts, graphs, and anecdotal observations do not define a child, they can be useful in a problem-solving context, especially in an emotionally charged environment. I shared with students that it can be helpful to create a problem-solving document, not only to serve as documentation of the meeting conversation, but to keep the focus on the meeting's purpose. I have included an example of such a document below.
This process also allowed me to reflect on the role of administration in such meetings. I found myself saying that the role of administration is to support staff and parents in the problem-solving process, encouraging the team to work together to reach a common solution. I also found myself stepping in to clarify, providing additional insights, and working to shift the tone and mood of the meeting. It also made me realize how often I engage in such behaviors as a caseload teacher in IEP meetings.
Another critical point we hoped to relay was the importance of objective data. While charts, graphs, and anecdotal observations do not define a child, they can be useful in a problem-solving context, especially in an emotionally charged environment. I shared with students that it can be helpful to create a problem-solving document, not only to serve as documentation of the meeting conversation, but to keep the focus on the meeting's purpose. I have included an example of such a document below.