Over the course of this unit I have developed an understanding of leadership in a much deeper sense than that of simply leading a team. This includes leadership styles and qualities, aspects related to leadership and what constitutes an effective school leader. It is these elements together that demonstrate the true depth of a leader and the impact they have on their school system.
Through regular readings, I was able to understand
the multi-faceted role of a leader and how a teacher librarian could adapt some
of these elements to ensure they effectively lead their school into
twenty-first century learning. The very first module of the semester allowed me to
better understand leadership qualities and styles and the difference this can
make in determining the type of leader one may become.
A topic that proved to be particularly helpful for
me was collaborative curriculum programs. This topic allowed me to better
understand what constitutes collaborative planning and how this could be a
basis for planning for the new curriculum. It has allowed me to feel more
confident in the ability to lead a collaborative culture within my school even
if I am in an RFF situation.
In looking back at my blog postings over the
semester, I can see how my thought process has shifted. Our first assignment
provided us with the opportunity to reflect on what we understood about
leadership at that point and what leadership qualities we could personally
bring to the role of TL. At present I have a very minor leadership role within
my school which I reflected mostly on, yet I began to think about ways in
changing this allowing myself to lead more within my school. Kotter's 8 Step Process in Leading Change has been particularly helpful in creating a strategic plan. By critically
evaluating where my library is at and where I want it to be, I can now see the
process that I must undertake, along with fellow staff, to ensure that the
school library becomes a vital element to student success.
Through reflecting on other blog postings I can also
see my own learning journey throughout this semester. These postings have
allowed me to reflect on my own practice as a TL and have given me the
opportunity to look closely at my current library situation, including a quick
scan of my library using STEEP. This method allowed me to better understand
where the library is at in terms of a twenty-first century learning environment
and has formed part of the basis for the change process. Another posting that
has proven to be particularly helpful in reflecting on my own leadership
capability is that of conflict resolution. It allowed me to critically evaluate
the way I approach conflict and to become more collaborative and accommodating rather
than compromise my own ideas and opinions to keep others happy. However I have
made a point to remember that any decision made is for the benefit of the whole school and not to take any conflict that does arise personally.
The forums have been an essential part of this
course. They have helped enhance my understanding of the modules and have
provided the opportunity to share ideas with others. It was especially helpful
to see how TLs in training have taken on the role within their school and how
different our experiences all are whilst going through a similar situation.
As I continue through the last section of this
course I feel much more confident to lead my school community into future
learning. I have never been a natural leader and for me it has always been
quite a daunting role. However I now feel much more confident in my own ability
and better equipped to deal with many of the issues facing TLs in the future
than I did 12 months ago. I need to continue to reflect upon my own practice in
such a multi-faceted role as it is easy to become complacent with what you are
doing. TLs must never become complacent and must continue to be an advocate for
their role and its importance in the school community (Boaanno & Moore, 2009).
References
Bonanno, K., &
Moore, R. (2009, October 2). Advocacy: reason, responsibility and rhetoric.
Australian School Library Association :: ASLA. Retrieved on 28th September,
2013, from http://www.asla.org.au/advocacy/School-library-advocacy.aspx
Kotter, J. (n.d.). The
8-Step Process for Leading Change . Kotter International - Innovative Strategy
Implementation Professionals. Retrieved on 26th September 2013, from http://www.kotterinternational.com/our-principles/changesteps/changesteps
No comments:
Post a Comment