Leader of Service Project

Critical Element Paper #3

Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership
And Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa
-In Partial Fulfillment
Of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts or Advanced Studies Certificate
-By
Sam Rogers
Waterloo West High School
July 5, 2014
-Nicholas Pace, Dewitt Jones

June 17th: Its Becoming Real

As I was sitting in the first day of seminar, I had a sudden realization
that in one short year I would be done with my Masters program. I
would then be eligible for administrative jobs. After one year in the
program, it had just felt like schoolwork. However, after having a
presentation on resumes and cover letters as well as putting together
an Action Plan, the prospects of getting a job in leadership suddenly
became real.
Both of the topics that were covered in seminar today were very
practical and useful in terms of getting a principal job someday. I was
really impressed by the Action Plans that we were fortunate enough to
look through today. They provided an excellent framework for us to use
as we start preparing for the potential of interviewing for principal jobs.
June 18th: Taking Stage
We are all playing roles everyday. From teachers, to students, to
administrators, we all have a role to play within a school. Dr. Taft really
drove home the point that we are whom we project to those around us.
I think the biggest takeaway I took from his lecture today was when he
said, Begin building your character from the inside-out. Dont be
afraid to be who are you. A principal needs to be a genuine person that
cares about the school and community in which he works. Active
listening, respect for divergent opinions, and empathy are all
necessary components of being an effective leader.
The conflict resolution presentation we heard today was a very
practical lecture for those of us working in urban districts. Even in my
first few years on the job, I have had numerous situations where
parents have presented themselves in the building and have not been
pleasant to deal with. Deescalating situations is going to be apart of
the job whether we like it or not. Knowing how and being able to deal
with people is going to be a valuable resource for educational leaders.
June 19th: Day in the Office
Real life practical experiences are what is going to prepare of for the
roles that we will have in leadership positions within our districts. The
Day in the Office simulation afforded us the opportunity to realize and
experience the different types of situations that we will face as leaders
in our buildings. From athletics, to extra-marital affairs, to cultural
sensitivity, to religious awareness, school leaders see it all.

My scenario dealt with a parent who had a son that was an elite
basketball player. Due to his participation in basketball, the son was
missing a lot of Fridays because of his participation in tournaments
around the country. One of his teachers, a certain Mrs. Johnson, started
having a pop quizzes on these Fridays, which were adversely affecting
the sons grade in that class. My job was the mitigate the anger of the
parent, support Mrs. Johnsons instructional practices, provide positive
experiences inside and outside the classroom for the student, and
protect the learning community within the school. As the school leader,
my job was to find a way where everyone wins. In this case, I appeased
the parent by offering to speak with Mrs. Johnson about the quiz scores
and requesting that she allow the student to make up the schoolwork
outside of class. The agreement was contingent upon the students
willingness to take ownership of his studies and follow through with
making up the late work and retaking the pop quizzes after being
exposed to the material.
June 24, 2014: Facilitated Communication
I was absolutely blown away with the keynote presentation for the
inclusion conference we attended today. NEVER judge a book by its
cover. As leaders, it is our job to value and respect everyone of our
students despite the differences and difficulties they face everyday.
EVERY student is entitled to a free and appropriate education, and
every student is entitled to experience some measure of success. I was
very moved by the stories presented today, and I hope that my future
role as an educational leader will afford me the opportunity to work
with some truly gifted students like the ones we met today.
June 25: A Day in the Life
Today, we participated in a poverty simulation put on by Stephanie
Mohorne, Director of Professional Development for the Waterloo
Community School District. I have had the pleasure to work for Ms.
Mohorne in previous scenarios, and she is truly a transformative leader.
My major take-away from todays simulation is that this is type of
lifestyle is a hard-reality for the vast majority of our students in our
urban districts. Often times, we forget to take into account where our
students are coming from each day they present themselves in school
or the classroom. We need try our best to be emphatic to their
everyday realities and provide them with a safe and structured
environment so that they have the best opportunity possible to be
successful.
June 30th: They, Those, and Them

I had the pleasure of working with Dr. Boyd at West High while she was
collecting her research information for her dissertation They, Those,
and Them. For me, it was interesting to watch her work with the young
ladies that were involved in the research study. In fact, four of the girls
that were involved in the study were students of mine at the time, and
I had the opportunity to speak with them on a couple different
occasions on the experiences they were having with Dr. Boyd. Many of
them described those experiences as not only beneficial, but also as an
escape from their regular everyday routines.
From a seminar standpoint, Dr. Boyds presentation was a reminder
that our students in an urban setting will come from a variety of
backgrounds and face challenges that we need to remain cognizant of.
We will not have any hope of educating these young people if we dont
enter into that agreement with an understanding that school isnt
necessarily their main priority when family issues and home life take
the precedence over completing homework assignments. Our job is to
allow them as many opportunities as it takes for them to be successful.
Many times, the traditional model of public schooling doesnt apply to
them. Our classrooms need to be flexible yet stable. From a leadership
perspective, we need to afford these young people as many resources
as we have available that allow them opportunities to be successful.
July 1: Hero to Zero
Dr. Grays presentation really hit home for me for a number of different
reasons. Throughout the presentation, my initial thoughts revolved
around feelings of anxiety as he presented different ideas on how to
relieve anxious feelings. It is very beneficial for us, as future leaders, to
hear from people that have been there and done the things that we are
about to do.
I took away two major things from Dr. Grays presentations. The first is
that educational leadership is any capacity is a full time job. Not in the
respect of a nine to five, Monday through Friday, but rather, a full-time,
on-call job. The second thing I took away from Dr. Grays presentation
is how the time and stresses will spill over into our personal lives.
Whether we like it or not, leadership positions will play a role in our
relationships. I feel fortunate in having a spouse that understands the
job that I have and the future that I would like to have both personally
and professionally.
July 2nd: Mobilizing the Community

Dr. Jones presentation was a reminder that the school is an integral

part of the community. The school is the place where multiple
segments of the community will come together. In order to be
successful as well as affect change in the community, school leaders
need to be in tune with what is happening in the community outside of
the school. Like the entry plan presented to us, the presentation on
mobilizing the community was a real-life tool that will help us be
successful in another facet of the job.
I loved the gallery assignment. For me, it was opportunity for me to
meet and talk with other future leaders about their lives and their jobs.
It was refreshing to hear from other people that are in a similar position
as yourself. It was interesting to see how creative other participants
got with their artifacts. For me, educational leadership is best summed
up in the following quote from Bill Clintons 2000 State of the Union
address, We cannot build our future without helping others to build
theirs.