Anderson_7_Principal_5530

Influential Potential Strategies Development Worksheet

Student Name: Connie Anderson
SECTION ONE: COMMUNICATIONS WITH MY PRINCIPAL Directions: List three topics that determine the success of your principal (i.e., student test scores, parents approval, etc) and develop the row for that topic. Reference pp. 129-134 from the Hartzell text for help.
Describe how your Principal likes to communicate (see slide 24; may be the same for all 3 issues)
He prefers to have written correspondence prior to face to face meetings. This can be an email with a simple request to meet and talk, or could include more information including any questions or concerns you wish to address. He is also very open to receiving research or other evidences that will support the discussion or concern. The tone of the conversation can be rather informal, but he does keep notes and appreciates any documentation we can add.

What determines the success of your Principal? What are the Principals initiatives/goals?
1. This year our school has fallen into a major financial crisis and the principal has been tasked with identifying areas where rather deep cuts need to be made. It is not typical to be dealing with budgets in this way, but even during a regular school year, without this crisis, the principal must always make sure that budgets are developed and managed well. He must ensure that each area of the program is satisfactorily financed while making the necessary adjustments that often come during a school year. His overall goal is to always end the year on or under budget while providing an excellent program to our school community.

Describe when the most appropriate time is to communicate with your Principal on this topic
Always with a set appointment time made via email request. He prefers to meet for this sort of challenging discussion in the mornings after school has started and he is free to take the time needed. During this crisis time, meetings have been ongoing since the beginning of the school year In a typical school year budget meetings occur by the end of October, as proposed budgets are prepared in November for the following school year.

List related key phrases, terminology, hot buttons, or slogans, that will capture your Principals attention
Supporting needs of students and faculty Reduced costs Free books, data base trials Alternate funding sources Re-work or re-focus the budget Strong media program=strong kids Stretching current budget dollars Spending savvy

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2. Our elementary students take the International Schools' Assessment (ISA) each winter and it behooves the principal to show a high level or increase of student success based on these test results. Teachers use the data to help guide learning and parents also appreciate the feedback that these tests provide. This all helps to show where our educational program is solid and allows for reflection and planning for those areas that are in need of development. Same as above and include some research that shows how strong library media programs can increase test scores During designated professional development on Mondays after school (group meeting as he would want all teachers involved in the discussion). This dialogue would best occur in September or early October as testing occurs in February. The discussion will help guide any changes or plans that will support the students in this testing, including how the library can support students. One-on-one meeting, or in collaboration with the ELL teacher preferably in the morning. This would also need to occur by midOctober as it could involve additional funding request for purchase of support materials that would come from the following years budget. Literacy development Curriculum development Curriculum support materials Information literacy skills Increased test scores Increased student achievement Test preparation Data informed

3. The vast majority of our students are native speakers of languages other than English. ELL services are provided especially in the elementary division. In order to ensure successful learning for these students, the principal must make sure that students receive the support they need to master the curriculum while gaining strength in the language of instruction, English. It is also known that mother tongue development is necessary in order to develop any new language and so that aspect of learning must also be supported.

Same as row 1

Mother tongue development English language support Increased student achievement Greater student engagement Success for all Community outreach Parental support Differentiated instruction

SECTION TWO: ASSESSMENT OF MY STRENGTHS (Reference Chapt. 3 from the Hartzell text for help.) Directions: List at least six characteristics about yourself that allow you to influence your principal. Elaborate as needed to be clear.

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Anderson_7_Principal_5530 1. Ive worked at TCIS for 9 years now in a variety of capacities. I am viewed as a valuable team member and since I was a classroom teacher prior to my library work, I am viewed as a teacher among my colleagues, not just a peripheral support person. I have credibility with them. 2. Im friendly and encouraging towards my co-workers and their endeavors. I seek ways to stay aware of special projects or initiatives they may be undertaking, without being intrusive. 3. I have confidence about the work that goes on in the library. When I am asked questions, I tend to have answers, and when I cannot answer right away, I make sure I get back to them in a timely manner. 4. I actively participate in collaborative planning, implementation and some assessment for all PYP units of inquiry as well as some stand-alone units. As a PYP school we are mandated to have collaborative units among all the classroom teachers and single subject classes. While I tend to be thought of as a single subject teacher, I remind my colleagues that my role is to support the curriculum and all the teachers, including single subject teachers. 5. Im pro-active in the school community, seeking ways to be of assistance to students, faculty, and parents. I try to stay abreast of the units that are being taught either within the PYP framework or as stand-alone units. This means that I can offer materials and other support on a regular basis and work on collection development based on the needs of the students and faculty. 6. I engage in continuing education and use what I am learning to make improvements in the library program. My studies at MU have been critical to my work as a teacher librarian and it is evident in the work I am doing. 7. I make and keep commitments. My principal and faculty know they can count on me to support the work they are doing.

SECTION THREE: STRATEGIES FOR INFLUENCING MY PRINCIPAL (Reference pp.134-148 of the Hartzell text.) Directions: Develop a Plan A and Plan B for trying to influence your principal. Select one topic that your principals success depends upon from page one (from the first column). This can be a goal or agenda of the principal. Present two ideas (a Plan A and Plan B) for helping the principal to achieve this goal and at the same time help you to assert

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Anderson_7_Principal_5530 your influence, gain the principals trust, and enhance library services. Include timing, language, and method of communication to be used. Issue to be Addressed: Supporting language development, both English and mother tongue to improve student learning. What the principal is Interested in Accomplishing and Why: The principal needs to show that students are learning in their new language; that they are able to master the schools curriculum while learning primarily in English. This will demonstrate to our administrators and parent population that the children are being successful in our school. When we have a high degree of success with the students, we are likely to maintain a high level of enrollment in this tuition based program and that in turn enables us to continue running the program. As students participate in the planned activity they will have access to materials in both mother tongue and English, leveled to individual student needs. This will help to provide some of the support needed to engage with the languages, and enhance attainment of the curriculum. This will also enable students to have a more successful transition back to schooling in their home countries, once they leave Korea. All of this will show that our school has taken a pro-active approach to supporting learning for all of our students and will build the reputation of the school. As the principal supports this initiative, he will be demonstrating that this school cares about students in all areas of their development and actively seeks ways to help them be successful. It is important to note that while this program is intended for all students regardless of mother tongue, our Korean speaking students have a great deal of mother tongue support available both at school and in the community and so the main focus will be support to non-Korean, non-English speaking children. What the school librarian is Interested in Accomplishing and Why: The librarian wants to provide students with resources that support both English language development and mother tongue development as research shows the two go hand-in-hand. We have had students in our school who have not acquired a strong mother tongue and our own research indicates that those students struggle to learn in any language. Since the majority of the curriculum is taught in English, we have many excellent resources already available to our students. What we do not have are adequate resources to support mother tongue development. To accomplish the goal

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Anderson_7_Principal_5530 of supporting language development including mother tongue, the library must have adequate access to appropriate resources as well as funding to purchase and maintain the necessary resources. This project will show that the library is an integral part of our learning community and exists to support the needs of each child. As a strong collaborator with teachers, parents and students, the librarian will demonstrate knowledge of language acquisition, and provide the space, resources, and time to make the project successful. PLAN A There has been an ongoing dialogue regarding the need to support mother tongue development in our school and it is a requirement of the IB organization that school libraries provide materials in a variety of languages. In order to implement this project the librarian will meet with the principal during the month of May of the previous school year to discuss the following plan: In conjunction with the PTA, the librarian will invite parents to dialogue about the needs of their children in the area English language and mother tongue development. The main purpose of this dialogue is to request assistance in the selection and acquisition of materials that are written in foreign languages, preferably bi-lingual in nature. A committee of interested parents will be created within the first six weeks of a new school year and together with the librarian will assess which languages are in need of support. Parents will be asked to help locate foreign language materials such as books, magazines, audiovisuals, databases, or software and will be asked to consult booksellers, other vendors or even family members in their home country in locating appropriate materials. The library budget has allocated funds to pay for purchases of this nature in the pre-approved budget for the year and the librarian will monitor and approve any purchases made by the committee. The principal will be provided a list of these materials, including costs prior to orders being placed. Book orders will be placed by the beginning of November with most being shipped to parents home addresses where they will be picked up during Christmas vacation. Once they return to school in the New Year, the materials will be catalogued with the assistance of the parents and made available to the student population as soon as possible. The librarian will invite the parents to meet with the principal and teachers during an afterschool coffee time where they will view the new materials together and discuss ways they can be used within the curriculum for specific learning needs. Free trails of databases, software or other materials will also be sought and any that are deemed appropriate will be considered for purchase from the current years budget or in the case of a high priced item a proposal will be made to add it to the budget for the following school year. This committee, led by the librarian, will make a yearly review of

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Anderson_7_Principal_5530 these materials and the various language needs of our school community to ensure that they continue to provide the kind of support our students need. This review, sent to the principal in the form of a newsletter or brochure, will include the number of circulations of these materials and testimonials from students, parents and teachers who have used the materials and or benefited from their use. Appropriate donations will also be welcome from the parent community to help build our multi-lingual library. PLAN B As a community outreach to our non-English speaking families, the library will offer its space for after school/evening/weekend tutoring classes. With the help of the librarian, parents will create a schedule and determine what languages will be supported and by whom. The parents will determine what will be taught, will provide most of the materials needed, and will arrange for any assistance they need. The librarian will provide teaching and storage space in the library classroom for materials, and will support the acquisition of foreign language materials that may be used by these families. High school students who speak foreign languages and looking for Creativity, Action, and Service (CAS) hours will be recruited as tutors or assistants to the parents. This activity will be open to all families, including Korean speakers with the expectation that they will provide the lessons and activities for the children. Families will be encouraged to work together to form teams so that no one person takes on an undue amount of work and to share ideas and activities that will enrich the learning of the students involved. Parents may also make use of computers and other technology in the library after appropriate training has been provided. The library will have extended hours for the purpose of providing space and support for this program and will work closely with parents to help in supervision both of the students and the library space. It may be necessary to adjust current staff schedules to accommodate these extended hours or it may be deemed necessary to consider hiring additional staff in order to adequately supervise the library during these times. The principal will be kept appraised of the program through bi-weekly emails from the librarian and will be invited to observe sessions at least twice in the semester. The library space will be made available from the beginning of September (4th week of school) until the end of November. Prior to Christmas vacation there will be a time of evaluation between the librarian and parents with a written report submitted to the principal and the Head of School. Any successes, changes or needs will be reported at that time with the hope of continuing during the second semester.

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