Conversations for Learning—Part 2

Professional development gained through the sharing of teaching philosophies and practice has always been and will continue to be invaluable for me. Sharing of activities, viewpoints, and new developments presented at conferences or teacher professional development days allow teachers and administrators alike to question, challenge and look to implement new ways of thinking, learning, and leading in 21^st Century educational institutions. Undoubtedly, collegiality and collaboration can be enhanced at any school to ensure teachers benefit from their experiences and continue to enhance their careers. Indeed, inspiration and development helps foster a vital connection between teacher development and school improvement.

A competing viewpoint involving school improvement resonates when collegiality means that shared decision-making, requiring extra time to collaborate, takes place. In some instances, leaders will have the tough role of realizing they will have to make a judgment for the rest to follow whether people agree or disagree. Leaders have a tough job.

In conclusion, shared decision-making is intended to foster change, which can, in turn, generate conflict. As teachers/administrators, we all agree that changes need to be made in order for our careers to reflect the professionalism we are entitled. In this regard, teachers must stand up for what they need. As, James Gorman, British Columbia Deputy Minister of Education stated, we need to continue to question and challenge the status quo because you don’t know if you can get away with it if you don’t try it; ask for forgiveness later. This statement is inarguable in light of the student’s best interest.

Conversations for Learning

As I completed my Masters of Education in Administration and Leadership degree, I had the privilege of hearing Bruce Beairsto speak about leadership in schools, as a "dance between a manager and leader". In my grad program we focused on "leadership," almost to the extent where I had discarded the role of a manager completely—I won’t manage, I will lead! This is what I would repeat to myself. Beairsto’s framework, the two faces of an administrator, clarified my understanding of the fine balance between a manager (masterful so errors and pitfalls do not occur; reliable the scripts at play for efficient running and operations of the school; certain making people feel confident; and boss taking charge of crisis(es) and managing well), and a leader (intimate-fully engaged in a personal way; playful-learning through their engagement and exploration; curious-unscripted behaviour and experimental in nature; and colleague-support). As a leader, I understood these two faces of an administrator to be a paradox—it is never going to be a simple or clear career, free of tension. In some sense this is a relief to know!

To know "the division of experiences along the continuum is not necessarily the point as much as embracing the tensions and complexity for better understandings and eventually professional growth," as stated by Snow-Gerono (2008) gives me hope and belief in the future. After digesting this helpful information, I believe collegiality, the working together of many to achieve the same goal, is the cornerstone, for future development in the educational realm. Working together, learning from experienced educators, sharing visions, and collaborating, enhances teacher’s attitudes and improves ones interpersonal skills used to interact in a more demanding society.