Objective 4.3: Leadership
Indicator: Candidates are able to articulate the role and relationship of the school
library program's impact on student academic achievement within the
context of current educational initiatives.
Each year, I engage my students in a discussion of the following quote from President John F. Kennedy, “Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” Although he was tragically assassinated the day that he was to give the speech featuring this quote, its meaning still generates worthy conversation. My students have determined that it calls forth
a crucial idea—leaders must constantly be in a state of learning.
Throughout all of my coursework, I found one commonality time and again, the need for librarians to be viewed as leaders. As we are in the unique position to work with almost everyone in the building, we must make our presence known as a positive asset to the school. Thus, we have to be viewed as someone with knowledge/skill sets that other people need to have. One way that I was able to demonstrate leadership was by participating in an action research project. After reading professional literature and designing data collection tools, I created a multimedia presentation showcasing the positive impact of teacher-librarian collaboration on student achievement. Several people in the building may not know or see the value in action research. My presentation allowed staff and administrators to realize that it challenges us to be the best teachers for our learners. By taking a leadership role and conducting such research, I am proving that I am eager and willing to create a rich educational environment for our students. Taking on this role will help me to gain the support of administration, as well as reinforce my leadership position in the school community. I am confident that by being viewed as a leader, as well as through observing my efforts, staff members will think of me as an educational partner.
To be an effective leader, I must portray myself as an individual who offers diverse resources and is also ready to work with those around me. If I present myself in such a light, teachers will view me as a positive asset to the school—one that they can count on at a more individualized level. This reputation will lay the groundwork for my role of instructional partner to fall naturally into place. I want my colleagues to view me as a leader in the workplace—someone who is willing to take on new challenges and work with teachers to create learning experiences that impact our students. To be a successful leader, I think you must be open to learning from your collaborative teacher; only then will the relationship be a true partnership. Hopefully, by establishing a presence in the school as well as relationships with the teachers, I can be used to my utmost potential as a resource for all school members. As a leader, I must make certain that I am making every effort to reach out to all staff members and students. By taking the time to reflect upon new challenges as well as successful experiences, I will become a leader that values continual personal growth. When I am able to do so, not only will the school see teachers that are confident to lead our students, but our students themselves will become more independent, critical thinkers. |
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