Cyndy Mika: Listen Reflectively

Today’s morning session was on the topic “Using Writing to Improve Achievement” by John Collins. I think the most important concept I took from him are the three characteristics of an effective leader:

1. Feeling: all effective leaders feel passion about what they are doing
2. Time: all effective leaders put in a long day and work in the career a long time
3. Focus: all effective leaders have a focus and do not waver from that focus

An interesting point Collins made was that if you are a leader with the characteristics of felling and time, but without focus, you are merely a workaholic. This drives home the importance of having focus. Knowing where you need to go and writing a plan to get the institute there together.

Additionally, Collins gave us strategies to improve writing across the curriculum, in particular 5 types of writing that we can do in the classrooms, in professional development, and in our own reflection time.

This afternoon’s session was very thought provoking. Barry Jentz met with us regarding “Communicating to Improve Performance”. This topic dealt mainly with our ability to listen to negative feedback about our performance, particularly from those who work for us. Although it is difficult, we often listen and take to heart feedback from our bosses and make changes from those, but it is extremely difficult for us to listen to feedback from our teachers and staff. In fact, we often turn the problem back on to them and try to fix them. This can lead to a negative culture in the school in which the leader is unapproachable. We have to do more than just be managers if we are in the business of improving schools. We have to be learners, especially when we are getting feedback from others about our performance. We need to learn to listen reflectively instead of reflexively.

Cyndy Mika