This I Believe
I believe that all students can learn. Not a terribly profound statement, however, a very common one in education. Many mission statements of school districts have learning as a part of their mission. It is obvious that learning for all is the role of schools. That has never changed. What sometimes isn’t stated is how this learning will occur and what the expectations are.
As an educational leader, I feel a great responsibility to lead an organization that has, as part of their mission, a statement that indicates that high expectations for all students will lead to maximum achievement. Maximum achievement will be very different for each individual student. It is the role of the educational system to understand what each student needs to reach their maximum potential. All students can learn!
I believe that schools that work collegially as learning communities will be better equipped to meet the needs of each student. Schools that function in this way will have a system in place where teachers can collaborate on best practice, effective instructional strategies and intervention at an early age. This approach where the system will not allow a student to “fall through the cracks” will assure learning for each child. All students can learn!
I believe that when a school focuses on providing time for educators to become more effective educators and learn from each other, students will benefit. Teacher isolation should be discouraged and replaced with a team approach. As an educational leader, I play a huge role in this process. I need to listen first, strategize and implement. I must constantly remind myself that change takes place over time and cannot take place immediately. I must strive to build positive relationships, provide encouragement and consistently give that gentle nudge when needed. This is also true for building relationships with students. When each child knows that the adults care about them and want them to be successful, all...