Eda 577 Module 4

In a school, as is the case in any organization, the efforts of individuals and groups must be coordinated, and communication is a powerful tool in that process (Green, 2009). Standard one requires school leaders to be able to develop, articulate, implement, and provide stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community (Standard 1). It is very important that educational leaders develop a vision that is shared with all the stakeholders. According to Green, communication allows the educational leader to share his roadmap of what is to be done to ensure academic success of the school. In the daily operation of schools, educational leaders not only communicate by sending out messages, but they also receive, monitor, review and redirect messages to the various stakeholders. Educational leaders in today’s schools depend on communication to progress their standards and rise above labeled statistics. Educational leaders are expected to be role models for all stakeholders of the community. There are many forms of communication that are used by educational leaders to accomplish this task. Schools primarily interact with parents through memos, newsletters, individual mailings, volunteer activities, field trips, PTA, and phone calls. At my school, it is no different. Communication may be spoken face-to-face, over a public address system, in a telephone conversation, or it may be written in a letter, a memo, or email. My administrator even uses his cell phone to text when an urgent message must be sent out. He has learned to take every opportunity to communicate with his staff in any way that will produce efficiency. An administrator not only has to be able to communicate with his stakeholders but he also has to be able to understand them and their needs. Because of the body language that is used, these forms of communication have been very effective. Hand movements, eye movements, and facial expressions are all actions that help to convey a message. The various stakeholders that contact this educational leader feel comforted and relax when speaking to him, because he created a fair and equitable working climate that feels safe and conducive to learning. Development of an organizational culture means building behavioral norms that exemplify the best that a school stands for. It means building an institution in which people believe strongly, with which they identify personally, and to which they gladly render their loyalty (Razik and Swanson, 2010). The educational leader sees that every stakeholder must understand that they are part of an important and worthwhile larger mission. If the school is going to succeed, everyone must contribute their best and want to see the shared vision become a reality. With the support of a transformational administration in the school, faculty groups can become instructional experts and managers of their own teaching and learning ability to improve student achievement and school improvement (Hilliard, 2009). Communication becomes a huge part of this and he motivates his students and staff into working smarter by allowing them to think, work creatively and to develop better ways of doing things. He allows them to share their accomplishments with other teachers and classes.

References
Green (2009). Practicing the Art of Leadership, Boston, MA: Pearson.
Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2001). Management of organizational behavior:
Leading human resources (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Hilliard, A. (2009). Faculty-study groups support school improvement efforts. Journal of
College Teaching & Learning, 6(7), 1-10. Retrieved from ERIC database.
Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC 2008. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers. http://elan.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/ELAN/ISLLC.pdf Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D. (2009). Fundamental concepts of educational leadership (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.

References: Green (2009). Practicing the Art of Leadership, Boston, MA: Pearson. Hersey, P., Blanchard, K. H., & Johnson, D. E. (2001). Management of organizational behavior: Leading human resources (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Hilliard, A. (2009). Faculty-study groups support school improvement efforts. Journal of College Teaching & Learning, 6(7), 1-10. Retrieved from ERIC database. Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium. (2008). Educational leadership policy standards: ISLLC 2008. Washington, DC: Council of Chief State School Officers. http://elan.wallacefoundation.org/SiteCollectionDocuments/WF/ELAN/ISLLC.pdf Razik, T. A., & Swanson, A. D. (2009). Fundamental concepts of educational leadership (3rd ed.). Columbus, OH: Merrill Prentice Hall.