Theory of Administrative Practice

Final Theory of Practice
University of Texas at Arlington

Final Theory of Practice

As I think about my theory of practice, it was interesting to reflect on how the roles of a principal has changed and evolved over the years. Several years ago the principals’ job was to make sure the buses ran on time, the supplies were ordered, and personnel issues were taken care of. Now the main focus of a successful administrator is student learning and achievement. Today, principals must spend much more time in classrooms than in the office, and they are asked to focus on curriculum and instruction as well as collecting, analyzing, and using data to improve student achievement. To hold principals accountable for these new duties the ISLLC created a set of national standards that must be followed. These include but are not limited to principles of effective instruction, curriculum design, implementation, evaluation, and refinement principles related to implementing a strategic plan, information sources, data collection, data analysis strategies, and how to inspire others with the vision that all children can learn at high levels. To develop my theory I focused on my goals, beliefs, strategies, and the people I need for my success as a school principal.
The first component of my theory is developed based on my goals. I will help to create a shared vision for students, staff and community members. To accomplish this goal, a principal must develop a relationship with her staff. This means that an understanding between everyone will be evident, that our main purpose is to be recognized as an exemplary school and this can be achieved based on the theory that all students are capable of learning. My next goal will be to utilize my time to build and establish relationships with students and staff. The majority of my time will be spent in the classrooms interacting with the students and teachers. My staff and students will know I care about them because I will make it my priority to get to know each and every one of them. These conversations will be done in a professional and caring manner. I will take an active interest in learning as much as I can about them. Also, I will have high expectations for students, staff and myself. To demonstrate this, I will help to push others to take control of their own learning and development by establishing an environment built on accountability and responsibility. I will support and encourage the entire campus by embracing a sharing and school culture that will work together in an effort to do great things. One of my most important goals is communication. I will communicate with and involve parents and the community as often as possible. As a staff we will work together to keep parents informed and up-to-date with what is going on in our school through the use of newsletters and our schools website. My last goal will be to have a healthy balance between my professional and personal life. Although, I understand that this position has a high level of commitment required, I do not want my job to consume my entire life. By establishing this balance my family, friends and colleagues will all benefit,
Beliefs are the next element that contributes to my theory of practice. The first one is my belief about leadership. As the principal you are the leader of the school. You are the backbone, and heart of the school. An effective principal understands the needs of the school in an ever changing society. I understand that there will be pivot point for what happens in the school. A principal leads an organization by addressing the needs of the individual student, teacher, and school. As a principal I must lead based upon my values and must be willing to share the responsibility in order to encourage leadership in others.. The next belief is about curriculum. Teachers should display academic rigor in each classroom. Students should experience a curriculum that is academically challenging, reflects the needs of the students and community, and is part of a K-12 curriculum. The principal should be skilled in assisting her staff with the best way to implement the curriculum and differentiating instruction for all students. Professional development is another important belief that is included in my principalship theory. Learning is a lifelong process and all staff members need to stay current if they are responsible for preparing students to be productive in an ever-changing technological world. Professional learning should be embedded into the culture of the school. Supervision and evaluation is an important component of a principal. I believe that there is a great deal of importance for accountability for staff and myself. As the principal, I should be able to analyze duties, delegate authority, and produce feedback and training to improve performance. There must be a commitment to implementing a process that evaluates present programs and new initiatives and always using data for decision making. My last and probably most important belief in my theory is the school environment. Our main responsibly is to keep all students and staff members safe. The school must display a respectful environment in order to foster student learning. Appropriate student behavior must be maintained in all activities
The next sector of my theory of practice is the strategies I find important for principals. The first strategy is the ability to single out high-performers. When interviewing applicants for vacancies on your campus an administrator must develop criteria and methods to choose high-quality candidates for leadership preparation. A focus should be place are finding educators with a demonstrated knowledge of curriculum and instruction as well as a passion for helping students meet high standards. The next strategy would be to model a vision for excellence. This must begin by articulating a clear vision to your staff. The vision has to be that every student can and should learn. Getting your entire staff to take ownership of this concept is at the heart of effective leadership. Lastly, the most important strategy for a principal is the she stays connected. By doing this the principal will believe in the vision that has been created for the campus. You will believe that all students have the capability of learning. In order to accommodate the teachers professional develop, you as the principal must make professional development a priority.
The last topic I used to develop my theory was my opinion on who are the people I need to make my school a success. The most important people that will contribute to the success are all staff members on my campus. This includes the administrators, teachers, teacher aids, office staff, counselors, and custodial staff. Each of these team members contribute to making the campus whole. Next, would be the parents and the community. Being a teacher now I know the importance of parent communication and involvement. The students must understand that the teachers are not the only ones who care about helping them to become successful, but their parents and community also feel the same way. When beginning my position as a principal I would like to develop a leadership team. This team would be made up of my assistant principal(s), a master teacher, a community services coordinator, a management services provider, an assessment specialist, a school governance council or any combination of these. If individual functions are assigned, a lead teacher might coordinate curriculum development. An assessment specialist might supervise schoolwide testing and routine classroom evaluation. Another school employee might promote parent involvement and public engagement. A community services coordinator from a community-based organization might organize supports and opportunities for students and families. An outside contractor might oversee management or services such as food, transportation or maintenance. If this team is well developed and established I believe it could be highly effective for the campus.
Lastly, I believe in order for a principal to have a successful school she must have an excellent support system outside of the campus. This can include people such as a spouse, family and friends.
Upon completion of this class, I have now come to realize that the theory of practice is an important component for a principal. By viewing the principal videos it allowed me to visualize what it takes for a campus to be successful. I am certain that as I work through this program I will develop many more idea and thoughts to add my theory. In my theory I focused on my goals, beliefs, strategies, and the people I need for my success as a school principal.