Day 1 Leadership Reflection

Problems of Leadership Reflection

The group activity about the loss of cargo was the most exciting activity for me today. I have learned the importance of framing, something I was not aware of till today. I have learned how important the way we categorize things is in our decision-making. Categorization has a huge effect on how we deal with problems.

The discussion about framing made me realize how framing affects our choices and decisions day by day. Often times the available or presented options are framed in a way that can get us into traps. I also learned from the activity that we as leaders are not required to accept the presented options, we can think outside the box, not being afraid of asking for more options, different solutions, and different perspectives. I can use this in my daily practice as well, and I feel I am more aware now of how I will look into the problems or options presented to me. 

Another thing that stayed with me from today's session is that good leaders embrace problems. I too find myself avoiding problems or conflicts sometimes, just to stay out of "trouble". Often times I find it challenging to have difficult conversations. Reflecting on the conversation today, I feel more empowered to embrace problems, and to find and deal with problems instead of avoiding or postponing them. 

It was also great to reflect on our primary and most important goal and focus: LEARNING! Thinking and reflecting on why are we doing what we are doing, looking into what learning is going on in Year 1 classes, asking myself day by day what can I do as a teacher and team leader to help learning at school today. 

We also talked about Areas of Practice. In my notes I jotted down what areas I feel are stronger and what areas need improvement in my practice. 

As a year-level team leader, I think I am doing much better in regard to building relationships, leading a learning community, developing people, and setting directions. I have experienced dealing with a variety of teaching colleagues, school staff, students, and parents from different cultures, countries, and religions. However, I would need improvement in ensuring accountability and leading the organization. As a team leader, I do not have the authority or role to lead the organization. However, I can increase the Year 1 teaching team's accountability by making sure that each team member knows exactly what the expectations are and that we tie the planning (teaching and learning in our classrooms) to the vision and mission of the school.