I believe that school leaders should foster the development of a school community that exemplifies its culture. Thomas Sergiovanni, (2000) , a current thinker, emphasizes the importance of knowing a school's culture and ensuring the learning community reflects that culture. Members should be aware of the mission of the school, its values and the reasoning behind its procedures. The school's values should be meaningful and relevant, focusing on the members' lives. "The best indicator of a good school may well be the extent to which its image reflects the needs and desires of its parents, teachers, and students" (Serviovanni 2000, p.2). A leader should value and respect the culture of a community and recognizes its needs and wants.

Once a learning community realizes they are working toward the same goals, and that decision making is shared, there will be a more relaxed and positive feeling among those involved. The reason for specific decisions will be apparent and supported, which will lesson disturbance among individuals. An effective school is a collaboration of the work of parents, teachers, and administrators. The goals of the learning community are clear and understood, where the past, present and future paths of the school are known by all. There is no guessing regarding where the school is today and where it is headed. Everyone should comprehend what their role is and what their contributions mean to the learning community.
                                                                  

Additionally, a journey to create effective schools must include strong relationships. Members must share the same ultimate vision. They must be comfortable offering their opinions and reflections. There must be a level of trust among the group where members are good listeners, thinkers, and active participants. The leader's role is to facilitate this collaboration.

I believe in utilizing a developmental supervisory model. Not all professionals are alike, nor are all situations. Having a differentiated approach to supervision will assist in dealing with various situations and professionals. It is the responsibility of a school leader to truly know the professional staff and what approach would be the most suitable.

Using a collaborative approach to decision making will ensure ownership among staff members. I believe it will increase teacher efficacy if teachers know they have a role in making a difference. A leader should foster collegiality among the staff. Teachers should be encourage to work together, share ideas, learn from one another, and teach each other.

The goal of a leader should be to encourage its teachers to reach their maximum potential. A leader should provide the necessary guidance and resources to ensure members are achieving personal mastery. If individual members of the learning community reach success, the community as a whole will be successful.

My ultimate goal is for teachers to view themselves as leaders. If teachers have, and exhibit personal mastery they will be able to lead themselves. Peter Senge, a contemporary thinker who has studied how organizations and businesses can develop and adapt, writes about five components that can enhance an organization. One is personal mastery. "Personal mastery is the discipline of continually clarifying and deepening our personal vision, of focusing our energies, of developing patience, and seeing reality objectively. An organization's commitment to and capacity for learning can be not greater than that of its members" (Fullan, 2000, p.17).

Leaders and teachers must reach personal mastery. I believe that when teachers achieve mastery of oneself, teacher efficacy will increase and therefore will lead to increased student knowledge. A commitment to continuous learning by leaders, teachers, and the school community will provide the new techniques and strategies to accommodate diversity among learners.

A leader must be aware of a teacher's daily life in the classroom, and dealings with students and parents. "Educators want leaders who know education, who are current and well versed without falling victim to fads, but they especially want leaders who are one of us, who can still see education from a teache's point of view and are attuned to the real world of classrooms, students, and parents" (Fullan, 2000, p. 294). Often teachers question if administrators have forgotten what it is like to be a teacher. Part of being a trustworthy leader is not to let those types of opinions surface, but rather continually consider the teacher's perspective.

The crux of an effective school lies in the abilities and characteristics of its leader.
A school leader should be trust worthy, confident and authentic. In order to evoke changes in a learning community trust in a leader is essential. A school leader should model the characteristics he or she believes in consistently. If a school leader is not consistent with modeling his or her beliefs, the community will be resistant and doubtful. "Consistency is the lifeblood of trust. People who do what they say they will do - meet their commitments, keep their promises - are trustworthy; those who don't aren't." (Fullan 2000, p.288) A leader must have strong values and a commitment to what he or she is trying to accomplish. If the learning community does not have a sense of that strong commitment, it may be difficult for change to occur and for support to continue.

A good leader should be caring and approachable. Professional staff, parents and students should feel that their concerns and opinions are considered. A leader must be patient and an active listener. Additionally a school leader should be a good problem solver who is able to analyze a particular situation and the personalities involved to assist in finding the best solution. A leader should be able to trust his or her staff and feel confident in them when delegating tasks.

Another quality a leader should possess is the ability to be reflective. One should take the time to evaluate situations and their outcomes by pondering how something could have been better or why it was successful. This type of reflection builds the foundation for effective decision making in the future. Leaders should encourage others to reflect on their daily activities as well, to assist in this process.

I believe a school leader should welcome and respect cultural and individual diversity. Not only will this acceptance nurture relationships with other staff members but it will also lead to a deeper understanding of how the school functions in the broader world. It is the leaders responsibility to equip the students with the knowledge to be able to meet the challenges in the social world in which they live with success. This can only be achieved if a leader is well versed in communicating and accepting the diversity present within the school community.

Educating children is a challenging task, but one that can be accomplished successfully if parents, teachers, administrators and the community are all stake holders. Together we can provide the education necessary for our children to become positive members and contributors in society.

Sources

Fullan, M., et. al, (2000). Educational Leadership. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Inc.

Glickman, C.D., Gordon, S.P., Ross-Gordon, J.M. (2004). Supervision and Instructional Leadership: A Developmental Approach, (6^th ed.). New York: Pearson A and B.

Sergiovanni, T.J. (2000). The Lifeworld of Leadership. San Francisco, California: Jossey-Bass Inc.

Image Sources

www.bbwcvs.org.uk/ images/working_together.jpg (2004, June 30).

members.iinet.nt.au/.../ venturer/community.gif (2004, June 29).

www.space.net.au/~hutcho/ graphics/vision.jpg (2004, June 29).

www.stjamespds.org/ Images (2004, June 30).