My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Leader of Service

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Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership

and Postsecondary Education

University of Northern Iowa

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In Partial Fulfillment

of the Requirements for the

Master of Arts in Education or Advanced Studies Certificate

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By

Matthew I. Jenkins

Thomas Jefferson High School

Cedar Rapids, IA

July 1, 2016

--

Dr. Nick Pace

June 14th - Day 1

The first day of Seminar was exciting. I had so much anticipations built up about the day

and it was definitely what I had envisioned. As a leader, you are constantly evaluating how you

can grow and become more efficient with your time as you lead. Looking for resources and

support is very accessible but great resources are hard to come by.

Michael Weiglein is someone who has found his purpose and has gone after his passion.

To find your passion and work in it, is happiness on another level. John Maxwell is someone that

I have admire from afar. Michael gave me practical tips and self improvement strategies that

would help me maximize my leading potential. Since this class I have ordered the The 21

Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. In addition to that book I ordered the 360 Leader. I know that I

will continue to seek growth and leadership resources to help sharpen thoughts or break

repetitive thinking.

The most significant thing that I took away from the presentations was the dont do list.

This changed the ways that I thought about doing things. As soon as I left today I wrote down the

5 things I will stop doing from this day forward. Quitting the things that impede growth can also

become bigger and stronger problems in the future.

June 15th - Day 2

De-escalation is something that I know I have some experience with. As a kid growing up

I had to learn how to deescalate situations in my neighborhood. I lived in a gang infested

neighborhood but I learned how to talk ranking members down really well (getting myself out

of fights most of the time). Although my experience maybe a little extreme, I learned how to stay

calm during tough situations.

 Lt. Marty Beckner of the Cedar Falls Police Department was very authentic in his

delivery of the importance of handling uncomfortable situations. He made it very easy to

understand and also confirmed some mannerism that are congruent to having a productive

conversation with someone that is emotional. Understanding proper physical placement when

talking to people in an office setting.

One of the essential takeaways that I received from Lt. Marty Beckner was the exits in a

room. I always look for exits when I come into a room because of my prior experience with gang

member. Understanding how to make others feel comfortable with you office and your body

language is key to a successful deescalating situation.

The second part of the class really got my mental thoughts rolling. Dr. Taft is someone

that can command a room with the way he engages people. His eye contact, really challenged me

to make a more intentional effort to carry a conversation with my eyes. In speech classes in the

past, the instructor would always tell me to look at the nose of people not a good idea.

I love to hear stories of people and how they arrived where they are now in life. Dr. Tafts

story was very interesting and engaging. The process of physical change and confidence can

relate with everyone in todays society. One thing that I thought was worth taking home was the

breathing. Many times I do not breathe when I talk, and I sometimes run out of breath. Calming

your nerves and relaxing is something that I will continue to work on daily as I become a leader

in a school.

June 16th Day 3

Day in the office. This is what I have heard about and it was everything that I expected. My

situation was one that I was mentally ready for. Watching others go before me made me

recalculate and add to what I would have done in my classmates shoes. When watching my
classmates, I did my best not to make judgment on how they responded. As I took that approach,

I received so much from their decision making that it challenged me.

Over the last year, I have challenge myself to love people without exceptions. My

religion has very strong views on people that marry the same gender. I have always had a heart

for hurting people and people that who are not accepted. My day in the office challenged me so

much in my faith because I truly believe, with everything in me, that I am called to lead and to

love ALL people. It is not a popular thought in my faith to compromise but I do not believe I am

compromising only loving and leading people on a different level.

When I listened to the ladies tell me the story about their son being peed on, I was

enraged. This happened to me as a high school freshman. I was the only black athlete on the

basketball team and one of seven minorities in the school. I was picked on and called racial slurs.

So I know what it is like to be picked on and I felt for their child.

I could not have picked a better scenario for me to experience. I feel like it was

something that I need to do and for things to be confirmed. Leading, learning, and loving the

families is needed. The families in our communities all have struggles and challenges. The last

thing I want to be as a leader is another barrier.

June 21st Day 4

School of finance 101 is a nightmare for me. This is one of the most glaring weak points

in leadership that I know I will have to get better at. Finances in a school building is critical

especially when you have to decide what is more important. In my mind, anything that would

help student achievement in the classroom would be the number one priority. However, there are

many things that you would need to get done.

 Having a financial vision is a great way to tackle the many needs in the school. A

projected timeline on what the monies will be allocated to the classroom vs. building fund. You

have to be very mindful of the spending and make sure you do not go over budget. Going over

budget can and will get you fired. I believe the say is, Budget, buses, and behavior all need to

be taken care of at all times.

School Psychologist and the principal was much needed information for me. The last two

school psychologist at our school has given me a perception of what they do. Many of them have

different roles that they play in the school. I will definitely use our school psychologist next year

after hearing the presentation. In special education, there is a lot of date and functional behavior

assessments that need to be done yearly. I never knew that they could provide that service. This

presentation has helped me and I will start developing a positive relationship with our school

psychologist.

June 22nd Day 5

Principal and spouse panel was something that I wished that my wife was there to be a

part of. Understanding the dynamics of switching from the classroom to the office changes your

way of living. Listening to the stories of how the spouse/partner had to change who they

associate themselves with and how they handle conversations makes it difficult for them to feel

normal. I love the fact that they find ways to find time for each other. The strategy of finding

what is important to you and committing to that can make a huge difference in the relationship

that you have.

Through the partner panel, I appreciate the authenticity. Every couple was different and

every couple had their different ways of handling their spouses job. I have always had the

thought, that if an administrator did not live in the same district then they were not committed to
the district that they live in. I now would prefer to live outside of the district but send my kids to

the school that I will be leading. The partner panel gave me some things that I need to think

about and talk with with my wife of the transitions that we will have to make.

Entry plans with Dr. Jones was awesome. He is much better in person and I really

enjoyed him. Having an entry plan as a future leader is so key to getting the job. I had always

thought about how I could separate myself from every other qualified applicant and this is right

on the money!

The copy of the entry plan that we were able to see was so impressive. Dr. Jones was very

sincere and I thoroughly believe he will help me get my next job. I was so impressed with

everything and excited that I would get some help. I have my heart set on a few dream jobs but

in case I find a better fit, I know I will be equipped to interview and have a plan to back it up.

This day was the most motivating because I walked away today feeling like I have help and I can

do this.

June 23rd - Day 6

It was very nice to debrief the day in the office. Everyone had their feelings of what to

expect and what they actually experienced. This session gave me more clarity that as leaders we

are not far off on what was the right thing to do. These conversations challenged me because I

was able to go deeper than just the comments that my classmates made. When you have limited

time to write sometimes you give surface observation but the debrief allow myself and

classmates to give more insight on what we saw.

The Culturally Competent Administrator presentation by Dr. Denise Schares help me

explain my story. For me, having the opportunity to hear and share my cultural background help

release what I have been wanting to say for so long. Every year people assume so many things
about me and already have my experiences noted before I ever get a chance to speak. Cultural

competence is something that every administrator needs to be aware of. Leading through this

lens, opens up the broad possibilities of growth and experiences shared amongst faculty and

families in that community.

June 28th - Day 7

ELL and the Principal was a wonderful presentation from Dr. Tammy Gregersen.

She answered and confirmed some of the same feelings that I have had about how we have had

the lack of ELL student support. Our school leaders should be a leading voice for these students

but most importantly creating a teaching culture that embraces and intentionally learns from and

with our ELL population.

Learning from the LGBT community has been something that I have intentionally try and

learn from. Understanding all students and the families that they come from only increases your

leadership experiences. I do not know how I would handle a situation with a student that would

come out to me. Understanding the student and their support system would be the first thing I

would look into. This is an area of growth for me because I have not had many experiences with

the LGBT community. I know I can learn a lot from the LGBT community and I am willing to

know more and how I can help be a voice for these families in my community.

June 29th Day 8

Personal wellness is something that I have been working on this year. How I view myself

has killed my confidence. I have struggled with weight loss since I stop playing college

basketball. Having an active lifestyle has gone to the side since I have been teaching and

coaching. Dr. Tom Davis help me manage some of the stressors and gave me a relaxing

strategies. I am fully aware that though I may be competent and a great leader, my appearance
makes me look as though I may be lazy. This part of the class got me motivated to do more in

taking care of my health. I have given up many bad habits but I will many more dont dos after

this presentation.

The second portion of the class was the resume and cover letter. The important of these to

essential items will determine if you get an interview or not. Ms. Tracey Godon gave some great

information on what to look for when writing a cover letter. She really challenged me to not

make a resume and cover letter for every job the same but to have both for the particular job you

are applying for. I definitely will use her services for interview prep and resume and cover letter

editing.

June 30th - Day 9

The Leader of Service project sharing was a great way for me to introduce myself and

show a little creativity. I had a wonderful time sharing what I was able to brainstorm. It felt good

to show others and also do a little teaching. I may have been one of the few leaders that shared

for majority of the time. I was able to see two leaders share their project. It was awesome to see

what everyone had to share. Service comes in so many ways. It is refreshing to see what people

came up with and how they connected it to the ISSL Standards.

This was a great day to share and show support to others. After seeing the other groups, I

know for a fact that I have made connections with my cohort. It is always interesting to know

what the other groups are doing and how they interact. I am very lucky to be a part of something

that shows community and unity. The barbeque was a great idea and a wonderful way to bring an

end to the three weeks. I left the University of Northern Iowa feeling like I made the right

decision. I have never felt like I was a part of a team like this since I have been done playing

college basketball.