My Reflection

As I reflect on action research plans, I realize that the plan should be based on the needs of the school community and areas that I need growth in as well. It would be effortless to research a topic that I am totally familiar with and I already know the answer too. However, that is not true action research. Thus I chose to research the staff development aspect of my school because we are changing the way we implement Professional Learning Communities (PLC). I know that the learning and professional growth of the school staff is essential to the success of the students at any school. I also understand that as a principal it is important to participate in this process. Several examples of a principal using action research to enhance staff development were given in “Leading with Passion and Knowledge” by Nancy Fichtman Dana. The example that resonated with me was when Principal Deirdre Bauer used her past experiences with peer coaching to guide her research for veteran teachers. She wondered “How does the process of peer coaching help veteran teachers continue to learn and grow? and what roles can the principal play in facilitating this process?” (Bauer, 2001) This action research plan helped move away from the traditional teacher evaluation process. Another learning that I discovered matched my action research process was when Dr. Johnny Briseno, Principal, Rancho Isabella Elementary, Angleton ISD discussed staff members presenting professional development as an action research project. He stress that the teachers are more likely to receive and implement ideas from their peers. The example Dr. Briseno gave was of how first and second grade teachers share information about their students to help the next grade level work with those students. In essence they were sharing their knowledge to make the students’ and the teacher’s educational experience more successful. After watching Dr. Briseno video, I concluded that it is important to look at the big picture and not just data. It is also important to work with other staff members for a common goal. As a principal intern, I had several wonderings based on my prior knowledge of PLC that has help me develop my action research plan. I had to share those wonderings with my supervisor and classmates as a part of my plan. Of course, with input from others, my wonderings and virtually, my action research plan changes several times throughout this course. As a person who thinks she has it all together, I learned to be more flexible and use others ideas for improvement. I must say that this was a little hard for me at first. It is getting easier as I know that it is helping me grow as an administrator.

Learning to blog was a fun challenge in this course. I was so proud of my first post that took me six hours to complete. I can see it being a useful tool to communicate as a future administrator as well as with my classmates and school community. In order to be an effective leader I must reflect on the decision I make. So the blog is also great for reflection. I feel as though I am very knowledgeable about what is happening at my school already as a member of the Instructional Leadership Team. But my goal is to be an expert in the educational field. I must take the knowledge that they acquired through experiences; apply it to a present situation and reflect on the outcome. Then I must refine the process and realize that this is a continuous cycle. With this process I will shape my school community’s future for success. This is the reason why I am a teacher and a future administrator in the first place.