DerekBoyd

PrincipalInstructionalLeadershipInterviewAssignment
February6,2016

Forthisassignment,IinterviewedanAssistantPrincipal,Ms.Maven,atanElementary
SchoolinEastOakland,wheresheisfrom.Ms.MavenisinherfirstyearasanAssistant
Principal,afterbeingaclassroomteacherforthepast6years.IhaveknownMs.Mavenforover
fiveyears,sincebothofusareapartoftheTeachTomorrowinOaklandorganization.Ive
knownherasastrongclassroomteacherandteacherleader,andwasinterestedinher
perspectiveasanewAssistantPrincipal.WemetacafeinEastOaklandduringtheschool
week,andwereabletohavealivelydiscussionabouthertransitionintoanadministrativerole,
andhowshehasshiftedherpracticearoundcoachingteachers.
WhenMs.Mavenfirstsatdownforourinterview,IaskedherHowareyoudoing?and
Howhasitbeen?,theitbeingherpositionasanAP.ShesmiledandsaidGood.Itsbeena
tripsofar!Wetalkedfirstabouthowmuchherrolesandresponsibilitieshaveshiftedasan
educatorinherschool.SheisanAPatthesameschoolshehadtaughtatforthepast4years,
andhasrelationshipswiththestudents,families,andstaffalready.Shesawareofallthe
behindthescenesworkbehindrunningherschool,herrelationshipswithstaffchanging,and
herinteractionswithstudentsdecreasing.BeforewebeganthequestionsIhadplannedforthe
interview,thelastthingshewantedmetoknowwasWhateveraschoolspendsmoneyon,
thatswhattheleadervalues.WithmycurrentworkatmyownschoolontheMeasureN
PlanningTeam,thisparticularnuggetofinformationrangtrue.Withthat,webeganthemore
formalpartoftheinterview.

Howdoyoubuildapositivecultureofconstantinstructionalgrowthwithinyourstaff,in
theinterestofthestudents?
AsateacherataschoolthatcouldbedescribedbysomeasASchoolForTheStaff,I
wascurioushowshebuildsacultureofpedagogicalgrowthonherstaff.Someofmy
colleaguesshyawayfromsharingtheintricaciesoftheirownpractice,butoftenaltertheir
curriculuminthepursuitofteachingtotheirpassion.Thesepassionsoftendontreflectthoseof
thestudentsintheroomhowever.Ms.MavensfirstresponsewasthatInstructionalLeadership
shouldfirstbeaboutteachingandlearning,andfindingwaystodoitthatbestserveourkids.
Shetalkedabouthowsheattendsallofthedepartmentmeetingswithherteachers,andhas
themeachbringaProblemofPracticethattheycanproblemsolvetogether.Thefocusison
gettingbetterasagroup,andnotonlysupportingstrugglingteachers.Sinceeveryteacherhas
toeventuallyshareaProblemofPractice,alllevelsofexperienceofteachersareabletoget
theirneedsmetinagroupsetting.AnotherstrategysheusesisdoingLessonStudiesinthe
PLCsthathavebeencreated.ALessonStudyprovidesanopportunityforteacherstosharea
lessontheyeitherhavetaught,plantoteach,orareinterestedinteaching.Theygettolearn
aboutthepedagogicalstylesoftheircolleagues,andgetmoreprofessionaleyesontheirown
workinanefforttoimprove.
WhileIappreciatedwhatMs.Mavenhadsharedwithme,IrealizedthatIwasconcerned
aboutbeinginaspacewherethereisnttrustregardingthesharingofteachingpractices.Itcan
beaveryvulnerablepositionforsometeacherstobeinsharinghowtheyteachtoother
teachers.Ms.MavensaidIthastobefunforthem.Justlikethestudents,attheendoftheday,
teacherswanttohavesomefunwhentheyreworkingtogether.Evenifitisabouttheirown
classroom.Shepushesteacherstoshareonaweeklybasis,somethingfunthatishappening
intheirclassrooms.Highlightingthegood,insteadofalwaysthestruggle.Inthissamevein,she

asksteacherstosharefunorinterestingactivitiestheyhaveheardof,orhavetried,thatmay
notbeapplicableintheirroom,butwouldbegreatforanotherteacher.ThelastthingMs.Maven
saidtothiswastoGivefeedbackwhengoodthingsarehappening.Shebelievesthatpartof
thereasonteacherscanbesoscaredtohaveotheradultsintheirroom,isbecauseofafear
thattheywillseesomethingbadordisappointing.Lettingteachersknowwhentherearegood
thingshappeningintheirroom,isasimportant,ifnotmorethanalsosupportingthemwhenthey
arestruggling.
TheseresponsestomyfirsttwoquestionswerelengthierthanIexpected,butasrichas
Ihopedtheywouldbe.Ihaveafearofnotbeingabletomotivateteachersenoughtowork
togetherwithinacultureofpedagogicalcollaboration.Allofmyownexperienceinaschool
settinghavebeenwithteachersthatdontwanttobeobservedbyotherteachers,orwhoare
reluctanttosharewhatandhowtheyareteaching.IappreciatedMs.Mavensconcrete
examplesofhowtobuildthatcultureinaspacewhereitmaynotalreadyexist.Herresponseof
givingfeedbackwhengoodthingsarehappeningmademethinkofmynextquestions.Howdo
youknowgoodthingsarehappening?Whichdatacantellyouwhengoodorbadthingsare
happeninginaclassroom?
Howdoyouusedataasyourschoolsinstructionalleader?
Dataiseverything.Peopledont,andreallyshouldntbelieveyouifyoudonthaveany
data.Ms.Mavensresponsecamesoquicklythatitalmostseemedlikeitwasattachedtothe
questionmarkofmyquestion.Shesaidthatwithoutdata,itisimpossibleforhertoeffectively
supportteachersthatneedit,andtocelebrateandcommendthosethatareflourishing.
Ms.MavenfirsttalkedaboutanexperiencewithateacherthatkeptsendingAfricanAmerican
boystotheofficewithreferrals.Inconversationswiththisteacher,whosaidthatthestudent
wasalwaysdisrespectfulinclassandwasntlearning,Ms.Mavenaskedforthedatatosupport

herassertions.Whatdatadoyouhavetoshowthatthisstudentisdisrespectful,andnot
learning?,shesaid.Mavenendedupobservingtheteachersclass,sawthatthestudentwasnt
beingdisrespectful,butyellingouttheanswerswithoutbeingcalledon,thenbeingdisciplined
forit.Ittookmultipleobservationswithdocumentationofbehaviorandtheteachersactions,to
cometoaresolutionofthisissue.Ms.Mavenandtheteacherwereabletousethisdatato
problemsolvehowshe,theteacher,couldbetter
see
thestudent,andacknowledgethemwhile
alsoprovidinghimscaffoldstoparticipateinclass.Heisnineyearsoldafterall,Mavensaid
whenfinishingthisstory.
WhenshefirstbecameAPattheschool,Ms.Mavensaidthatshehadtolookatthe
assessmentdatafortheentireschool,anddevelopaplantoimproveit.Inanefforttodothis,
shedecidedfirstthatsheneededtoseeallofherteachersinaction.Everymorning,shegoes
intoclassrooms,todoshortobservations.Shedoesntconsidertheseformalobservations,
ratherasanopportunitytocollectdataonwhatishappeninginthebeginningtomiddleof
classesthatisgreat,orismissing.Aftershegoesintoeveryclassroom,sheemailsallofthe
teacherswhatshesawwhatwasgoingwell,orapossiblesuggestionforthemtouseinthe
future.Thesearentbigthingsthatsheisidentifying,butsmallthingsthateitherdontneedtobe
changed,orcanbeaddedeasily.Onceshesetthistonewithteachers,shewasabletomeet
withthemoneononetotalkaboutsuccessesorareasofgrowthintheirclassroom,andto
discussassessmentscoreswiththem.Asaformerteacherofthesameschoolsite,Ms.Maven
isawareofthesocioeconomicstatusesofthestudents,andanyhardshiptheymaybe
experiencingoutsideofschool.Sheisalsothetypeofeducatorhowever,thatbelievesagreat
teachercanmitigatemanyofthoseoutsideforceswhenitcomestoclassroomsuccess.Inher
oneononeworkwithteachers,Ms.Maventriestofindthissamebeliefanddriveinthem.
Admittedly,shesaysthisiswhereshestrugglesthemost.Realizingthatnoteverybodyis

goingtocarelikeIcarehasprobablybeenthehardestpartsofar.Asapersonthatwasalso
raisedinOakland,Ialsounderstandanddeeplyempathizewiththissamesentiment.
Howdoyoueffectivelyworkwithteachersthatarentinyouroriginalcontentarea?
BythetimeIwasabletoaskthisquestion,thecafewasbeginningtoclosedown.Iknew
Iwouldntbeabletogetalongresponse,butIwascuriousaboutthiseventualityofbeingan
InstructionalLeaderataschool.Iresearchthestandardsmyself,orItalktosomebodyIknow.
Withsomethingsthough,goodteachingisgoodteaching.Ms.Maventalkedabouthowshe
seeksoutresourcesonspecificcontentareasbeforeshemeetsindividuallywithcertain
teachersorPLCs.Bydoingthis,shefeelslikeshecanactuallyaddinformationtothemeetings
thatshejoins,ratherthanbeingthenoddingadministratorinthemeeting.Whenshedoesnt
researchthecontentherself,shetapsintothenetworkofeducatorsattheschoolsite.Maven
hasstartedapracticeofteacherssharingwhattheydowellintheircontentareaswithothersat
thesite.Forexample,ifthereisateacherthatexcelsinteachinglongdivision,theywillputona
smallworkshopfortheotherteachersinthatarea.Trustingtheknowledgeattheschoolsiteis
somethingthatMs.Mavenbelievesinwholeheartedly.
Aftertheinterviewended,Ifoundmyselfmuchmoreencouragedthataftertheinterviews
fromtheFallQuarter.TheroleofInstructionalLeadershipasanAssistantPrincipal,seemed
muchmoremanageablethanthatofthePrincipal.Consideringthedifferingscopesofthetwo
positions,thisistobeexpected,butwasstillmorepresentintheinterviewsthanIthoughtit
wouldbe.IunderstandmorenowwhyteacherswouldtransitionintobeinganAPbeforegoing
straightintoaPrincipalship.ItseemslikearolethatIwouldbeabletodo,withtheexperience
thatIalreadyhavecoachingteachers,andleadingprofessionaldevelopmentworkshops.
InterviewingMs.Mavenhasgivenmespecificscenariostothinkabout,asIcontinueinthis
program,andponderthepursuitofAdministrationinmyfuture.