Standard 2: Instructional Leadership

Standard two states that “education leaders shape a collaborative culture of teaching and

learning informed by professional standards and focused on student and professional growth.” In

EDAD 612: Development of Professional Learning Perspectives, I participated in a research,

observation, and reflection cycle that encompasses this standard. For the ​Annotated

Bibliography: How to Run a Good Meeting​ assignment, I researched how to conduct an effective

meeting, with a focus on team member engagement. This research lead to a greater

understanding of ways to promote a learning culture in which all team members are present and

engaged in the learning taking place. This research was followed by an observation. In another

assignment for EDAD 612, ​How to Run a Good Meeting: Recommendations and Observations​,

I observed a data talk meeting and reflected on the effectiveness of this professional learning

opportunity based on the research I conducted. I witnessed a high degree of collaboration and

engagement. The team members felt valued, provided information and shared strategies with

one another, and felt safe enough to ask questions and seek feedback. This enabled teachers to

work together to focus on student progress and growth. The overall structure and organization of

this data talk meeting is something I can use as a model as I construct professional learning

opportunities as a school leader.

Another experience that aligns with this standard was inspired by a book I read in EDAD

614: Leading Instruction. In this course, I read The Multiplier Effect, which describes a leader

that amplifies the intelligence of others as a“multiplier.” Wiseman, Allen, and Foster (2013)

discuss the multiplier mindset, in which leaders believe people are smart, intelligence is

dynamic, and curiosity sparks intelligence. Based on this idea, I organized professional learning
for a team of fourteen educators designed to improve instructional practices. I had the

opportunity to design a ​flexible professional development plan​ that allowed teachers to identify

what they needed to be successful in three areas: social-emotional instruction, ELD, instruction,

and differentiation. These three categories came from our school wide goals for the year.

Teachers were asked to list what they needed to learn to be successful in these areas. They were

then asked to look at the lists and find a common theme. The theme for each category served as

a basis for identifying a PLC focus. Based on this focus, teachers chose a group and backwards

planned their own professional learning opportunity. The teams were then asked to create a

learning objective and identify the student data they would use to help monitor their progress as

they tried new strategies and utilized new skills. This experience allowed me to promote a

teamwide ownership for learning and professional growth. It was also an opportunity for me to

try out an approach to bridging professional development and student data in a systematic way

while still giving teachers ownership of their learning as professionals, sparking intelligence

through curiosity.

As I look forward, I want to grow my capacity to build accountability into the teacher

culture. I am still learning how to foster a strong sense of responsibility for personal professional

growth for all teachers. I will also continue to work towards building systems to more

effectively support teachers in analyzing data in a timely manner, and utilizing data to drive their

own instruction in a meaningful and effective way.

References

Wiseman, L., Allen, L., & Foster, E. (2013). ​The multiplier effect: Tapping the genius inside
our schools.​ Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.