Terrilyn Ladd

Activity: Interview with a lead teacher/former AP of Middle School (A. n.)

January 8, 2014

What did you do?
This reflection is a summary of the interview that I conducted with a former middle school principal that is
currently a lead teacher for the Exceptional Education Department. She provided some very interesting information
regarding the way she looks at promoting the vision of the school that she worked in vs. promoting the vision of the
Exceptional Education Department (which would be a vision for all of the students with special education needs in
the county). In her eyes, there was no difference in promoting the vision of the one school where she worked and
system-wide where she currently works. The student population is more now than it was in the one school where she
was but the goal is still the same. It was/is the goal in both environments was to educate the all students and to help
increase their academic levels to the highest point possible. This summary and reflection provide details into this
interview.
What went well?
When asked what she knows now, compared to what she knew when she initially started her administrative
job, she raised her arms in a horizontal position. She was saying that she knew very little when starting out but feels
that she knows much, much more. She stated that she always knew how to treat people, because that is a major part
of her job. Thats when I nodded in agreement and remembered the best word that summed that up, which is
relationships. When she started out as an assistant principal, until the day she moved into her new job, she was
able to maintain positive relationships with people. She currently maintains positive relationships with the teachers
that she supervises. She is tough but fair and that description of her personality was confirmed by some of her
teachers to whom I was able to speak.
What she didnt know then but knows now is about the data and how to handle it. She feels that she knew
how to collect data but did not really understand what to do with it. She was able to place the data in the right places
on the school improvement plan (SIP), once trained how to do so. That data has shown her what areas of the school
and her current department need improvement. She has worked collaborative on teams to come up with an
improvement plan to fortify those areas showing deficits. She wishes that she didnt have to keep asking for help in
analyzing data. She has a theory, however. Her theory is when she asked her superiors, they really didnt know what
to tell Lead teacher A. The principal in her former school was slow to admit that she relied on the teachers that were
strong in data analysis to help analyze the schools data. Lead teacher/AP A was not directed to who the data
analysis stars until later on. She feels like she wasted valuable time but the principal felt like she needed Lead
Teacher/ AP in another area more. Lead Teacher really excelled in helping to transform the school wide discipline
plans as a part of the SIP.
What didnt go well?
When asked about what things did not go well during either while being an AP or in her current position,
she leaned back and rolled her eyes. She laughed and said that she had too many things to name that did not go right
but she was grateful even for those things. One thing that she felt like presented a challenge to her during her time as
an AP was the data issue, as was mentioned earlier. She feels like if she had been given some proper training on the
front end, she wouldnt feel as though she had been thrown to the wolves.
One thing that she felt that didnt go well in her current job is not having clarity on job expectations. She
feels like she gets different directives from different supervisors on the same level. It seems to set up some a
situation where no one really knows what to do. There always seems to be some confusion when leaders have
different ideas about where the organization. It is ok to have a difference of opinion regarding the direction of the
department but working together collaboratively to decide the direction cuts down on the confusion especially when
you are presenting directives to those under your leadership,
What would she do differently?
Lead teacher/AP A loves being a lead teacher, even though she loved working as an assistant principal as
well. However, she feels that this position works better for her at this time. She is able to showcase her talents better
in her current position. She is able to work in a specialty area and focus her fine-tuned skills on the students that
struggle the most, the students with disabilities (SWD). If she was able to choose a different direction for her
careers, she would not. She likes her life right now and feels like she works.
My Reaction:
I really appreciated the sincere conversation that I had with Lead Teacher/AP A. She was very willing to
share some of her trade secrets that she learned while being an AP and some things that were taught to her by her
supervisor while working in the Exceptional Education Department. She brings with her many years of experience
as an administrator and was willing to say what worked for her during that time in her life and why she chose a
different career path. She feels like she is positively affecting the lives of more children across the county rather than
one school. I can tell that she is a very warm person and in my opinion, I was able to confirm that she does, indeed,
know how to treat people. I enjoyed the time that I was able to spend with her. She is someone that I admire greatly.

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