My Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Presented to the Department of Educational Leadership

and Postsecondary Education
University of Northern Iowa

In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements for the
Master of Arts in Education

by
William J. Brock
Waterloo West High School
Waterloo, Iowa
December 18, 2013

Dr. Charles McNulty

Pursuit of Educational Leadership

Philosophy of Educational Leadership

My decision to pursue educational leadership derives from a desire to

continuously challenge myself. I believe the best way to improving who I am, is to
gain experiences. It is this reason why I am pursuing my Masters of Arts in
Education. I believe the degree will prepare me to be a principal, but will also
provide me insight and opportunities in becoming a better person, teacher, and
leader.
I choose to become an educator because I enjoy helping people. Specifically, I
enjoy helping students think critically and learn the beliefs and values of past
civilizations and how those decisions have influenced our own. However, I have
discovered that a persons education is the greatest indicator of opportunity and
long term success. So naturally the next step in my evolution as a helpful person is
to challenging myself to become a principal so that I can assist teachers in
becoming better instructors so students can become more knowledgeable and have
more opportunities.
In the six years I have been a teacher, I have noticed the national need for
quality leadership and the lack of willingness to respond. I believe, through my
experiences, that I am the type of person to respond to this challenge and accept
the call to action. I also believe I am the type of person to share my success and
failures with peers as a means of inspiring achievement. I also believe that I am
capable of motivating others and inspiring change that will lead to academic and
student success.
Additionally, I am pursuing an advanced degree in education because it
provides me with opportunities. I could choose to remain a teacher with skills in
leadership and promote change from within. I could choose to become a principal

Philosophy of Educational Leadership

and promote change from on top and within while empowering others to promote
change. I could choose to pursue my doctorate and become a superintendent or
professor and promote change from on top, within, or systematically. In all three
circumstances, I am using the knowledge and skills learned to promote greater
academic achievement and student success.
A Successful Learning Community
In assessing my qualities as a leader, I believe organizational skills and
human relations would be my greatest strengths. I also believe that a mixture of all
three is necessary in leading a successful learning community.
As a teacher, I believe I have benefited for my managerial skills. I find I am
organized and systematic when it comes to the everyday responsibilities of being a
teacher and a coach. I feel due to my organized approach, that I stay more informed
of issues, I am able to communicate frequently and precisely, and I am able to
provide better opportunities to my students. This is a life skill that I will continue to
improve upon and adapt as my responsibilities change. As important as managerial
skills are to the position of principal, the key to effective leadership is human
relations.
In learning about Educational Leadership, I have been able to confirm my
deepest held belief about motivation, success, and academic achievement and how
it is connected to human relations. In reading Whitaker (2012) chapter two Its
People, Not Programs, chapter five Treat Everyone with Respect, Every Day, All the
Time, chapter sixteen Make it Cool to Care, chapter 17 Dont Need to Repair
Always Do Repair, Wilmore (2002) chapter four Reaching for the Stars and Robbins
& Alvy (2009) chapter four The Art of Human Relations, the success of a school is

Philosophy of Educational Leadership

greatly affected by the interactions of its members. The majority of the information
discusses the importance of culture and climate in a school and how principals
interact with stakeholders, but it also includes the importance of teaching and
sharing those values with staff and students and how it can inspire change. In
reflecting on the importance of human relations it makes me think of two quotes
from the readings, the first coming from Wilmore (2002) When learning is authentic
and relevant, students will become engaged in the process(p.37) and the second
from Whitaker (2012) As principals, we understand that perceptions can become
reality (p.37). When these quotes are contextualized in the scope of human
relations, it provides a clear illustration to build and maintain relations with our
stakeholders, but also to provide meaningful and appropriate opportunities for staff
and students to communicate with each other. I believe the greatest quality a
principal can have is how they interact with others.
As Principal
As a principal, the community and stakeholders could expect an individual
who holds the success of their students above everything else. By this I do not
mean to exclude safety or include standardized test scores, but real authentic
learning that enables students greater opportunities in life. Ultimately, that is what
we want as educators; to create meaningful learning experiences that provide
students to become independent. To me independence includes preparation for
college, for other students it is preparation for the work force and becoming good
citizens, and still others its valuing a democratic society and behaving accordingly.
Ideally, we would like to believe that all three phases are being implemented in our
educational system. In selecting me as principal, I believe a school would be
receiving an educator who would use this message as a rally cry for the

Philosophy of Educational Leadership

achievement of all students. Wilmore (2002) explains that we must study every
aspect of student data to individualize and focus on the individual rather than think
how lucky the student is to get to come to school and spend the days with us
(p.37-38). To me, this quote shows the importance of focused instruction in order to
meet the needs of the student. With the emphasis on student achievement, my
indicator of success as a principal is the development of staff.
The staff can expect from me to be personable, motivator, professional, and
reliable. I want my staff to feel: that they can talk to me about any issue, that I will
act and give advice which is in the best interest of the school, someone to lift their
spirits by valuing their work, and someone they can count on for support. I very
much want to make my school feel like a second home for both my staff and
students. My staff can also expect a rigorous evaluation that sets goals for their
professional development and helps implement the vision of the school. To properly
evaluate the staff, they can come to expect routine and improvised walk through by
me and the assistant principals. To provide clear expectations and development of
staff, the teachers can also expect peer observations and professional development
that focuses on improving learning and relationships.
The students can expect an educator that deeply cares about their education
and providing them opportunities to learn and be creative. They can expect me to
be fair and consistent in my decisions and one who analyzes the circumstances of a
situation rather than doling out prescribed judgments. They can expect me to listen
to their concerns and make decisions in their best interest. Ultimately, I want them
to expect that every member of that community is interested in them and what
they have to offer society.

Philosophy of Educational Leadership

Expectations
As a leader I expect everyone on time and prepared to learn. I expect
everyone to act professionally/appropriately on and off school grounds. I expect
everyone to treat each other with respect and with empathy. I expect feedback from
all stakeholders. I expect leadership from staff and students. And I expect the
professional courtesy of chain and command. If I had one hundred percent
proficiency on these expectations, I would find myself without a job or a principal of
year award. I expect to have issues regarding these expectations, but that doesnt
mean I am going to lower my standards.

References

Alvy, H. B. & Robbins, P. (2009) The principals companion: Strategies for making the job
easier 3rd. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Whitaker, T. (2012). What great principals do differently: Eighteen things that matter most.
Larchmont, NY: Eye on Education.

Wilmore, E.L. (2002). Principal leadership: Applying the new educational leadership
constituent council (ELCC) standards. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Philosophy of Educational Leadership