IS YOUR SCHOOL SAFE AND BETTER BECAUSE YOU LEAD IT?

DARIEL A. DAVID

Is your school safe and better school because you lead it? Are your teachers in a better position to succeed because you steer the proper direction? Are your teachers experience professional growth because you lead them? The answers to these questions rely to your overall leadership effectiveness: leadership identity, mission, vision, purpose, and your core values. So let us find out… • Leadership Identity

School head must have grasp of who they are as leader of the institution before they walk into the school building everyday. You are who you are in relation to your home life, family, friends, interests, and hobbies. These assets constitute your personal identity. But your personal identity is not necessarily your leadership identity. It may inform your leadership identity to some extent, but it's not who you are as the leader of your school. Who you are at work, what exactly are you transforming into as your school's leader? What does your presence mean in the eyes of your teachers, staff, parents, and the community as a whole? Does your leadership identity affect the climate, culture, and achievement in your school?

Well the answers to these questions positive, warm school climate and culture.

Leadership Mission

What drives you above all else and keeps you up? What is your leadership mi ssi on?

Do you have a leadership mission, and does it drive what you say and do? It's imperative that you make your mission clear and specific.

Leadership Purpose

What is your purpose? Why specifically do you do this work? Why did you make the decision to lead a school? Like your mission, your "why" drives what you say and do daily. I don't have to tell you about the enormous challenges of this work, which can become very frustrating. Your purpose keeps you focused on the mission at hand.

Leadership Vision

What is your vision for your leadership and school? As a leader, how will your skills evolve? How will you improve and become more effective as a leader? What will this improvement look like? Your leadership vision is a crucial component of your overall effectiveness. It's equally essential to have a vision for your school. Where will your school be in five years or ten years from now? Although your school's vision statement is important, I'm talking about your personal vision for your school. To what heights will it rise because you are the leader? In what way will it distinguish itself from other schools?

Leading with Confidence

"Is your school a better school because you lead it?" It's strong belief that to lead a school forward, you must be absolutely clear about who you are as the school leader, what your mission is, what purpose drives your work, and how you envision the future of your leadership and school. You must lead your school with confidence to say, "Yes, my school is, in fact, a better school because I lead it." And when you do, the students benefit the most.

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The author is Master Teacher I at Angeles City National High School, Division of Angeles City