Starting out in the Teacher Leadership program, I did not give
much thought to the ways in which adult learning and student learning are
different. That is not to say that I did not recognize the differences, just
that they were not something I really thought to think about. Throughout this program,
we have been confronted by differences in the way adults learn and the way that learning activities
should be structured in order to get the greatest effect. In EDU6600, we looked
at the modes through which teachers will gain the most understanding and be
able to successfully transfer their learning to their practice. We learned that
adults tend to learn best in situations where information is transferred
through or within work experience (I imagine this is especially true for
teachers). Because teaching is a profession where we learn so much as we do it,
learning on the job is one of the ways that is highly successful in developing
teachers and their skills.
As we have seen time and again during this Teacher Leadership
program, reflection is one of the most important abilities that we can develop.
Experiential learning is one of the modes for learning that requires reflection
and response to that reflection. The process of experiential learning, as given
by Hansman (2001, p. 47), consists of "modeling, approximating, fading,
self-directed learning, and generalizing". This process consists of
reflection on practice at nearly every step along the way and is tied closely
to the practice of job-embedded development, which happens to be my personal
choice for learning or professional development. Zepeda (2013) reports that
when taking part in job-embedded learning, teachers experience an increased
ability to reflect on their practice, work with their peers with more ease,
helps reduce isolation, makes learning relevant, helps in the transfer of new
skills, supports continued development, and helps create a common language that
all teachers and administrators utilize (p. 127-8). Through the development of
these skills, teachers become more willing and able to work together and help
create the school environment they desire.
One of the goals as a leader is to aid in creating an environment
where learning is looked at as a lifetime continuum, rather than a moment in a person’s
life when they attended a school. This belief, along with the belief that all
students can reach for and meet high standards, is the crux of the perspective
presented by Angelle, who states that, "Teachers who work in a culture of
high expectations and continuous learning find that their leadership skills are
actively called upon to contribute to the improvement of their school"
(2011, p. 233). The overall effect of this type of atmosphere is that all
teachers, leaders or not, feel lifted up and more confident in their abilities
and the abilities of their students. This can lead to a massive shift in a
school environment. I have been a part of a situation where leadership was not honored in any way and the school became
stagnant and, frankly, a horrible place to work.
The culmination of our learning about the modes and methods for
adult learning is our final product, a plan of action for an
area of need in our school. Through the development of this action plan, we
looked at demographics and some detailed information about our school. We then
had to find an issue within our school upon which we could have an effect. I
chose to look at academic language development because there is a large
population of ELL students and our students' ability to utilize academic
language is going to enhance their ability to perform in all content areas. The
plan is highly dependent upon site-based, job-embedded learning. This
particular area of adult learning is something I have had the good fortune of
experiencing with math instructional coaches. It has enhanced my ability as a
math teacher tremendously and I know it can do the same for others. While the
plan is not something that I am able to implement, there are some elements
being utilized by our school over the course of this school year.
Another course that has influenced my approach to teacher
leadership and collaboration was EDAD6589. Through this course, I had the
opportunity to work with many future administrators to get their perspective on
working with other administrators, teachers, parents and students, and
community members. We had the chance to reflect on a significant event that occurred
at our school. This reflection
was a great opportunity to think about how I would approach the situation (in
this case, the death of a student). Additionally, I created a community engagement plan that
detailed how I, as a principal, would work to engage the community of my school
and how this connects to the principal standards of SPU. Both major projects in
this class required me to take the perspective of a principal and really
stretched my perspective.
In looking back through this program, I have learned a great deal
about what will work well and not so well when dealing with adult learners.
There are many different theories or approaches, but the mode I have found
myself drawn to is job-embedded learning. This approach makes the learning
something that happens in the moment and is applicable, rather than something
theoretical happening in a conference. The plan developed, while not perfect, I
believe would be useful in aiding students and their ability to utilize
academic language proficiently. Overall, EDU6600, EDAD6528, and the Teacher Leadership
program has provided me with a great deal of information as I work to become a
teacher leader in my school.
Angelle, P.S., (2011). Teachers
as leaders: Collaborative leadership for learning communities. In E.B.
Hilty (Ed.). Teacher
leadership: The “new” foundations of teacher education (pp.229-238). New York, NY: Peter Lang
Publishing Inc.
Hansman, C.A., (2001). Context-based
adult learning. New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education, 89,
43-51.
Zepeda, S.J. (2013). Professional
development: What works. New York, NY: Routledge.
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