Dr. Johnny Briseno has shown how
research and data should be used along with information provided by
teachers. Teacher input is just as valid
and can be combined with professional literature to find solutions to
problems. I learned that effective
leaders show genuine concern about their staff and students.
Action research eliminates passivity in teachers
and creates an atmosphere of collaboration and responsibility. When conducting action research, teachers can
be proactive leaders in discovering new ways to improve student performance.
Dr. Johnny
Briseno encourages teachers to never stop growing. “If you’re green, you’re growing. If you’re
brown, you’re dying.” It is an attitude
that all 21st century teachers need to embrace. Teachers must be
continuously educated and informed about best classroom practices. Learning never stops.
Productivity
and positive change is unlikely to take place in a school with a negative
climate. Administrators must lead by example and instill values that propel the
faculty toward oneness, advancement, and good habits. School culture could be viewed as the
foundation upon which all other change can be built. A weak foundation cannot support the weight
of growth, change, and expansion. A
cohesive school community can withstand the weight of opposition and obstacles
and work collectively to achieve the highest standard of education.
If school
culture is the foundation upon which schools cultivate exceptional professional
educators who consistently use effective instructional practices, leadership is
the framework. When principals engage in
the Five Practices of Exemplary Leadership, they are building a frame around
which everything else is constructed. A
human body without a skeleton is just a pile of flesh. Muscles must have the structure of a skeletal
system for support. Studying, learning,
and employing efficient ways to develop leadership skills will enable a school
to successfully tackle and triumph over any obstacle that dares stand in its
way of achieving excellence.
