DR. TRACY VINEYARD
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LEADERSHIP
PHILOSOPHY
I believe an excellent administrator is passionate about education, the future of our children and our society. Educational leaders are those with integrity, demonstrating consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations and outcomes. Educational leaders must possess a commitment to do the right thing for the right reason, no matter the circumstances. I believe that educational leaders have to be personable, transparent, accessible, and personally participate in the learning process. Leaders work with others to develop and grow those around them in every position no matter their level in the school. As I focus on the strengths of others, it communicates to them that I value their expertise first. By doing so, it is easy to develop relationships with those around and push everyone to be better each day. As a school leader exhibits these actions it will trickle down to the students in the classroom. In a quote from John Quincy Adams, he states “if your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” We must never stop learning how to communicate with, coach and inspire others to the potential greatness they have within
It is vital to also communicate the shared vision of the school to allow others to understand the direction and bond in their commitment to success. those that influence students will make a difference. It is because of the differences in teachers' and administrators' perspectives that makes the development of a shared vision important. Educators are being challenged to meet the present needs of students as well as prepare students for the 21st century. We must meet this challenge first with a vision, a picture of the future for which students, teachers, administrators, parents, and community members are willing to work.
Education is built with the ideals of continuous improvement and always looking forward to see how we can do things differently and improve upon best practices. It is important for schools, leaders and teachers to be open and transparent with what is going on daily within the “four walls” of the schools. As a leader, it is important to be visible and visit classrooms to see what effective teachers do and then share it with the world. Technology allows us through blogging, Facebook, Twitter and other means of social media to open up our classrooms to parents, other educators, and policy makers. Public policy is driven by the perception of schools and the days where only educators were privy to the activities in the school house need to be over. It is important to ensure that children are no longer able to go home and not communicate what they did at school. As we open the doors of our classrooms through both physical and virtual environments, we increase the opportunities to change the conversations at home. Parents can now be more actively be involved in learning and the success of their children.
I believe we must always focus on “what is best for kids” and advocate for their growth and learning. I believe in having a servant leadership spirit and serving others first. It is imperative to listen to others, make ethical decisions, find consensus in the school community and include all stakeholders. Those that have an impact on the students must believe in the created vision and participate in the setting of challenging goals. Everyone must have access to shared data and performance and participate in conflict resolution. The intangibles of education are the vision, values, relationships and team development should be heavily emphasized. As a facilitator of leadership, it is my choice to gather talent, be a source of inspiration, and a help to others.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
My philosophy of teaching has evolved over my many years of experience. As I reflect on my beliefs regarding teaching and learning, I find that my mission as an educator is to:
Advocate for students;
Promote positive learning;
Spark learner enthusiasm for learning;
Provide a strong foundation for lifelong learning.
Goal Setting: Having sharp, clearly defined goals, which students can measure, will allow learners to take pride in accomplishing their set goals. Students can see clear forward progress in what might have seemed a long drawn out process. By setting goals students can improve their academic performance, increase their motivation to achieve and increase pride and satisfaction in their performance. By setting goals and measuring their achievements, students are able to see what they have done and what they are capable of. Seeing their results gives the confidence and assurance that they need to believe they can achieve higher goals.
Empathy: Empathy is the power to understand perspectives other than your own. It is an essential skill for all children to master, and it is an important teaching strategies should focus on. Empathy is foundational for building bridges between individuals, understanding each other’s complex emotions, gaining a diverse perspective, and leveraging relationships for collaboration and progress. Despite its importance, empathy is a still a skill similar to developing our students with the academic skills to ace tests, utilize technology, and comprehend curriculum. We must continue to consider how we can formulate our teaching strategies to build character and become the most well rounded and complete individuals they can as they progress through their educational career
Social and Emotional Skills: For students to function at a level that allows learning, they must have a certain mindset that allows cognition to take place. Students affected by emotional or physical trauma and/or emotional issues that plague many of our learners are not in a mindset that allows growth. Students must also be armed with communication skills that allow them to settle conflict and skills, such as mindfulness, which give the ability to positively deal with negative emotions, such as frustration.
Cognitive functioning levels of the learner, Formal/Informal Assessment and Data Informed Decision Making: Considering the cognitive functioning of learners is essential in order to implement and apply strategies that are appropriate for each specific learner. Planning activities or assessments (formal and informal) that can help determine the cognitive levels of students and tailor instruction accordingly is vital for today’s learners. Without this consideration, there is an increased possibility of students experiencing ‘hit or miss’ learning. Additionally, objective mastery can be measured in a variety of ways. Alternative types of assessment include rubrics, checklists, projects, portfolios, performance/diagnostic checks, presentations, etc. in addition to traditional exams/test construction.
Learning Theory: Various learning theories are important in developing quality Tier I instructional practice in today’s classrooms. Behavioral theory offers a wealth of principles that can benefit classroom learning and management at all levels. Cognitive learning principles offer significant contributions including brain-based research regarding memory systems and active processing of intellectual operations. Effective strategies that lend to student driven classrooms encourage learner engagement and prove to increase learner processes that will benefit students throughout their education. Strategies that encourage student centered / teacher facilitated instruction include: think-pair-share, classroom jigsaw activities, constructive controversies, and VESTED and Engaged Learning Model.
Cultural Diversity and Learning Style: Understanding both the learning style of individual learners and the cultural diversity of the class/group helps design and tailor effective instruction by implementing appropriate global and concrete strategies. Although a variety of learning styles are likely represented by learners in any large class/group setting, designing instruction using the research-based learning cycle or VESTED provides the framework to encompass a repertoire of effective strategies. Classroom instruction designed in this manner can accommodate individual preferences, engage diverse learners, and help establish a respect for differing preferences and perspectives.
Curriculum and Instructional Planning: An essential consideration for teachers pertains to overall curriculum and instructional planning. Whether the instructional approach is based on a direct instruction or mastery learning, project based learning, or inquiry-based/Socratic methods and cooperative learning, lessons must clearly identify the lesson objective, anticipatory set, strategies for effective student engagement, and assessment options to measure student mastery.
In summary, years of being in education and working to learn and develop my beliefs have allowed me grow in my passion for teaching and learning. I have had the privilege to teach with clarity, passion, empathy, and sincere enthusiasm. I know that as I share my ‘passion’ for education and am able to use these principles, I will continue to connect with learners and effectively impact students to connect them to their ‘passion’ for learning.