Ethics of and Administrator...Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

   An administrator leads by example for students, teachers, parents, and other community members in the areas of interaction with the various groups.  The administrator is the one who needs to show appropriate behaviors in dealing with others, so the community will see how they are and respect those around them as well.  Showing compassion for others is a must and then reflecting on what those have discussed is the ethical manner in which an administrator should act.  Shared information needs only to be shared with those who would have involvement in the situation. The information that is gathered by an administrator has to be reflected upon and a determination needs to be made as to who should know the information and what other courses of action need to take place. 

Reflecting on the core values that you have and deciding what you want the school to represent and how that is going to be shown within the school is something that an administrator needs to draw upon every day.  The values that an administrator has should shine through his daily activities and he should conduct himself in a manner that represents himself and the school in a professional manner.  They must be able to serve as role models, accepting responsibility for using their position ethically and constructively on behalf of the school/district community. Keeping the students best interest at heart and doing everything within the duties and powers of an administrator is a task that all must adhere to.  Community members need to understand that they are going to be treated fairly and that the administrator’s job is to make sure their comfort with the school's actions are at the forefront of the administrator's mind.

Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

School Culture...Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

It is important for administrators to be able to come up with a vision that they can call their own and do what they need to do to make sure that the school is moving forward in regards to achieving that goal.  During my internship I was able to witness how my administrator and the school as a whole goes about trying to reach its vision of providing every opportunity for every student to be able to achieve success.  I have looked at what I did as a teacher to make sure that I was following along with this vision as well.  Making sure that the students are presented the material using various teaching methods is something that I really tried to focus on.  Using differentiated instruction in the classroom follows right along with the vision of creating opportunities for students to have success. 

It has been very important during this process to learn that the culture that is developed in the building carries over to the approach that the students take in doing their work.  When teachers are on board with what it takes to make sure that the students are achieving, then the students recognize that the teacher is their best advocate and they are going to do what it takes to make them successful. 

Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

Problem Solving Skills for Leaders #2...Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

There are other ways to problem solve.  People and their personalities vary widely, so effective problem solving relies on mental models to help come up with best solutions.  Here are a few more steps to help you journey through the problem solving process…

Identify the root causes.

Consider all factors that contributed to the problem.  Once you have thought of all the factors, you will want to list them in order.  After thinking about these factors, you will want to think about where the true problem lies.

Select a solution.

Think about all the solutions possible.  You will want to keep what you are trying to solve at the forefront of your mind.  Consider these ideas…

• Satisfies everyone involved
• Makes it so people feel understood and heard
• Compatible with your standards and values

Check in and monitor.

Continue to monitor the situation after a solution has been made.  This helps you make sure that the problem has truly been solved.

Having a few steps in place will help you problem solve effectively.  By doing so, you know that you have the beginning of a toolbox that helps you navigate through the process of becoming an great leader.

Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

Problem Solving for Leaders...Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia

As you gather experience as a leader, over time you acquire a tool kit of techniques and strategies that help. Then when a conflict arises you don’t have to create something new to help you get through.

Trying a few steps can help you problem solve when something comes up.   You can possibly tweak these to fit your situation, and the more you do the better you get at it.

Step 1: Understand the problem.

It is always best to gather all the information to help understand what you are dealing with.  Try to think about everything from all perspectives and consider how the decisions made will affect them. 

Step 2: Define the problem.

Asking a few questions helps to determine the exact problem:

• Who is involved?
• What happened?
• Why did it happen?
• How did it happen?

Get your answers and make notes.

Step 3: Know your role.

Do you really need to get involved?  You need to think about your standards and values and see how they compare to the situation.  Think clearly about whether and how you wish to take a stand on the issue.

Matthew (Matt) Key, Georgia