Educational Leadership - September 2009

Take care not to grapple with “the bubbles at the top of the pot” without looking at the flames that are creating the heat.

; Take turns hosting and providing leadership. Principals can offer their buildings as meeting sites so participants can see other schools. Others have found a restaurant with a quiet room to be a neutral and comfortable setting.

Informal meetings may lead you to organize a formal center like our Midwest Principals’ Center. Existing organizations such as regional offices of education and universities might provide conversation opportunities.

A FAST TRACK TO A TRADITIONAL ED.D.

Seton Hall University’s nationally recognized, accelerated doctoral program will allow you to complete your studies in just 10 weekends and two, four-week sessions over two years. In fact, more than 200 K- 12 administrators in 26 states and five foreign countries have already successfully earned their degrees and achieved career advancement.

“Starting this program from Canada
and finishing from Singapore was pos-
sible only because of Seton Hall’s deep
commitment to its students. The culture
of positive thinking prevails to make
possible what sometimes
seems impossible.”

Now accepting applications
for the April 2010 cohort.

Loans are available to cover the entire cost of the program regardless of financial need.

Glenn Odland, Ed.D. ’08 Head of School Canadian International School, Singapore

400 South Orange Ave. • South Orange, NJ 07079
www.shu.edu

College of Education and Human Services 1-800-313-9833
For more information e-mail execedd@shu.edu or go to education.shu.edu/execedd

Learning Together

Most “principaling” takes place in isolation. Principals desperately want to talk to one another—to find they are not alone, to be affirmed in their work, and to discover the courage to persevere. Blogs, Nings, and webcam technologies can support our need for community. These add to, but do not substitute for, face-to-face conversation.

Conversation about craft knowledge is more than talk. It is neither therapy nor the simple venting of frustrations, although both of these occur within it. Such conversation requires deep listening, a willingness to trust, and an ability to have a high regard for one another. It is learning at its best!

What did we learn from Louise’s story? Principals returned home better able to address crises and more aware of the importance of parent communication and ongoing relationships with community agencies. They sensed, above all, that the dilemmas they face and the problems they confront are common experiences. What they unmistakably heard is “You are not alone.”