Leadership Framework
“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Albert Einstein
it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”
Albert Einstein
Philosophy of Education
A strong and nurturing education is arguably the most important part of a person’s life, and in order for an education to be effective and meaningful, it must be carried out in an institution that can provide a quality education for its students. The ultimate purpose of education is to impart life skills to students and to encourage them to become lifelong, independent learners. In addition to academic needs, however, students must also learn to act within societal norms and interact effectively within extra-societal contexts.
Philosophy of Leadership
An effective leader is a person that motivates people and helps to guide them on a path to success. True leaders are visionaries who are ready to take risks and always do the right thing. The leader must act with honesty and integrity in all situations, while always keeping a view of the big picture. He must be creative and adaptive, innovative and effective, a listener and an orator. Furthermore, a true leader is a lifelong learner. There is no limit to being an effective leader; one must consistently exploit and enhance his positive leadership abilities to maximize success for all.
Vision for Learners
Every person at every age has the capacity to learn. While this constant remains, there is a variable: the way in which each person learns. Each learner should be encouraged to seek out his natural talents and abilities and use them to his advantage. Learners may be visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic in nature; as such, material should be adapted and presented to students in ways that are most effective and meaningful to them. Learners should always be proud of what they accomplish and be able to justify the need for what they are learning and what they are doing. Learning should be undertaken for pleasure, and students should understand that learning is a lifelong process that does not stop at the school’s door, but continues through to their very last days.
Vision for Teachers
Teachers must always remember that they teach students and not subjects. A teacher should always nurture, encourage, and support his students both inside and outside of the classroom. Because teachers all share the same common goals, they should work together to plan, adapt, and update curricular goals and instructional practices. Effective teachers should be appropriately remunerated for their services and be encouraged to develop themselves professionally and personally. Knowing that a balanced life is the essence of well-being, teachers should also be encouraged to work together to share responsibilities and seek help where needed, whether that be from each other or a member of the school administration.
Vision for the Organization
Meaningful learning and teaching happen in well-organized and effective schools. A school that is highly effective is one that has a positive climate, an involved community, strong collaboration, and meaningful communication. Schools that have transparent processes allow for increased buy-in and sense of belong to members of the school community. Strong collaboration between staff, parents, and students allows for meaningful learning and allow for adaptation to the changing future. All members of the school community should also be true listeners and meaningful communicators.
Vision for Professional Growth
Lifelong learning is not restricted to students in the classroom. All members of the school community should be encouraged to develop themselves professionally, including administrators, teachers, and support staff. Encouraging developmental stagnation sends the wrong message to students and allows individuals to become complacent and for too set in their ways. Professional growth allows for fresh perspectives, new ideas and practices, and increased awareness of learning that is going on outside of the school community. Individuals must be encouraged to take an introspective look into their own learning and to seek out professional growth opportunities that will most benefit themselves and the school community. Upon completion of a successful professional growth opportunity, learners should be encouraged to share their experiences with those who may benefit from them.
Method of Vision Attainment
While having a vision is an essential part to being an effective leader within an organization, various means for working towards this vision are essential to the process. Because technology is having a significant impact on societal and educational needs, school leaders must make effective and meaningful decisions while keeping this at the front of their minds.
Leaders must surround themselves with teachers, paraeducators, staff, community members, and other individuals who share common values and a common vision with the school. In the words of H. E. Luccock, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” Once everyone is in place, the leader must continue to drive his team through encouragement, initiation, meaningful feedback, and adequate compensation. Those not sharing in the common vision and goals of the community should be encouraged to discuss this with the leadership or perhaps move to a position that better suits their needs.
A school leader must carry out his duties and functions with the students and community in mind. In Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus make the distinction between a manager and a leader: “a manager does the thing right; a leader does the right thing. The first person is concerned about carrying out policy; the second person formulates policy. The first person thinks in terms of trees; the second person has a larger view of life and deals with the forest.” That is how intend to lead in my school.
A strong and nurturing education is arguably the most important part of a person’s life, and in order for an education to be effective and meaningful, it must be carried out in an institution that can provide a quality education for its students. The ultimate purpose of education is to impart life skills to students and to encourage them to become lifelong, independent learners. In addition to academic needs, however, students must also learn to act within societal norms and interact effectively within extra-societal contexts.
Philosophy of Leadership
An effective leader is a person that motivates people and helps to guide them on a path to success. True leaders are visionaries who are ready to take risks and always do the right thing. The leader must act with honesty and integrity in all situations, while always keeping a view of the big picture. He must be creative and adaptive, innovative and effective, a listener and an orator. Furthermore, a true leader is a lifelong learner. There is no limit to being an effective leader; one must consistently exploit and enhance his positive leadership abilities to maximize success for all.
Vision for Learners
Every person at every age has the capacity to learn. While this constant remains, there is a variable: the way in which each person learns. Each learner should be encouraged to seek out his natural talents and abilities and use them to his advantage. Learners may be visual, auditory, or kinaesthetic in nature; as such, material should be adapted and presented to students in ways that are most effective and meaningful to them. Learners should always be proud of what they accomplish and be able to justify the need for what they are learning and what they are doing. Learning should be undertaken for pleasure, and students should understand that learning is a lifelong process that does not stop at the school’s door, but continues through to their very last days.
Vision for Teachers
Teachers must always remember that they teach students and not subjects. A teacher should always nurture, encourage, and support his students both inside and outside of the classroom. Because teachers all share the same common goals, they should work together to plan, adapt, and update curricular goals and instructional practices. Effective teachers should be appropriately remunerated for their services and be encouraged to develop themselves professionally and personally. Knowing that a balanced life is the essence of well-being, teachers should also be encouraged to work together to share responsibilities and seek help where needed, whether that be from each other or a member of the school administration.
Vision for the Organization
Meaningful learning and teaching happen in well-organized and effective schools. A school that is highly effective is one that has a positive climate, an involved community, strong collaboration, and meaningful communication. Schools that have transparent processes allow for increased buy-in and sense of belong to members of the school community. Strong collaboration between staff, parents, and students allows for meaningful learning and allow for adaptation to the changing future. All members of the school community should also be true listeners and meaningful communicators.
Vision for Professional Growth
Lifelong learning is not restricted to students in the classroom. All members of the school community should be encouraged to develop themselves professionally, including administrators, teachers, and support staff. Encouraging developmental stagnation sends the wrong message to students and allows individuals to become complacent and for too set in their ways. Professional growth allows for fresh perspectives, new ideas and practices, and increased awareness of learning that is going on outside of the school community. Individuals must be encouraged to take an introspective look into their own learning and to seek out professional growth opportunities that will most benefit themselves and the school community. Upon completion of a successful professional growth opportunity, learners should be encouraged to share their experiences with those who may benefit from them.
Method of Vision Attainment
While having a vision is an essential part to being an effective leader within an organization, various means for working towards this vision are essential to the process. Because technology is having a significant impact on societal and educational needs, school leaders must make effective and meaningful decisions while keeping this at the front of their minds.
Leaders must surround themselves with teachers, paraeducators, staff, community members, and other individuals who share common values and a common vision with the school. In the words of H. E. Luccock, “No one can whistle a symphony. It takes a whole orchestra to play it.” Once everyone is in place, the leader must continue to drive his team through encouragement, initiation, meaningful feedback, and adequate compensation. Those not sharing in the common vision and goals of the community should be encouraged to discuss this with the leadership or perhaps move to a position that better suits their needs.
A school leader must carry out his duties and functions with the students and community in mind. In Leaders: The Strategies for Taking Charge, Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus make the distinction between a manager and a leader: “a manager does the thing right; a leader does the right thing. The first person is concerned about carrying out policy; the second person formulates policy. The first person thinks in terms of trees; the second person has a larger view of life and deals with the forest.” That is how intend to lead in my school.
Philosophy of Education
“Language is a process of free creation; its laws and principles are fixed,
but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied.
Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.” - Noam Chomsky
My Linguistic Credo
but the manner in which the principles of generation are used is free and infinitely varied.
Even the interpretation and use of words involves a process of free creation.” - Noam Chomsky
My Linguistic Credo
The transfer of educational subject from professor to pupil is no easy task, and foreign language is certainly no exception to this rule. Language is two-fold; it is both an art and a science. A person speaks a foreign language fluently does not necessarily mean that he or she can be an effective foreign language instructor. Similarly, simply because one is a linguist or cognitive scientist, does not necessarily mean that he or she will be an effective foreign language instructor. The true foreign language instructor must possess a careful balance of scientific, cultural, and pedagogical knowledge in order to truly be effective.
It is important to understand that all humans are born with the same preprogrammed language faculty and will eventually allow them to acquire a language. The question of which language will depend on where that child is born, and the question of their “native” vs. “foreign” languages will simply be a matter of the order in which they learn them. It is common for me to hear that once you reach a certain age, it is virtually impossible to learn a new language. I believe this to be false. The same language acquisition faculties that are preprogrammed in a human brain can be used for any number of languages. It is the foreign language teacher’s job to recognize the student’s native linguistic traits and abilities and to use those to essentially program the phonology, syntax, and other traits of the new foreign language.
A linguist must understand the nature of language as a science. Having graduated with a degree in linguistics, I take a much different approach to language acquisition and language theory than the typical foreign language instructor. To me, language is not only a cultural or national feature of one people or one country. Underlyingly, language is a complex series of cognitive events that happens all day, every day in every human’s brain. Language is the quintessentially human trait: all humans speak, and no nonhuman animal does.
Before teaching a foreign language, it is important to understand language acquisition as a science. Currently, language acquisition is a realm of cognitive science that arouses incredible amounts of controversy. Do children acquire language through modularity? Is language acquisition as we know it limited to humans? Is language simply grafted on top of cognition as a way of sticking communicable labels onto thoughts or does learning a language somehow mean learning to think in that language? It would be impractical to answer these questions in this philosophy of education. It is my firm belief, however, that these questions must remain at the back of any effective language teacher’s mind, so that they constantly monitor and address different theories of acquisition.
Once a foreign language teacher understands these basic concepts and is willing to stay abreast of current linguistic theory, he or she will be able to more effectively complete the second part of his or her objective: teaching the student the cultural, implied, and common usage of a language. Teaching artificial language is not only ineffective, but it is also impractical. Whilst complex grammatical explanations should be imparted to the student either in or as closely to his or her native language as possible, the cultural and true use of the language should be taught entirely as a native speaker would speak to another native speaker. “Baby talking” the student is entirely ineffective and does not serve students well.
I enjoy maintaining a relaxed attitude and environment with my foreign language students. Most tend to feel that making a mistake will make them look stupid. I always explain right off the bat that I want to hear mistakes, and that the only way I can make sure they learn their new language is for me to keep hearing different mistakes. I always want students to feel comfortable, safe, and relaxed when using their new language. I don’t demand formality in the foreign language. I demand effort. Any student who puts in a true effort will effectively learn their new language.
Language is my background and my passion. I am always trying to infect my students with both my passion for languages. My students should always leave the class with a brief question on their mind. They should complete the course with a new appreciation for not only their new language, but also their own native language. Learning a new language is a source of pride for everyone involved. When my students come to tell me they went overseas and were able to use what they’ve learned in class, they always have a beaming smile on their face. They are proud. Very proud. I am just not sure if they are as proud as I am.
It is important to understand that all humans are born with the same preprogrammed language faculty and will eventually allow them to acquire a language. The question of which language will depend on where that child is born, and the question of their “native” vs. “foreign” languages will simply be a matter of the order in which they learn them. It is common for me to hear that once you reach a certain age, it is virtually impossible to learn a new language. I believe this to be false. The same language acquisition faculties that are preprogrammed in a human brain can be used for any number of languages. It is the foreign language teacher’s job to recognize the student’s native linguistic traits and abilities and to use those to essentially program the phonology, syntax, and other traits of the new foreign language.
A linguist must understand the nature of language as a science. Having graduated with a degree in linguistics, I take a much different approach to language acquisition and language theory than the typical foreign language instructor. To me, language is not only a cultural or national feature of one people or one country. Underlyingly, language is a complex series of cognitive events that happens all day, every day in every human’s brain. Language is the quintessentially human trait: all humans speak, and no nonhuman animal does.
Before teaching a foreign language, it is important to understand language acquisition as a science. Currently, language acquisition is a realm of cognitive science that arouses incredible amounts of controversy. Do children acquire language through modularity? Is language acquisition as we know it limited to humans? Is language simply grafted on top of cognition as a way of sticking communicable labels onto thoughts or does learning a language somehow mean learning to think in that language? It would be impractical to answer these questions in this philosophy of education. It is my firm belief, however, that these questions must remain at the back of any effective language teacher’s mind, so that they constantly monitor and address different theories of acquisition.
Once a foreign language teacher understands these basic concepts and is willing to stay abreast of current linguistic theory, he or she will be able to more effectively complete the second part of his or her objective: teaching the student the cultural, implied, and common usage of a language. Teaching artificial language is not only ineffective, but it is also impractical. Whilst complex grammatical explanations should be imparted to the student either in or as closely to his or her native language as possible, the cultural and true use of the language should be taught entirely as a native speaker would speak to another native speaker. “Baby talking” the student is entirely ineffective and does not serve students well.
I enjoy maintaining a relaxed attitude and environment with my foreign language students. Most tend to feel that making a mistake will make them look stupid. I always explain right off the bat that I want to hear mistakes, and that the only way I can make sure they learn their new language is for me to keep hearing different mistakes. I always want students to feel comfortable, safe, and relaxed when using their new language. I don’t demand formality in the foreign language. I demand effort. Any student who puts in a true effort will effectively learn their new language.
Language is my background and my passion. I am always trying to infect my students with both my passion for languages. My students should always leave the class with a brief question on their mind. They should complete the course with a new appreciation for not only their new language, but also their own native language. Learning a new language is a source of pride for everyone involved. When my students come to tell me they went overseas and were able to use what they’ve learned in class, they always have a beaming smile on their face. They are proud. Very proud. I am just not sure if they are as proud as I am.
Philosophy of Curriculum
Constructing Modern Foreign Language Learning
The aim of the foreign language educator is to teach and develop certain linguistic skills, to encourage interpersonal understandings, to help students achieve certain personal goals, and encourage self-realization through sound and appropriate pedagogical methodology. The means by which these aims are undertaken and achieved is based on many factors and circumstances that will dictate the instructor’s curricular philosophy, from year to year, from day to day, or even from hour to hour.
When examining my own philosophy of education, I have found it to be quite difficult to label myself, or any of my courses, as either reconstructionist, progressivist, essentialist, or perennialist. Given the different subjects, levels, and ages I teach, I may be one or a combination of any one of the four main schools of philosophy.
The biggest factor in the shift across the philosophical spectrum is easily the given student’s ability in the target language. It is very common for a student to enter into a foreign language teacher’s class and not have any experience whatsoever in the foreign language. In this instance, my philosophical approach to curriculum is that of an essentialist. The role of the instructor in a beginner classroom is to be an authority in his subject matter, plan activities, supply knowledge to the student, to talk, and to dominate the lesson (Ornstein, Behar-Horenstein, Pajak, 2003).
While maintaining their individual identities, students in a beginner foreign language class will be encouraged to act in a homogeneous linguistic microcosm so that, linguistically, they can develop equally and logically as a group. As Oliva (2003) states, “The goals of the essentialist are primarily cognitive and intellectual. Organized courses are the vehicles for transmitting the culture, and emphasis is placed on mental discipline.” Beginner students will, in fact, follow a rigorous curriculum that is designed to teach both tried and true skills and culture – more specifically, foreign culture.
Students who find themselves in more advanced language classes will likely participate in and undertake a more progressivist-reconstructionist curriculum. Students have already acquired the essential skills in a structured, essentialist environment. It is now their turn to use their newfound skills to “promote democratic, social living, and to improve and reconstruct society” (Ornstein, et al.). Students should be encouraged to think critically and to create and develop original, thoughtful work that is relevant to their interests and environments, and, of course, produced in the target language.
Whilst I tend to shift along the philosophical spectrum when in a traditional K-12 classroom environment, I believe that it is tantamount for the instructor to be much more adaptive when working with adults. Since adults tend to be more motivated in the classroom and have certain very specific aims of their own, they will be quick to mention their preferred learning style. It is – precisely at that moment – the job of the foreign language instructor to adapt his or her philosophy of curriculum accordingly.
When examining my own philosophy of education, I have found it to be quite difficult to label myself, or any of my courses, as either reconstructionist, progressivist, essentialist, or perennialist. Given the different subjects, levels, and ages I teach, I may be one or a combination of any one of the four main schools of philosophy.
The biggest factor in the shift across the philosophical spectrum is easily the given student’s ability in the target language. It is very common for a student to enter into a foreign language teacher’s class and not have any experience whatsoever in the foreign language. In this instance, my philosophical approach to curriculum is that of an essentialist. The role of the instructor in a beginner classroom is to be an authority in his subject matter, plan activities, supply knowledge to the student, to talk, and to dominate the lesson (Ornstein, Behar-Horenstein, Pajak, 2003).
While maintaining their individual identities, students in a beginner foreign language class will be encouraged to act in a homogeneous linguistic microcosm so that, linguistically, they can develop equally and logically as a group. As Oliva (2003) states, “The goals of the essentialist are primarily cognitive and intellectual. Organized courses are the vehicles for transmitting the culture, and emphasis is placed on mental discipline.” Beginner students will, in fact, follow a rigorous curriculum that is designed to teach both tried and true skills and culture – more specifically, foreign culture.
Students who find themselves in more advanced language classes will likely participate in and undertake a more progressivist-reconstructionist curriculum. Students have already acquired the essential skills in a structured, essentialist environment. It is now their turn to use their newfound skills to “promote democratic, social living, and to improve and reconstruct society” (Ornstein, et al.). Students should be encouraged to think critically and to create and develop original, thoughtful work that is relevant to their interests and environments, and, of course, produced in the target language.
Whilst I tend to shift along the philosophical spectrum when in a traditional K-12 classroom environment, I believe that it is tantamount for the instructor to be much more adaptive when working with adults. Since adults tend to be more motivated in the classroom and have certain very specific aims of their own, they will be quick to mention their preferred learning style. It is – precisely at that moment – the job of the foreign language instructor to adapt his or her philosophy of curriculum accordingly.