Service Leadership Project (SLP):

School Improvement (SLP 6)

Jerry Taylor Matkins
Service Leadership Project
Show Your College Pride: Promoting Staff Climate &College/Career Awareness

Coversheetpg 2-7
Data Collection and Data Analysis.pg 8-18
Identification of Areas of Improvement.pg 19
Professional Language Summary..pg 20-26
Action Plan.pg 27-28
Project Evaluation and Impact Summary..pg. 29-36

DPI Evidence 6: School Improvement Leadership Project

Project Name:

Show Your College Pride: Promoting Staff Climate &College/Career Awareness

Overview
School: E.B. Aycock Middle School
District: Pitt County Schools
MSA Students Name: Taylor Matkins
Principals Name: Janarde Cannon
University Professor/Supervisor: Dr. Holloman
Brief Abstract describing project:
During my first meeting with my administrators, we discussed some areas of interest that I had
analyzed through the schools data. Last year, our staff voted the overall climate of the school to
be very low. The school voted 66% that the administration provided the necessary motivation,
while 81% voted that the administration provides the need support for the staff. Our current
administration saw the problems in this area and understood the consequences if left alone. As a
group, we decided that this was the direction that I needed to take with my Service Leadership
Project. My objective was to improve on the staff climate and the overall morale. I have totaled
about 75 hours with this project.
To begin this project, I sat down with a few of my colleagues and my administration to
brainstorm some ideas about how to improve upon the staffs morale. Together, we decided that
it would be a great opportunity to create college posters for the staff to hang outside of their
doors. As a group, we decided what content the posters would contain and how we wanted them
designed. I then created a template for the administration to see and review before it was sent out
to the staff for completion. Upon their approval, I created a Google survey that was sent out for
completion. The survey asked questions such as undergraduate degree, graduate degree, other
certifications, and why they decided to get into education. Once I had received 100%
completion, I proceeded on by creating the posters for everyone. I took the information that the
staff provided me with and plugged in the information into the templates. I researched the staff
members mascots, colors, and insignias. Once that was completed, I then had the posters printed
in color and glued to black construction paper for laminating. Finally, I went around to all of the
staff members doors and attached them for proud displaying.

Brief Impact/Evaluation of project:

At the beginning of this project, I came across some criticism and obstacles. When the Google
survey was sent out to the staff, about 75% responded within a twenty-four hour time period.
About 8% of the population required 4 email reminders before completion of the survey was
accomplished. I was met with some resistance and responds such as I dont have time to
complete a survey right now. I had one teacher that responded with I will get to it when I can.
Right now I am a little busy with some other things. Eventually, I left those few teachers alone,
and proceeded with the rest of the teachers. I printed and displayed those that responded around
the school. Within hours of the posters being displayed, those that were resistant at first
immediately sent their surveys to me. They saw everyone else had a poster, and they wanted one
too. One teacher actually came back to me and congratulated me on how wonderful they looked.
In the end, all of those that were resistant, thanked me for a job well done.
For the majority of the staff, I was immediately met with satisfaction and appreciation. About
72% of the staff either sent me an email or thanked me in person for completing the college
posters. I had two teachers that told me they had been to other schools that had this and they
were glad that our school could do the same. In all, I had 18 emails that were sent to me thanking
me for their posters.
Even though the posters have been completed, the teachers are still talking about them. Teachers
come up to me all the time discussing the colleges that others went to and what things they have
in common. It has allowed teachers the opportunity to find a common ground with other teachers
that they might not have had before. Not only has it been a positive impact for the staff, but the
students have had the opportunity to join in too. They have taken notice to the different schools
that the staff members have attended and have inquired about them. They also have taken a
deeper look at what direction they might take in their future as well.
Briefly describe your interactions with various cultural groups:
Since this project encompasses my entire school, I had plenty of interactions with all cultural
groups. For this project I worked with 27 core subject teachers that covered the Caucasian,
Asian, and African American races. I worked with 12 encore teachers that covered those races as
well, along with one South American race. I worked with eight special education teachers, three
administrators, one secretary, one bookkeeper, and one data manager that included both the
Caucasian and African American races. Having the opportunity to work with the entire school
gave me the opportunity to explore new areas and get to know more about the staff that I work
with every day.
I have worked at this school for four years. I have seen it transform a lot over the four years. I
was pleased with the support and appreciation that the school provided. Even though I have
worked there a short time, I have had the privilege of getting to know many people. This Service
Leadership Project allowed me to branch out and get to know all of the 70 plus staff members
that work at the school. I did not know what degrees or certifications were necessary for certain

positions, but this project allowed me to explore them. I was able to network with more people
that will allow my future projects to go smoothly.

DPI Evidence 6: School Improvement Service Leadership Project

Descriptors of the elements addressed in the evidence: DPI: 1a1, 1a2, 1c1, 1c2, 2a3, 6b2, 6b3
Project Name:
Show Your College Pride: Promoting Staff Climate &College/Career Awareness
DPI pre-service descriptors

Service Leadership Project Evidence

(What I did?)

1a1. Works with others to develop a shared

vision and strategic goals for student
achievement that reflect high expectations for
students and staff

1a2. Maintains a focus on the vision and

strategic goals throughout the school year.

1c1. Works with others to incorporate

principals of continuous improvement and 21st
century concepts into the School Improvement
plan.

At the beginning, I had discussions with the

principal and the assistant principals to
determine what areas of the school needed
focus on. We analyzed the surveys from last
years climate survey for the staff to get an
idea on what was needed for the staff. Together
we came up with a plan that would increase the
staff achievement level by displaying previous
college experiences. This would result in
higher morale in the staff members of E.B.
Aycock Middle School that would then
translate to higher expectations of students.
(Action Plan)
Goal 1 of our School Improvement Plan states
that every student at E.B. Aycock will be
college and career ready. By displaying staff
college and career accomplishments, I have
created a display for students to look towards
in the means of college and career preparation.
The college posters are displayed proudly
throughout the entire school for the year to
drive home the importance of life after school
for our students. (Action Plan, Data
Collection)
I am working with our librarian at E.B. Aycock
to incorporate media and technology skills into
the college displays to make them more
creative. I am working with the guidance
counselors to coordinate a schedule that they
can talk with our students about life a career
decisions that will make an impact on their
lives forever. I am working with fellow
teachers to incorporate learning and innovation
skills in the classrooms to help students think

about their future after high school. (Action

Plan)
1c2. Works with others to systematically
I have worked with the principal, assistant
collect, analyze, and use data regarding the
principals, guidance counselors, data manager,
schools progress toward attaining strategic
and other stakeholders to collect data about the
goals and objectives.
school. I also gathered information from the
staff, student, and parent climate surveys that
were administered last year. The surveys
indicated that there was a lack of staff morale
that was present. I have worked with our
principal to set objectives to be met through
the Service Leadership Project. (Data
Collection, Action Plan)
2a3. Utilizes multiple sources of data including E.B. Aycock did not administer the Teacher
the Teacher Working Conditions Survey, for
Working Conditions Survey for the previous
improvement of instruction.
year. However, the climate surveys were used
in replace of the TWCS, along with EVAAS
data, and observations to determine areas for
school improvement that would have a positive
impact on everyone. After looking over the
areas of weakness, I held a meeting with the
principal and another stakeholder to discuss
my ideas and suggestions for potential Service
Leadership Projects. As a collective, we
decided that I would work on increasing staff
climate at Aycock. (Data Collection, Data
Analysis, Action Plan)
6b2. Continually assess the progress of district One of Pitt Countys district goals is to
initiatives and reports results to district-level
prepare students for graduation that are
decision makers.
prepared to work, further education, and
citizenship. In an effort to keep Aycock in line
with these goals, a number of teachers have
aligned career readiness with their curriculum
and have started preparing the students for the
future. Communication has been open and
continued with the administration throughout
the process. (Action Plan)
6b3. Works with others to implement district
I have worked with the guidance counselors
initiatives directed at improving student
one on one to develop a college/career
achievement.
readiness wall. The counselors have created a
bulletin board that highlights a college, a
major, and a trade of the month. I have also
worked with the career explorer teacher to
incorporate career readiness lesson plans into
his teaching. I have also held discussions with
our social skills teacher to discuss with her

how to incorporate these same skills into her

classroom as well. (Action Plan)

Section 1: Data Collection and Data Analysis School Improvement SLP:

E.B. Aycock Middle School

1. History of E.B. Aycock Middle School

E.B. Aycock Middle School, home of the Jaguars, was built in 1969. When E.B. Aycock
opened, it was a junior high school that served grades 6 through 8. In the 1980s, E.B.
Aycock was switched over to become a middle school. It has served over its time,
thousands of students. Altogether, Aycock has had 23 principals that have served as
leaders in its halls. In the last ten years, E.B. Aycock has had three principals. Aycock has
also experienced great diversity through its time as well. Since it is an inner-city school, it
has experienced five different redistricting initiatives that have been documented. After
each redistrict, it has brought in a new set of faces each time.

Analysis:

2.

E.B. Aycock has been open for a while, and throughout its history, it has experienced a
great diversity in students and staff.
E.B. Aycock has experienced a lot of administration turnover in both the principal and
assistant principal positions.

Basic Demographics
Traditional Calendar School
Grades 6, 7, and 8
Total number of teachers 48 including Encore
2013-2014 student enrollment 651
1. Average class size by grade level
6th grade

7th grade

8th grade

203 students
235 students
213 students
Administrative turnover
o Most recent principal was transferred to another Pitt County School after 3 years
of service
o Current principal: Mr. Janarde Cannon
o Current Assistant Principals: Ms. Sharon Ward and Mrs. Ruth Christian

Breakdown of Demographics by Subgroups for 2013-2014 for E.B. Aycock Middle

School (Subgroups not represented are not included in the data).
o Total students 651
Subgroup

Males

Females

Total

Academically
Gifted
American
Indian
Asian
Black
Hispanic
Limited English
Proficiency
Two or More
Races
White
Minority
Students with
Disabilities
Economically
Disadvantaged

55

49

104

Percent of Total
Population
16%

10

1.5%

10
200
30
18

6
197
16
15

16
397
46
33

2.5%
61%
7%
5%

12

21

33

5%

68
255
30

82
247
22

150
475
52

23%
73%
8%

227

203

430

66%

Analysis:

E.B. Aycock has a large portion of economically disadvantaged students in its

population.
E.B. Aycock also has more minorities that attend the school than any other race.

3. NC Teacher Working Conditions Survey (2013-2014): E.B. Aycock Middle School

1. Total number of teachers 48 at our school
2. 88% of Respondents to the Staff Climate Survey (42 teachers participated)
1. Facilities and Resources
Item
Q12

Question
The schools facility is cleaned daily to help promote student
learning.

% in Agreement
100%

2. Managing Student Conduct

Item
Q1
Q4
Q5
Q13

Question
The uniform policy is enforced consistently at EBA.
Discipline is consistent and fair.
Discipline is handled in a reasonable amount of time.
PBIS: I feel that PBIS has been an effective implementation
and has had a positive impact on behavior at EBA.

% in Agreement
50%
76%
79%
71%

3. Teacher Leadership
Item
Q7
Q2
Q6

Question
Students respect teachers.
EBA is a safe place for students.
Teachers respect students.

% in Agreement
55%
100%
86%

4. School Leadership
Item
Q9
Q3
Q8

Question
Administration provides motivation for staff and students.
EBA is a safe place for staff.
Administration provides support for staff and students.

% in Agreement
66%
100%
81%

5. Instructional Practices and Support

Item
Q10
Q11

Question
Teachers provide support for staff and students.
Teachers provide motivation for the staff and students.

% in Agreement
88%
88%

Analysis:

45% of the staff agrees that students do not respect the current staff that we have.
81% of the staff agrees that our current administration supports the staff.

4. Surveys Used to Drive School Improvement

School Improvement Goals are based off of district goals, climate surveys, EVAAS data,
Accelerated Reader, and observations.
The current principal uses instructional rounds and observations that he uses to guide his
decision making.

10

Analysis:

Based on climate surveys, teachers feel that the current administration does not provide
the support that they need.
Climate surveys also represent the need for more respect by the students for the teachers.
Overall, the climate and morale in both students and staff members are the lowest
percentages.

5. Evidence of the Collaborative Development of Annual School Improvement Plans to

Realize Strategic Goals and Objectives
Volunteers at the beginning of the school year determine the SIT members. The members
sign up to be on the board. Members are required to serve on the board for a minimum of
two years before they can vacate their spot.
Each representative on the SIT team has one vote with the majority that is present ruling.
A substitute representative may vote in the absence of the regular representative. Your
vote is to be a consensus from your team.

Analysis:

All members of SIT have an equal/share in making school improvement decisions.

All subjects and areas are represented at the SIT meetings. They all have a equal vote as
well.

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6. Major Goals of the School Improvement Plan

Goal

District Goal
Every student in Pitt
County graduates from
high school prepared
for work, further
education, and
citizenship.

School Goal
Every student at E.B.
Aycock will be
college and career
ready.

Every student in Pitt

County Schools has a
personalized
education.

Every student at E. B
Aycock will receive a
personalized
education.

Every student in Pitt

County Schools has an
excellent educator
every day.

Every student at E.
B. Aycock will have
an excellent educator
every day.

Every School in Pitt

County Schools has
up-to-date financial,
business, and
technology systems to
serve its students,
parents, and educators.

EBA will have up-todate financial,

business, and
technology systems
to serve its students,
parents and
educators.

Every student in Pitt

County Schools is
healthy, safe, and
responsible.

Every student at E.B.

Aycock School is
healthy, safe and
responsible.

Indicator
District
Benchmarks,
Departmental
Common
Formative
Assessments,
Data tracking
based on
benchmark and
CFA data, Jaguar
Hour used for
repair and
extension of
benchmark data,
Accelerated
Reader, Project
Achieve , coteaching

PLC's will be
focused on
addressing
student learning
needs. Teacher
retention,
Beginning
teacher support

Administration,
Counselor and
social worker
will meet weekly

Strategy 1
There will be an
increase in the
number of
students that are
on grade level
based on EOG
scores in
Language Arts.

Strategy 2
There will be
an increase in
the number of
students that
are on grade
level based on
EOG scores in
Math.

Strategy 3
There will be
an increase in
the number of
students that are
on grade level
based on EOG
scores in
Science.

Increase the
number of
students making
growth in EOG
testing by 2%.

Increase the use

of digital
learning tools
for each student
to support 1:1
initiative.

To establish a
STEM lab to
increase
awareness of
STEM career
opportunities.

Develop and
support highly
effective
teachers.

E.B. Aycock
will use
Homebase and
Schoolnet as
essential
resources for
instructional
delivery, online
test
administration
and
communication
with parents
and students.
E.B. Aycock
will create and
maintain a safe
and respectful

E.B. Aycock
will meet all
local, state and
federal
guidelines and
policies.

E.B Aycock
will decrease
the number of
out of school

E.B. Aycock
will decrease
the number of
reportable and

12

to review
absentees; make
contact with
parents and
home visits as
necessary.

school
environment

suspensions,
and absences.

persistently
dangerous
offenses.

Analysis:

E.B. Aycock is looking to promote career readiness culture in their school. They want
their students to think more about the future and what it has to hold.
E.B. Aycock is also looking to create a more friendly environment for both students and
staff in order to create more success.

7. Graphs and Charts of Student Testing Data (3 year trend of state assessments) E.B.
Aycock Middle School
1. The table below describes the performance by each grade levels End of Grade
Tests. It has listed their overall proficiency scores by making a Level 3 or 4 on the
EOG. The table also has listed the overall proficiency percentage of the school in
both Math and Reading.
2. Total Number of Valid Scores: 738 tests were given and recorded
Grade 6
Total Students: 261
Reading Math
32.6%
23.4%

Grade 7
Total Students:230
Reading Math
38.3%
32.6%

Grade 8
Total Students: 247
Reading Math
23.5%
19%

Overall
Total Students: 738
Reading Math
31.3%
24.8%

3. The table below has listed the performance of Each Subgroup on the End of
Grade Test based on proficiency percentage. The student making either a Level 3
or 4 on the EOG determined the proficiency.
4. The subgroups White, Asian, Black, Two or more race, and Hispanic describe the
students race. LEP stands for Limited English Proficiency, which are those
students that have difficulties with English. SWD stands for Students with
Disabilities, which are those students with intellectual disabilities. EDD stands for
economically disadvantages students, which are those students that come from
low-income homes. NED stands for

13

5. Total Number of Tests Taken: 738 were given and recorded.

Subgroup

AIl

White

Asian

Black

Hispanic

LEP

%
Proficient
Total Tests
Taken

19.1%

44.4
%
196

43.8
%
16

7.5%

20.6%

467

34

738

SWD

EDD

NED

Males

Females

>5%

Two or
More
Races
17.4%

>5%

8.7%

37.3%

16.5%

22

23

108

470

268

21.4
%
387

351

Analysis:

Scores across grade level and subjects were lower than that of the district and state
average scores.
Math is a subject that has experienced a downfall across all three grade levels. Overall,
Aycocks math scores are much lower than that of the districts average and the state
average.

8. Adherence of the Statutory Requirements Regarding the School Improvement Plan

SIT has the responsibility for following Pitt County Schools Policy and to help make
decisions regarding improving school performance.
All Pitt County Schools Have School Improvement Teams/School Improvement Plans
Both the State Accountability Program and Pitt County Board of Education policy require
each school to have a School Improvement Team that annually assesses the schools
progress toward goals and updates the schools School Improvement Plan. The School
Improvement Plan should identify the efforts by the school to improve student
performance with the expectation of having all students perform at grade level or higher
in the basic subject and skill areas identified by the State Board and to reach additional
educational goals set forth by the Pitt County Board. The Plan is updated annually based
on a needs assessment which would include student performance, teacher surveys, and
analysis of other school data. School Improvement Plans must be submitted for approval
and must address any student performance deficiencies identified by the testing program
and the schools self-analysis.
The School Improvement Team consists of the principals, assistant principals, teachers,
other instructional staff, instructional support staff, along with input from the community
(including parents, students, and representatives from businesses and other agencies).
Parents are elected to participate in accordance with G.S. 115C-105.27.

14

Analysis:

E.B. Aycock coordinates and adheres to all of the requirements for their School
Improvement Plan. They have monthly meetings and follow all legal requirements.
Minutes are recorded during each meeting and decisions are reported back to the school.

9. Processes that Provide for the Periodic Review and Revision of the Schools Vision,
Mission, Values, Beliefs, and Strategic Goals by All Stakeholders

Staff Procedure for Placing an Item on the Agenda

1. Take issue to grade level team representative for discussion during meeting times.
2. If not resolved, grade level representative brings issue to SIT.
3. SIT decides as a whole if it is an administration is sue or a SIT issue.

Parent Procedure for Placing an Item on the Agenda

1. Take issue to parent Chairperson.
2. If not resolved by SIT chairperson, it will be brought to Principal. They will
determine if it is an administration issue or SIT issue.
Mission Statement
1. The staff members recently revised the mission statement for E.B. Aycock four
years ago.
2. E.B. Aycocks mission statement:
At E.B. Aycock Middle School, our students strive to show their pride by
being prepared for life, respectful to others, independent thinkers,
disciplined students, and effective communicators.

Analysis:

E.B. Aycock has a process in which items are discussed and addressed. All stakeholders
15

have an active part in the process.

Administration has an important part in this process and forwards any topics that need to
be discussed.

10. Effectively Functionally, Elected School Improvement Team

The School Improvement Team consists of:
1. Principal
2. Grade Level Representative
3. Assistant Principals
4. Encore chair
5. EC Representative
6. Teacher assistants
7. Student service representative
8. Parent
The representatives for the School Improvement Team will be decided on by
volunteering.
The School Improvement Team will follow all legal requirements in developing the plan
and in obtaining school approval of the School Improvement Plan. As a public body, the
School Improvement Team must comply with the Open Meetings Law in regard to its
meetings.
The Superintendent will develop a process by which schools can learn from each others
School Improvement Plans. The Superintendent and the schools are encouraged to use
staff development resources to provide training to staff on the development,
implementation and evaluation of School Improvement Plans.
School administrators will be evaluated by their supervisors on the school-based
management process and on the effectiveness of the School Improvement Plan.
It is the duty and responsibility of each SIT representative to attend the meetings. The
representative then must report back to their grade level/ content area and provide the
minutes with their group.

Analysis:

All grade levels and subjects have a process in which they volunteer chairs for the School
Improvement Team.

16

It is the responsibility of members to attend SIT meetings. If for some reason they cannot,
they must have a replacement ready to attend.

11. Progress of District Initiatives and the Reporting of Results to District Level
Decision Makers
At E.B. Aycock Middle School the SIT team incorporates many of the district goals
within the school goals.
When the district representatives come to view the presentation, they will also hear about
the district initiatives that are in place through the school improvement plan, and what
strategies the school is using to accomplish the district initiatives.
The principal must also report back to the superintendent at the time of his principal
evaluation.
Analysis:

The SIT team works with the district to create initiatives within the school.
All school initiatives are aligned with those of the district initiatives in order to see
cohesiveness.

12. Professional Development Aimed at Improving Instruction

Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) shall meet a minimum of once per week.
Each person in the PLC will take on a different duty each week. One person will be the
facilitator while the other two will be the gatekeeper and timekeeper. The minutes from
each meeting shall be kept on a Google form that is then shared with all the
administrators and the Instructional Coach.
Department Meetings area held monthly integrating a vertical alignment of staff in grade
6-8. In those meetings, conversations and strategies are shared after reviewing
benchmarks and CFAs. A secretary records the minutes on a Google form that is then
shared with the administrators and the instructional coach.
E.B. Aycock utilizes the help of an instructional coach to provide professional
development for the staff. The instructional coach attends district trainings and then

17

reports back to the school to provide the trainings for the staff. Areas that are of focus
include Thinking Maps, Cooperative Learning, 21st Century Skills and literacy, and
Marzanos Nine High Yielding Instructional Strategies.
The district provides professional development on early release days. The instructional
coach leads the trainings for the staff. The district informs the principals of what type of
trainings will occur through monthly principal meetings.

Analysis:

Professional development is generally the same for all staff members.

Some professional development is catered to different subjects or different grade levels
depending on the need.

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Section 2: Identification of Areas for Improvement

E.B. Aycock Middle School
Identified Areas for Improvement
After analyzing the data for E.B. Aycock Middle School, and meeting with the principal
and other stakeholders, I have come up with several concerns that I would address if I
were the principal at E.B. Aycock Middle School:
Currently, staff members feel that there is some room for improvement in the area
of support from administration.
Staff members have indicated that they feel that students do not respect authority
in the school.
Both reading and math scores are well below that of the district and states
averages.
There is nothing in place at E.B. Aycock that is currently preparing students for
college/career decisions. This is a district goal.
Professional development is not individualized, but more generic for the school.
There is nothing in place that allows staff members across grade levels and
subjects to aligned themselves and work together.
Student culture and staff culture are areas that need improvement in order to
create success in the school.
Focused Area for Improvement
The principal at E.B. Aycock Middle School and I determined that my Service Leadership
Project should be to increase staff culture/morale that would help improve our schools success.
A survey will be created in order to determine what areas of the staff culture need to be
addressed. Data will be analyzed after all staff members take the survey. Discussions will be held
with the principal and myself in order to determine ways that can be used to combat the
problems. A series of mini projects will be created and implemented at the school that will
address these areas of weakness. The mini projects will be created with the understanding that
cohesion needs to take place among all grade levels and content areas. The projects will consist
of ways to make the staff feel supported and proud of the accomplishments that they have
completed. The projects will also be aligned with student morale. The plan is that once student
morale has increased, then the staff morale can have the opportunity to increase as well. Projects

19

are already in place to increase student morale. Student and staff relationships will also be an
area of focus for this Service Leadership Project. These relationships are crucial to the success of
the school and everyone in it. Projects will be implemented in order to create and secure these
relationships as well.
Section 3-Summary of Professional Language
Part One: Stakeholder Language Examples Relating to Staff Culture
And School Improvement
Best Practice Language (positive)
I hope that you include us counselors in this
project too.

Other Language of Practice (neutral/poor)

I believe that you misspelled my name when
created my college poster.

I am not sure if you want me to add mine, but

I think it will be a great idea.

Can you print me another one. You didnt get

it right?

I have seen them do this at North Pitt, and

they look so wonderful.

What survey do you keep on sending us?

This is what mine looked like at Hope Middle

School. We really got into it.

No, I havent looked at your survey.

I am so glad that someone has taken the

initiative to do something like this for the
school. For so long, I have wished someone
would do something that would make us feel
more appreciated.

What do you mean by all these questions? Are

you writing a book?

These posters look so wonderful. You did a

great job.

You didnt really go to school there?

I love how you put on the posters both the

mascot and the name of the college. I believe
that adds to it so much more.

What does this degree mean? Why did you

get that?

I believe the staff has really taken a liking to

your posters. They seem to all being really
liking it. I think they really are enjoying
looking at other peoples posters and see where
they wen to school.

I will get to it when I can. Right now I am a

little busy with some other things.

20

Hey Matkins, can you make _________ one

too? They really like the posters and they want
to be able to display their college degrees too.

I thought you had forgot about me.

The posters really look good going down our

hallway. They are wonderful and creative.

How many times are you going to send me an

email? I just delete them anyway.

I have seen other schools do this and I am

glad we are doing it too.
Summary of Stakeholder Language
After talking with several staff members and the administration, we decided that it would
be a great idea to create posters to put outside of staff members doors that represented all of
their degrees. We felt that teachers needed to have a sense of accomplishment for the hard work
that they have done to become a teacher. The administration expressed their great appreciation
for taking on the initiative to complete this project for all of the staff members. Two
administrators came up to me personally, and thanked me for the hard work and preparation that
it took to create the posters.
To collect the needed information, I created a survey that I sent to all of the staff
members to complete. Within minutes of the survey being sent out, I received three emails from
staff members that discussed how wonderful and creative the posters would look. I received
two emails from staff members that had worked at other schools that had done this very same
project. They discussed how impressed they were with them and how they were glad that we
were doing the same thing. Overall, I received a great response on the college posters. By the end
of the first day, I had 86% of our 60 member staff respond to the survey. Numerous teachers
responded by mentioning that they appreciate their college poster and the work that it went into
making them. They felt that the school was looking more unified.
On the other hand, there was a small population of the school that took more time to get
their survey responses. There were several teachers that responded negatively by saying that they
didnt have time to complete the survey and had better things to do. There was a small
collection of teachers that I had to send the survey to 3 or 4 times before they finally responded
and completed the survey. Most of them only completed them because they saw other posters
around the school. They did mention how grateful they were to have them in the end.
All in all, there was a great response to the college poster. Teachers are still enjoying
visiting the different halls and seeing where other teachers went to school and what degrees they
have. It has afforded some people the opportunity to branch out and speak to others that they
normally would not have talked to. A small step to unity was established through this project.

21

Part Two: Researcher Language Examples Related to Staff Culture

What the researchers are saying:
High morale is a valid indicator that the staff
is satisfied with operation and
accomplishments of the school. Teachers
whose basic needs are satisfied tend to
constantly strive for fulfillment of higher goals,
and their efforts and attitudes ultimately will
overflow to the student body, resulting in more
productive students. (Washington & Watson,
1976, p. 4)
Many investigators have treated teacher
morale as though it were one-dimensional; yet
one of the few points of agreement among
recent investigators is that teacher morale is
multidimensional. (Rempel & Bentley, 1970,
p. 534)
Upon completing the research, and the survey,
researchers have discovered that there are not
just five dimensions to teacher morale. Instead,
there are thirteen dimensions that play a role in
teacher morale. All thirteen were deemed as
important too. (Coughlan, 1970, p. 232)

While surveying the twenty schools, all

researchers were able to determine that morale
was the most important thing to the staff
members. In fact, the staff survey was able to
gather that 92% of all the teachers deemed that
morale was one of the top two things that were
important to them in a school. (Coughlan,
1970, p. 234)

What it means for us:

Morale in the education system is possibly one
of the single most important things that can be
accomplished. High morale equals to not only
happy and satisfied staff members. Instead, it
causes teachers to strive for better achievement
and goals that will better the school.
Ultimately, morale in teachers will equal to
better achievement in their students as well.
For a very long time, researchers looked at
teacher morale as only having one factor.
However, new research has come out that
discredits that. Instead, morale has multiple
factors that influence how a teacher feels in
his/her work environment.
Lately, new research has concluded that there
are many different dimensions to teacher
morale. This is helpful to leaders of the school.
This means that leaders know what areas to
target and how to better improve the morale in
their school. This will ensure that leaders are
more effective when it comes to increasing
morale.
Across schools, teachers have determined that
their overall morale has a positive influence on
their job and student satisfaction. Leaders can
take this information and use it in areas of need
for the future.

22

Undeniably, teacher morale is recognized by

school administrators as one of the key
ingredients to the development of a successful
educational organization. (Cook, 1979, p.
355)

Leaders of schools face dilemmas no matter

the situation. However, leaders can take the
understanding of importance of morale in the
workplace and apply it. Leaders can help limit
many of the obstacles that they come across
simply by addressing the morale of their staff.
Many progressive school leaders cultivate the Forward-thinking school leaders understand
morale of their staffs with no less
that they work in a very complex and dynamic
determination than they apply to such timeenvironment. Many problems, obstacles, and
honored needs of those of the students, parents, situations come across their desk every day.
and boards of education. (Cook, 1979, p. 355) However, those leaders that have been most
successful have put teacher morale at the top of
the list. This is helpful for those leaders that are
struggling and need to reevaluate the direction
of their school.
Teachers, as instructional facilitators, are
School leaders should understand that all of
constantly attending to the learning needs of
their teachers put countless hours and days into
students. Specifically, they monitor the
ensuring the success of their students. That is
activities of those whom they are responsible,
an automatic. In order for leaders to become
look for symptoms that give cue relating to
great, they need to return the favor to their
these learners needs, assess the situation as
teachers and put countless hours and days
educational diagnosticians and prescribe a
making sure that they have what they need to
learning program necessary to meet students
be successful.
needs. So, too, in dealing with teacher morale,
the school administrators can utilize this same
approach to meet the morale needs of their
staff. (Cook, 1979, p. 356)
Yet, critical to each of the five components of There has been research to suggest that morale
teacher morale is a rather simplistic element:
has many different components. However, the
consistency. (Cook, 1979, p. 356)
single most important component is that of
consistency. Consistency is important for
teachers to experience from the leaders. Morale
boosters should not be sparse. School leaders
should not devote teacher appreciation to just
one week out of the year. Instead, it is
something that should be experienced on a
regular basis to fully expect results.
When teacher morale in a school is high and
Students are very observant, much more so
the school environment is healthy, teachers feel than we give them credit for sometimes.
good about themselves, each other and their
Student achievement often seems to be the
teaching, which in turn impacts on student
main focus of most schools across the world.
23

morale and achievement. (Mackenzie, 2007,

p. 92)
Alternatively, low morale for teachers can
lead to decreased productivity and a
detachment from teacher role, colleagues, and
students. Teachers with low morale may begin
to lose heart, take increased sick leave, look
for alternative employment and develop a
cynical approach to students, teaching and the
education system. (Mackenzie, 2007, p. 92)
Verdugo, Greenberg, Henderson, Uribe, and
Schneider (1997, p.55) claim that the closer
schools come to developing a community, the
greater will be teachers job satisfaction.
(Mackenzie, 2007, p. 93)

In other words, teachers in secondary schools

whose pupils achieve relatively high
scholastically appear to have high morale than
do teachers in schools with relatively low pupil
achievement. (Anderson, 1953, p. 696)
I interpret morale as primarily an attribute of
the individual, which is determined in relation
to individual goals. (Evans, 1992, p. 163)

My interpretation is centered around Smiths

distinction that job satisfaction is a static,
shallow concept, whereas morale is dynamic
and forward-looking. The basis of the
distinction is that temporal orientation; the one
being present-oriented and the other, futureoriented. (Evans, 1992, p. 163)

Research shows, however, that if you focus

first on teacher morale, then student
achievement will come naturally.
One of the biggest problems that our state
faces right now is the fact that beginning
teachers are leaving the profession sooner.
Majority are looking for alternative
employment opportunities due to the lack of
satisfaction. In order to retain those teachers
that we need for the future, our state leaders
need to look to opportunities to increase
morale.
Having a sense of community in a school is an
idea that should never be overlooked. No
matter how big or how small, developing a
sense of community is inviting. It allows
workers to get to know other people. It allows
for a network of colleagues to get together and
share ideas. Ultimately, it allows everyone to
get on the same page and become unified.
It is very simple. Higher test scores have been
linked to higher teacher morale. Those teachers
that feel a sense of accomplishment have had
more successful with student achievement.
Morale can sometimes be interpreted as a
group mentality or an individual mentality.
Personally, I believe that it is an individual
mentality. Everyone has different beliefs and
mindsets. Some are not as easily swayed as
others. Some have a hard time buying into an
idea. As a leader, the focus on individuality
should be understood.
Many people confuse job satisfaction with
morale. It is in fact a very gray line. The main
difference is that job satisfaction is not long
lasting. It is here then gone depending on the
day. It also does not carry as much weight.
Morale on the other hand, is much more
complex and involves the individual looking
ahead at the same time. Morale is much more

24

impacting than job satisfaction.

Summary of Researcher Language Relating to Staff Culture

After reading several articles in-depth and skimming through multiple other articles, I
was able to conclude several key concepts. The first and most important concept is that morale
plays a key role in the success of a school. The main focus of all school leaders should be to
assess the morale of the staff that works within that school environment. Numerous studies and
experiments have been conducted that point to the fact that student and school achievement rests
on how happy the teachers are. Satisfied teachers are individuals who put more time and effort
to lesson plans. They are the ones who ensure that all materials and outlines are ready for the
next day. They are workhorses of that school and they make sure the school is deemed effective.
It is simply common sense to a lot of people. Most people would agree that workers who are
happy would produce more. This idea is no different in a school. But why does that get over
looked so often? In five of the articles I reviewed, they said high teacher morale should be the
first thing that every administrator should achieve in their tenure.
The second concept that numerous researchers emphasized was that morale is not just a
simple concept with one explanation. Morale is a dynamic and complex factor. It is a factor that
needs to be assessed carefully. One thing all of the researchers agreed on was that morale needs
to be achieved in multiple areas. Since morale is complex, school leaders must not approach it
with a simplistic attitude. The well-being and sense of accomplishment for teachers needs to be

25

viewed from a multitude of angles, and is a thought that every future and present school leader
needs to take into account.

References
Anderson, L. W. (1953). Teacher morale and student achievement. The Journal of Educational
Research, 693-698.
Cook, D. H. (1979). Teacher morale: Symptoms, diagnosis, and prescription.The Clearing
House, 52(8), 355-358.
Coughlan, R. J. (1970). Dimensions of teacher morale. American Educational Research Journal,
221-234.
Evans, L. (1992). Teacher morale: an individual perspective. Educational Studies, 18(2), 161171.
Mackenzie, N. (2007). Teacher morale: More complex than we think?. The Australian
Educational Researcher, 34(1), 89-104.
Rempel, A. M., & Bentley, R. R. (1970). Teacher morale: Relationship with
selected factors. Journal of teacher education, 21(4), 534-539.

26

Washington, R., & Watson, H. F. (1976). Positive teacher moraleThe principal's

responsibility. NASSP Bulletin, 60(399), 4-6.

27

Section 4: Action Plan

Goal 1: Improving Staff Culture and Morale
Actions
Data Collection

Person Responsible
Principal
Assistant
Principals
Mrs. Strickler
Data Manager

Analysis of Data

Principal
Mrs. Strickler

Analyze school
data to determine
school needs

Gather information
and ideas on
posters

Taylor Matkins

Research different
ideas from schools
on college poster
ideas

Create a template
for College Posters

Taylor Matkins
Mrs. Strickler

Create a Google
Form for Teachers
to Complete

Taylor Matkins

Methods
Collect school data
using resources
and stakeholder
input

Evidence
SLP Data Collection

September 29,
2014- October 1,
2014

SLP Analysis of Data

October 2-6,
2014

Communication records

Created a college
poster template for
teachers colleges

October 7-9,
2014

Google Document
containing template

I made a survey
for teachers to
complete on some
background
information

October 13-15,
2014

Google Form Survey

Timeline
September 2226, 2014

Gather
Background
Information from
Staff

Taylor Matkins
EBA staff

Emailed the
survey to staff
members to
complete

October 20-31,
2014

Copy of Email

Create College
Posters from
Surveys

Taylor Matkins

Created posters
from survey
responses

November 3-7,
2014

Google Documents of
College Posters

Print and Laminate

Posters

Taylor Matkins
Mrs. Strickler
Mrs. Townsend

Posters were
printed, glued, and
laminated

November 1011, 2014

College Posters

College Posters
distributed and
displayed outside
of doors

Taylor Matkins
Mrs. Strickler
Mrs. Townsend

Posters were
proudly displayed
around the school
outside the doors

November 12,
2014

College Posters

Section 5: Service Leadership Project Evaluation and Impact Summary

E.B. Aycock Middle School
Data Outcomes
All three administrators have expressed their appreciation for the work that went into
the college posters.
A college pennant wall was created in the commons area. The pennant wall
highlights the colleges that the teachers attended along with some other schools
throughout the state and nation.
A bulletin board was created that highlights three areas near the pennant wall. The
first sections highlights a major, the second highlights a college, and the third section
highlights a trade of the month.
Four teachers have sent me emails showing their gratitude and appreciation for the
college posters that were created.
Six teachers approached me personally and thanked me for their college poster that
was created for them.
One teacher incorporated the college poster into her math class to determine
probability and percentages.
One teacher that teaches career explorations, uses the college posters in his lesson
plans to determine different majors and to help students explore different avenues.
Another teacher that teaches life skills used the college posters in her lessons to talk
about plans after high school.
In order to keep with the career readiness focus, our school is in the process of
implementing AVID for next school year to go along with the college posters and
college wall. We are in the beginning stages of researching and attending meetings.

Impact on Overall School Improvement:

The administrators of E.B. Aycock Middle school and I reviewed the school data from the
climate surveys, and decided that a focus area of our school should be staff climate. The staff
climate surveys indicated that the staff morale was low in our school. The school voted 66% that
the administration provided the necessary motivation, while 81% voted that the administration
provides the need support for the staff. The administrators understand the importance morale is
of staff members, and decided that for my Service Leadership Project that this would be a good
area to work on.
When I began this project, I discussed with some colleagues some ideas that could be
implemented to boost morale in our staff members. Collectively, we decided to create the college
poster so that we could not only improve staff morale, but also use it as a way to discuss career

readiness with our students. One of our district goals is to have more career ready students. We
knew this would be a great opportunity to start something that could be built upon later.
In order to create the college posters, I had to create a Google form to survey the staff members
on previous college experiences and send it out. Immediately, I received about 75% of the staff
surveys in a twenty-four hour time period. Of that percentage, I received two emails from my
colleagues discussing their appreciation for me doing this. They mentioned I have seen them do
this at North Pitt, and they look so wonderful, and This is what mine looked like at Hope
Middle School. We really got into it. I was also approached by at least six colleagues that
thanked me for the work that I had put into the college posters. All three of the administrators
both personally and through email, thanked me for the work that I put into the project. By the
end of the project, I had 100% of the staff population participate in the college posters project.
Every certified staff member has a college poster that represents his or her alma mater.
In addition to the morale boost that the teachers have experienced, our student population has
been affected as well. One math teacher decided to integrate the college posters into her math
class to teach the students about probability and percentages. Our career explorations teacher
decided to use the college posters in his class as well to teach the students about career readiness
and focus. The study/life skills teacher at our school decided to follow the same route and do
something similar with her students.
One of Pitt Countys district goals is to have students that are career and college ready once
graduated. In order to link the college posters and the countys goals, we decided to create a
college pennant wall that would tie everything together. The wall was designed in collaboration
with the art teacher. The way was created to display a road and a sign that said The Road to
Success. Above the road, college pennants were displayed from 52 different colleges/military
institutions representing some of the colleges that our teachers have attended. In conjunction, our
school is implementing AVID with our students to also provide students the opportunity to be
career and college ready once they leave our school.

Impact on Leadership Skills and Abilities:

Once I had completed the Service Leadership Project, I had a few moments to reflect on the
impact this project had on my leadership skills and abilities. Collaboration was the first area that
was targeted through this project. I had to communicate with over 60 individuals via email and
face-to-face to accomplish the college posters. I worked with all cultural groups within my
school as well. On top of that, I also worked with core teachers, encore teachers, personnel, and
administrators to complete this project. Throughout this endeavor, I had to learn how to
communicate with over 60 individuals from all different areas and concentrations. I have come to
understand how important it is to communicate with individuals in an effective manner.

In my research of professional language, I was able to develop a deeper understanding for staff
morale. I understood and knew the importance that staff morale had in any work place. I am a
teacher and I understand that when my morale has been boosted then I strive to do an even better
job next time. I did not fully understand or respect the importance until I read what researchers
commented on it. One researcher stated, Undeniably, teacher morale is recognized by school
administrators as one of the key ingredients to the development of a successful educational
organization (Cook, 1979, p. 355). It is hard to believe that one area has such a large impact on
the well being of a school. It is very simple though. If the staff in a school feels appreciated and
motivated, their overall performance will be higher. Correcting the morale in a school is two
fold. As an administrator in training, I saw first hand what morale would do for the staff that
works in the school. I was surprised though by what I also found out. Within direct correlation of
the staff morale, the student morale was affected as well. Researchers hit on the fact that high
morale can be achieved when in students once the staff morale is improved upon. Through this
project I have seen teachers working collaboratively to create lesson plans and activities to
discuss with the students about college and career readiness. Teachers have taken it upon
themselves to go the extra step to perform these duties with the students since the
implementation of the college posters
Since this SLP, I have grown to appreciate what lengths administrators go to in order to keep a
school running smoothly. Communication is critical among all levels within a school. Staff and
students need to have a firm understanding of what is happening in order to feel success. Morale
is also important. We often talk about the words burned out. Boosting morale is a way that will
help the success of not only the staff members, but the students as well.

Northouse Reflection 1
I would like to begin by discussing the interesting finds that I had during the reading. I have
always heard of leadership and had an idea of what it was and looked like. However, I found it
intriguing that leadership could be described in so many ways. It could be a trait, a skill, a
behavior, etc. I reckon if I had taken the time to actually consider this farther, I would have come
up with this as well. I found it interesting that it could be describe in many ways. It makes sense
though, since it is such a complex thing.
For the questionnaire, I interviewed 5 people. Three of those people were or have served in the
education workforce, while two served in other fields. The most common definition of what
people thought leadership looked like was an individual that had a firm grasp and understanding
of their work environment and was always in a constant search for improvement. They also said
that leadership was a joint partnership between the leader and the workers to accomplish
common tasks. I found it interesting; because all of my interviewees had the same idea of what
leadership should consist of. However, they all differed on what the found most important in

leadership qualities. Some believed that a strong leader was important. Some believed that a
great listener was more important. Even though they all agreed, their priorities did not. As far as
my idea of leadership, I believe inspiration, motivation, knowledge, awareness, and
accountability are defining traits of good leadership. With those traits, a leader possesses the
qualities that are desirable for success in all of their workers. There are many more traits or
characteristics that could be used to describe an effective leader. These are just a few of my
ideas.
Northouse Reflection 2
As I look back through my personal life, I reflect on the leaders that were a huge part of my life.
The first people that come to mind are my parents. My high school principal and my high school
coaches also come to mind. While reflecting back on the time that I had with those individuals, I
start to notice a lot of similarities there are among them all. To begin with, they all are strong
individuals. They are strong in every aspect of their lives and never let anything get them down.
When the time called for it, they were the ones that stepped up and provided the foundation for
others to be successful. Another quality that I found that they all had was their caring attitude.
While you were in the presence of all these people, you understood that you meant something to
them and that they cared about you.
One of the biggest beliefs of mine is that you can always learn a lot about your past. You can
learn about things you did right and mimic those things again. You can also take the things you
did wrong and not do them again. I thought this chapter was interesting since they took a look at
past leaders in our world and took a look at what qualities they had that made them successful;
intelligence, confidence, charisma, determination and so on. The list could never stop. These are
all traits that our most famous leaders possessed. These are the traits that will lead to a success
leadership.
Northouse Reflection 3
While reading through Chapter 3, I found this chapter very interesting since it started talking
about the different strengths that each person has. After completing the questionnaire, I found
that I scored the highest on the Encourager section. I feel like this is pretty indicative of myself. I
feel like as a classroom teacher I am an encourager every day. I feel like I encourage the people
that I work with along with the students that I teach. I have found that encouraging others seems
to get the best response out of people. My next highest score was in the analytic part. I often see
myself analyzing every little thing. Sometimes that can be a good thing, while other times not so
much. My following areas respectively were innovator, mediator, and implementer. I can see
how in different areas I need to change in order to become a better leader in the future. All of the
areas are important in their different ways.
Northouse Reflection 4

I found this chapter to be very informative and made me really stop and think about my ideas.
After reading through Theories X and Y, I feel like I would have to fall more in line with Theory
Y. I feel like a lot of students that are represented in schools around the world do fall in line with
Theory X as well. Even though those can be hard to work with sometimes, we still need to take
the time to make sure that we address all of those issues still. I also took the survey on what type
of leader I am. I scored the highest in authoritative and was the lowest in laissez-faire. I am the
type of person that I want all of my ducks in a row before I attempt something. That is why I
believe that the laissez-faire attitude is not the best for me. That would not work in my classroom
and I know if would not work in a school. I still believe though that depending on the different
situations, I need to be democratic and authoritative. Each situation is unique and would call for
something different.
Northouse Reflection 5
Like many of my peers, I found this chapter to be one that talked about two characteristics that I
have found that I possess. Relationships with people, I believe, are the biggest key to the
education professional. A teacher needs to have a working, healthy relationship with the students
and their administrators in order to be the most effective. Administrators need to have a good
relationship with the students and staff in order to boost their morale and get the most from them.
They also need to have a good relationship with the parents that they serve so they can get
support on that end as well. I scored the highest in the relationship section because I have viewed
how relationships really change the dynamics of a place. It can really change the morale of a
building both for the good and for the bad.
The other characteristic of task-oriented is one that I scored high in as well. I am one that is
driven by the completion of tasks. Every day I start off with a checklist and work towards getting
those completed in a timely manner. I have often been known to work constantly without
stopping until I get everything done. I become tunnel-vision with tasks are set before me that
need to be completed.
Northouse Reflection 6
Before taking this questionnaire, I figured my interpersonal skills would have ranked higher than
the other three. I was shocked to learn that actually all three skills were pretty much the same. I
received Interpersonal skills (23), Administrative skills (22), and Conceptual skills (20). They
were all relatively closer to one another than I originally thought they would be.
After reflecting on the my scores, I realized I had a good blend of all three scores which are all
important to becoming a successful leader. I didn't really have a good understanding of what
conceptual skills included. However, after reading this chapter, I got a better understanding of
what it included. I also really gained an appreciation for administrative skills as well. Those are

the skills that help keep a school running effectively. Interpersonal skills I believe are also very
important to help build relationships and to lean on other people.
Northouse Reflection 7
When discussing what makes a leader, I believe it is very important that everyone should have a
vision. Visions are what make us strive to become better people. It is what allows differences to
be made. It is what makes people become successful. I have not had the luxury as others have
had when it comes to work experience. I have only worked for now going on 4 years. I have had
two different principals and four different assistant principals though. I have been able to notice a
different with administrators when they have a vision to accomplish. They seem to be more
passionate about their job and their staff. They put more effort into creating an atmosphere that is
conducing to learning.
I rated myself average when it comes to the vision questionnaire. I often have great ideas and
concepts, but have difficulty conveying it to others. I also don't know where to start sometimes. I
believe that having a vision is vital part to becoming a leader though, otherwise, those that do not
become static and simple. Education is ALWAYS changing from one year to another. One year
we have the Common Core, two years later they want to get rid of it. Having a vision though we
help keep a school and its staff on track.
Northouse Reflection 8
I found this chapter extremely informative since my SLP is on school climate and staff climate.
My highest areas were in the structure category, building cohesiveness category, and promoting
standards of excellence. I fell in the moderate range with the clarifying norms category. After
taking the questionnaire, I found that this was pretty accurate of my situation. I love for my
classroom to have structure each and every day. I make sure that my lesson plans are designed so
that the structure of it is always the same for the students. I have found that they respond better to
the same structure each day. I also like to think of myself of someone that likes to build cohesion
in my staff members. Since I work in a middle school. it is extremely important for the teachers
to be on the same page and working together. Cohesion is a word that we are trying to use more
of in our school. I feel like those two categories are important for school leaders to take on. I also
think that promoting excellence is something everyone in a school should be doing. Teachers
should be promoting excellence in their classrooms with their students, and administrators
should be promoting it in their schools. We should never be happy with being static. We should
be working to better ourselves at all times.
Northouse Reflection 9
I found this chapter to be very enlightening especially in the school that I teach at. At my school,
we have about 8o plus staff members. For the most part, we all get along and help one another.

However, there are some people that I would probably have to classify as being an "outlier." I
hate to use that term, but those are the people that don't necessarily interact with people and try
to keep to their selves. But, I do believe that it is just as important to listen to what they have to
say for the school. I have experienced some situations where those "outliers" actually had
wonderful ideas for the school that we ended up using. I have stated it numerous times, but I
think that it is critical to get the input from everyone in the school. It makes everyone feel
included and appreciated. Sometimes administration will go to the same few people all the time
in order to get their input on certain situations. Administration should seek input from all staff
members throughout the course of a year though.
Northouse Reflection 10
Once again, it was another chapter that I was able to learn a little more about myself. In this
chapter, the author took a look at conflict resolution. It is an important chapter to pay attention to
because we all deal with conflict on all different levels. In the questionnaire, I used two different
people. Once was my fianc, while the other one was a colleague. After completing the
questionnaire, I found out that I scored highest in the compromise and collaboration section. This
does not surprise me at all. I am a person that does not seek conflict, but when I am approached it
with it, I like to find a solution to it. When I was younger, I believed that everything should be
my way and that everyone should see things that way that I do. Now that I have matured, I see
that that is not always going to be the case. An adult understands that compromises need to take
place in order to maintain stability and an healthy working environment. I believe that this is
critical for a principal too. I have experienced some administrators that believe that X, Y, and Z
should happen this way. They do not consulate anyone else, but just implement the plan.
Eventually, it causes problems because they did not want to compromise and change things. I
believe that working with everyone to achieve the same outcome is very important.
Northouse Reflection 11
When it comes to leadership, I believe ethics is a very important thing. When you are a leader
and you are in front of people, you must make sure that you set a good example for all to see.
When I think about ethics, I always think back to the problem that the NFL is seeing right now.
They have had numerous situations where football players have been in some not so ethical
situations. Those football players are huge leaders especially for the youth in this nation. So what
message are we sending to our students when we allow things like that to continue? There are so
many different traits of an ethical leader that I think are important. Honesty and respect are two
that come to my mind immediately. I think back to all of the good leaders that I have seen in my
life and every single one of them had these two qualities. I believe that when you stand in front
of someone, you need to be ethical so that they can respect you and your decisions as well.

Northouse Reflection 12
After taking the questionnaire, I scored highest in the area of Supportive Leadership. That did not
surprise me once I found out the results. I try to compare my time as a teacher to the time that I
will become an administrator. I feel like in a classroom, I am a very supportive teacher that tries
to get the most out of my students. I have learned that when you provide a nurturing, supportive
system for your students/teachers, then you are able to get more out of them. I have also
experienced administrators that have been very supportive to their staff. The staff notices the
support that they are given and work harder at their jobs. My second highest area was in
Achievement Oriented Leadership. This does not surprise me either. I am a person that loves
working towards goals and achieving things at the same time. I strive to do well in my job and I
love pursuing the things that do that as well.

SLP Reflections

Section 1
After looking through my school's data there were a few things that really surprised me, while
there were other things that did not. The first thing that really caught me off guard was the high
principal turnover rate that we have at our school. In the past ten years, our school has seen 3
different principals and double that in terms of assistant principals. I believe that that is a real
issue. But, digging deeper, I know that it is not the fault of anyone but the officials that place the
administrators. I can definitely see how it does not allow for consistency to occur which I believe
is very crucial to the well being of schools.
The second thing that I notice was the gap in test scores among of different genders and races.
This was a issue that I had already dealt with and was aware of. Since I teach a tested subject, I
understand the large discrepancies there are in our school in means of race and gender. I often
have looked at it as a teacher and have questioned how I can minimize that gap. I know that a
majority of teachers are aware of this gap within our school and are looking for ways to make it
better.
Overall, I found this section very enriching. In order to work with something, you must know the
background of it. I needed to understand the problems that were occurring at Aycock that way I
could know what areas need to be focused in on. I could definitely see how this would beneficial
once I would become an administrator at a new school.

Section 2
After completing this section, I was able to identify numerous problem areas at our school. It was
beneficial too because I was able to take this to my administrators and show them the data that
backed up the problems areas. I actually got excited after the identification process, because I
knew if I were able to hone in on one of these areas then it would change my school for the
better. After taking this list to the administrators, we discussed and decided that improving staff
culture was an area on that I had identified that needed improving. I shared my thoughts that if
we were able to increase the staff culture and morale, then that would help the students
indirectly. After hearing that, my administrators were immediately on board and we begun the
process of coming up with some ideas.

Section 3
To be honest, when I first looked over this section I thought, "Oh no, another paper where I have
to read a bunch of articles and cite them." However, I was pleasantly surprised on the outlook of
this section. I thought it was very interesting and very helpful that this section made me look for
quotes that pertained to this section. Then it made me ask myself what this means to me. I found
that extremely helpful because sometimes I get lost in the many words and expressions. This
allowed me the opportunity to just simply focus on those quotes and determine what meaning it
had for my project and me. I also enjoyed this part of the section that allowed me to assess my
colleagues reactions. I often get so caught up in the negative things that are said that I overlook
all the good. Having to do this section let me see that I had more positive things said than
negative. That was a real morale booster. It also let me dissect the negative/poor statements to
really determine what was the underlining reason that those things were said.

Section 4
I used this section as an opportunity to lay everything out and make sure that I was
accomplishing things in a timely manner. I knew that working on this SLP and teaching would be
a full time project. I am glad this action plan made me sit down and come u with an agenda to get
things accomplished. I am one that works well with due dates and timelines, so this was right up
my alley. I also enjoy planning ahead and making sure that I accomplish everything in time too.
My principal also enjoyed having a timeline of when things would be accomplished too.

Section 5
I took great pride in this section. At the beginning of the semester, I asked myself, "what am I
doing?" After completing this semester and the SLP, I was able to look back and take great pride
in the work that I had accomplished. In my impact summary, I was able to recap all of the
success and hard work that I was able to produce. I was able to take a lot away from this SLP.
The biggest thing that I took from this was something more than I had originally planned. I did
not believe that it was have such an impact on others. I had originally wanted to impact the
morale of the teacher. Indirectly, I was also able to affect the students. Teachers were able to take
my project and apply it to their classrooms. That made me feel like all of the work that I had
done was worthwhile.