Introduction: There is no cookie-cutter way to be an effective leader. However, after reviewing the approaches of the past and comparing them with my experience thus far in the world of K-12 education, I feel that a combination of contingency theories and transformational practices is promising. A one-way street is no longer ideal in today’s modern age of education. This goes for administrators, teachers, and students alike. Though only in my third year as a full-time high school Spanish teacher, I’ve been able to observe so many different aspects that go into the career. There are so many factors in and out of the classroom that need to coexist and function together smoothly. At the end of the day though, this functionality is based upon the leadership of the entire staff/faculty, no matter their area of expertise or their place in the grander hierarchy. With that said, there most definitely are some members of the school team who can shine their talents more brightly in certain areas when called upon. I am the baby of the faculty. With more than a twenty-year gap between myself and the majority of my colleagues, yet only a seven to ten-year gap between myself and my students, I have a very interesting vantage point. I’m simultaneously in the role of student as well as teacher. It is easier for me, than perhaps my colleagues, to remember what a day in the life of a high school student was like, but now I am able to see it with the experience of having been in the “real world”. Unlike my colleagues who are essentially “old dogs learning new tricks”, this allows me to approach twenty-first century learning with the open mind it so requires. Students have so much information at their fingertips these days. Teachers are no longer the “know all” when you have an Amazon Alexa on your desk, and easy access to Google on the student iPads. What is required of us educators in this day in age is no longer to simply provide direct, lectured instruction, but rather to facilitate. As facilitators, we help students sort through the excess information at hand to find what’s meaningful. Yet, we do not tell them it’s meaning, but rather help them use their own skills and talents to dig deeper and find it for themselves. At this point, I still consider myself fresh out of college, though I no longer have rose colored glasses in terms of what being a teacher really entails. Yet I still feel that I am very motived and passionate about what I do every day. With that said, for as surreal as it is to have my own classroom, there are times where I feel just as micromanaged as I did during college practicums and student teaching. Additionally the jadedness with which some of my colleagues operate is often contagious and I am often having to combat comments such as “students only like you because you are still young and popular”, “I remember when I was twenty something and fun”, “you must have so much time on your hands”, “you care too much still”, and the list goes on. I do understand that my youth will fade and that their comments are never intentional, yet it leaves me feeling leaving incompetent. As if I did not work so hard to get to where I am, and as if I have no valid experiences to offer. I do not think that they realize just how much of an affect their attitudes can have on the new teachers and student teachers within the building. There is sometimes a notion that the “newbies” are a burden as they need to be shown the ropes, when really, they are assets to the school’s team. Administrators as leaders need to exemplify that. As presented by the ideas in the Educational Leadership issue titled What New Teachers Need, Jill Berg, a leadership coach and school improvement consultant, emphasizes the notion that new teachers are catalysts for improving professional culture (Berg, 2019.) Veteran teachers often neglect that their words and insights have a special weight in the new teacher’s developing perceptions of not only the school culture, but also the profession as a whole (Berg, 2019). If administrators and teacher leaders alike want to propel the schools of today further into this twenty-first century of learning, it is imperative that the ideas, experiences, and perspectives of “new’ and “young” teachers be respected and strategically incorporated. Building trust and relationships amongst faculty members is just as important at building trust and relationships between faculty and students. Leadership Theories: According to Green (2016) leadership is a process used by leaders to give purpose to the collective efforts of members of an organization. While doing so, they are influencing them to continue working in an environment where mutual trust and respect is evident. To ensure that the process of leadership is effective the competencies of social and emotional intelligence are necessary to be mastered (McKee, pg. 26). Empathy is a key component of the two. The way in which a leader uses their position of power paired with their empathetic nature, is another determining factor of effectiveness (Green, pg. 58.) As with any other influential and effective leader, teachers must see challenges as opportunities to grow and learn. Teachers are to take ownership for their plans of actions as well as their mistakes, so as to promote ownership of learning on the part of the students. Teachers take both good and bad experiences to help inspire not only their students in their classroom, but also their colleagues within their department and building as a whole. The true testament of the effectiveness and success of a great leader (or in this case, teacher) is the quality of outcomes in given situations but more importantly, the quality and well-being of the people (students/faculty) who have followed and collaborated with them each step of the way (Humamuddin, 2013). In order to handle every day decisions ethically, teachers as leaders must be authentic, passionate, and avoid selfish thoughts. Educators guide their decision making by combining their own personal values, their code of ethics, and their behaviors (McKee, pg. 42.) Relationship oriented leaders are on good terms with those with whom they work closely and are generally well liked, while task-oriented leaders focus on performance and ensuring that all jobs are accomplished well (McKee, pg. 49). In accordance with Fielder’s contingency theory, I believe that a good balance of both the relationship-oriented approach and the task-oriented approach is necessary within the classroom setting. I disagree that one must completely matches their overall leadership style with a given situation as it hard to completely change what is based in one’s personal morals. However, I do feel that is important then for leaders to practice skills and competencies that promote more flexibility and consideration of other perspectives. They simply need to be able to adapt, or “transform” when necessary. This is where knowing one’s weaknesses in addition to their strengths is useful. By acknowledging what one lacks in information or ability and seeking further information and resources, a well-rounded decision can still be made with integrity. According to McKee (2014) a transformational leader is one who has social and emotional intelligence and who can inspire others to see an extraordinary vision, or in other words, the bigger picture. This correlates well with the trust building that Green had described as a key element to effective leadership. Within any given classroom/class period, the demographic is so different. Student learning styles vary just as educator’s teaching styles vary. Teachers who can act as change agents (McKee, pg. 50) through transformational leadership are essential in the twenty-first century classroom, as much like the world, our students and technological resources are changing so quickly. To be able to adapt one’s personality and passions for their content area in a way that also can address case by case scenarios is key. As leaders, teachers are also chaos calmers. We make on the spot decisions constantly. We need to be doing so in ways that are optimistic yet grounded in what we feel is best for our students to help them move forward at the time. Teachers create all other professions. With that kind of power, comes great responsibility. Different cultures view, use, and distribute power differently. Much like multicultural organizations, when schools have such diverse student bodies, it is especially important for leaders to develop the ability to understand, manage, and use power in ways that are cross-culturally acceptable (McKee, pg. 33.)
Philosophy: We as educators are called to “wear” each of our many hats with pride and act with dignity. Leadership is one of the largest and most important hats that we must wear at all times, as it is applicable in so many aspects, and can take many forms, within our classroom and our field. Teacher leaders are there to guide and facilitate rather than dictate. They are not the highest position in the grander hierarchy, but they are on the frontlines. They must follow the rules of the district’s administration with their ethics and moral values still intact. They too have a large following; their students. However, they cannot do it alone, as even the strongest of superheroes have weaknesses and need supportive sidekicks. From the administrators, to the teachers, to the custodians, everyone needs to work together to lead our student body to a successful future.
After considering what makes an effective leader and seeing as how it generally correlates with being a good human, it is my humble opinion that World Language teachers are the most naturally qualified when it comes to the idea of leadership. The global competencies gained through our experiences as both students and educators, is exemplarily when compared to the traits and behaviors that have been studied thus far. Our natural transformational leadership style is due in large part to the unique content area that we teach and the platform that it provides. Our curriculum is based upon the Five C’s: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparison, and Communities (ACTFL, 2020.) Without even going into further depth, those five words alone stand out in terms of promoting open minded thinking, patience, acceptance, appreciation, etc. They are rooted in very global and interpersonal contexts/perspectives that one experiences through travel and through acquiring a second language. We’ve essentially been trained to be “empathetic listeners” to different audiences. This is in part due to having to first break the language barrier. There is a dual necessity of making inferences through things such as body language in order to understand something that had been said then paired with having to use circumlocution and survival skills to get our own point across, respectfully. In a recent publishing by Educational Leadership, Anthony Rebora (2017) remarks about Physician-author Abraham Verghese whose “servant leadership model” identifies that listening and humility are essential in becoming an effective leader. Almost a reverse culture shock, being in the shoes of a minority at least once in your life is sure to have that lasting effect. It humbles you in a way that changes your outlook on life and every decision you make as you begin to understand luxury vs. necessity. You learn that diversity and differences are not negatives and should not get treated as such. Through learning about other cultures, you learn that what on the surface seems drastically different, is really rooted in something similar to the practices of your own family/society.
To be able to promote global awareness to combat cultural ignorance on behalf of our students is a true gift of an opportunity. One that is essential to be a true global leader and lifelong leaner. Our classrooms are setup to immerse students into a new culture but in a way that is comfortable, natural, and maintains a low affective filter while also mimicking a home-like atmosphere. This is often done through subtle acts such as how we decorate our rooms with authentic artisan decorations, incorporation of flexible seating such as café tables, use of music, and trying to bring real-world context to each new set of vocabulary terms and grammar concepts. Unlike many of the core classes in public schools, World Language classrooms are also able to have those tougher, uncomfortable conversations related to things such as immigration and religion. Therefore, World Language teachers understand the importance of leaders having to create a space for healthy conversation and debate, so as to be proactive against further stereotypes and stigmas. In his 2019 webinar Diego Ojeda, a Spanish teacher in Kentucky, explained these very ideas and emphasized that teachers as leaders must bring honesty and have to touch upon both positive and negative issues. He states also that it is equally important to inform/facilitate without taking sides. All leaders have to be flexible and be able to monitor and adjust based on new information that is provided through different perspectives. It does not mean that a leader is a hypocrite necessarily if they change their minds, so long as they are changing their minds based on facts and using those facts to make the best morally profound decisions for their followers. Leaders who refuse to grow and learn form their mistakes and shortcomings are the ones who in the end will face extreme protest from their people World language teacher prepare students not only to feel confident as they enter higher education or the workforce, but they also work to ensure that students will find purpose in contributing positively to society (Humamuddin, 2013).With so many unique avenues being driven by our cross-cultural curriculum, we find ways for students to learn the importance of giving back and volunteering on a larger spectrum than just their school. The importance of giving back to those that have come before you and helping those next in line is one of many key elements that are engrained within language and culture. Whether our classes simply provide entertainment by singing Spanish Christmas Carols at local nursing homes or are fundraising for non-profits in Latin America fighting for social justice such as the Pulsera Project, students find depth in making a difference. World Language classrooms ask students to think of their ways of life and imagine what it would be like to live without their luxuries, perhaps not live in poverty but to live more simply. Does lack of money take away happiness? Do you know who you are without it? We ask them to think critically and dig deep within themselves rather than just striving for great academics and being perfectly fluent.
Closure: Leaders must guide and must be able to speak diplomatically even if there is uncertainty or disagreements. They are able to inform and be proud of their efforts. Their words are proven through their actions as they always follow through without adding panic or hysteria amongst their followers. Those followers, no matter their age or experience, feel supported and motivated knowing that the leader is making the most morally appropriate choices as they work toward solutions for all. If you were to replace the world leader with teacher at any given time, it should be clear how evenly these qualities match up. More so, when discussing the way in which a leader must think and when considering their moral compass, World Language classrooms are a great area from which to compare. At the end of the day, when teachers hang up all of their many hats, they should feel proud and content. So rather than trying to find a “cookie cutter” from which to mold a great leader (or teacher), our focus should shift to the “ingredients” that make up a leader’s code of ethics. At the end of the day, teachers and leaders of any kind are still human. Their heart and their intrinsic motivations will ultimately tell all. To expect perfection is wrong on the part of the people, but to not hold leaders accountable when going against basic human rights would be just as unethical.
References: Berg, J. (2019). What New Teachers Need. Educational Leadership, 77(1), 88-89. Retrieved March 9th, 2020 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept19/vol77/num01/New-Teachers-as-Catalysts.aspx
Green, R. L. (2016). Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to implementing the professional standards for educational leaders, 5th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson.
Humamuddin. (2013, December 11th). Instructional Leadership. [Video file]. Retrieved March 9th 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SqGHBCjrZ6k McKee, A. (2014). Management: A focus on leaders. London: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Reboora, A. (2017). Lifting School Leaders. Educational Leadership, 74(8), 7–7. Retrieved March 9th, 2020 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/may17/vol74/num08/Whole-School_Leaders.aspx
Voces Digital. (2019, October 30th). Diego Ojeda Leadership in the World Language Classroom [Video file]. Retrieved March 11th, 2020 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cskNHGHjIbg