Female Middle School Principals\u27 Voices: Implications for School Leadership Preparation

This study was an attempt to add the voices of women to the discourse of sch.ool leadership. It focused on the nature of the middle school leadership experiences of three female middle school principals, their social interactions based on gen- der role expectations and their own leadership perspectives. Findings suggest that middle school leadership is characterized as challenging and sacrificial, that participants initially deny the effect of gender on their performance, but that so- cial stereotypes influence people\u27s perceptions about female principals, and that they tend to be more collaborative and nurturing than their male counterparts. Further, servant leadership and instructional leadership are the two leadership perspectives embraced by female middle school principals

Expectations of Mentoring: Novice Teachers’ Voices

Mentoring, as an avenue to support and retain new teachers, has received a renewed interest. As Trubowitz suggests, “School systems are finding that beginning teachers who have access to intensive mentoring are less likely to leave teaching” (2004, p. 59). While several factors may cause teachers to leave, alienation has been identified as one of the major forces. According to previous research, teachers experience “a combination of feelings of isolation, normlessness, powerlessness, and meaninglessness” (Benham & O’Brien, 2002, p. 20). Such feelings of isolation are compounded by the current accountability demands and the professional pressure teachers’ experience. Thus, it is imperative to consider alternative strategies aimed at providing the kind of support congruent with beginning teacher’s needs in order to be successful (Breaux & Wong, 2003, p. iii). A goal of such strategies should be the effective socialization of teachers, and providing on-going support for growth, through different approaches including mentoring (Darling-Hammond, 2003; Brennan, Thames, & Roberts, 1999). Although mentoring can be an effective means to enhance teacher efficacy and help beginning teachers (Breaux & Wong, 2003; Delgado, 1999; Yost, 2002), limited research focuses on teachers’ perspectives associated with their own expectations of mentoring, particularly in diverse school settings (Wang & Odell, 2002). Further, researchers suggest, “There has been limited evidence that points to the expectations of new teachers relative to mentoring” (Tillman, 2005, p. 616). Thus, it is essential that teachers’ voices be illuminated to better understand their needs so that school leaders may “consider the benefits of consulting with novice teachers about their expectations in the mentoring arrangement” (Tillman, 2005, p. 626). Much of the current literature on teacher mentoring is based on experiences of mentors (Ganser, 1996; Trubowitz, 2004), and mentoring internship program descriptions (Brennan, Thames, & Roberts, 1999) however, novice teachers’ voices tend to be absent from the discourse. While few studies have focused on teachers’ perceptions (Rowley, 1999; Olebe, Jackson, & Danielson, 1999), additional research is needed so that beginning teachers’ voices contribute to a better understanding of mentoring as a vehicle to reduce isolation, successfully socialize new teachers into the demands of the profession, provide culturally responsive support to novice teachers, and reduce teacher turnover. Such inquiry could also be useful to avoid the common pitfalls that might have a detrimental effect on teachers and students. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to present the results of a study conducted to examine teachers’ expectations of mentoring

Standing Side by Side with \u27The Brethren\u27: A Study of Leadership From Female High School Principals\u27 Perspectives

Educational administration has long been a masculinist enterprise. There is a significant theoretical gap and lack of explanations grounded in the experience and language of women (Blackmore, 1993; Shakeshaft, 1987). In addressing that gap related to the experiences of female educational leaders, predominant research on women has primarily surrounded their dilemmas rather than their contributions (Papalewis, 1995). This study addressed both the challenges and contributions of women principals serving in male-dominated, secondary school arenas. We explored the nature of the leadership experiences of three female high school principals by focusing on the perceptions of leadership from the standpoint of female leaders and highlighting how women interact with the male-constructed role of the high school principal. Qualitative methods, including a multiple case study approach, were used. Participants were interviewed and shadowed in their positions for observational data collection. The most salient themes emerging included: (a) in the shadow of an image, (b) proving oneself while being put on watch, (c) invisible networks made visible, (d) mentoring for leadership development, and (e) balancing silence and the rules. In addition, these women presented several characterizations of leadership that included: (a) collaborative communities developed through open doors and open ears, (b) emotional investments and nurturing reap returns, (c) instruction must prevail, and (d) children must be the focus of schools. This study sought to expand our understandings of the challenges that campus- based female leaders face as well as their contributions, thereby broadening our perspectives of female educational leadership, specifically at the high school level

Líderes instrucionais e sua capacidade de fornecer feedback construtivo aos professores = Building instructional leaders’ capacity to deliver constructive feedback to teachers

O objetivo da presente pesquisa-ação foi valorizar a capacidade de liderança instrucional de candidatos a lideres escolares, através de uma experiência prática de aprendizado. Os participantes observaram aulas, coletaram dados baseados na sala de aula, prepararam e deram feedback construtivo por escrito aos professores. Achados sugerem que candidatos a lideres escolares precisam desenvolver uma base de conhecimento relacionada à instrução de qualidade. Os professores reagem positivamente e apreciam o feedback oferecido. O feedback construtivo tem o potencial de guiar o desenvolvimento profissional dos professores. Os candidatos a lideres instrucionais devem agir profissionalmente ao darem feedback e as escolas devem estabelecer um sistema para dar feedback construtivo, eficazmente, aos professores, de modo que possa ser alcançada excelência no ensino e no aprendizad

Standing Side by Side with \u27The Brethren\u27: A Study of Leadership From Female High School Principals\u27 Perspectives

Educational administration has long been a masculinist enterprise. There is a significant theoretical gap and lack of explanations grounded in the experience and language of women (Blackmore, 1993; Shakeshaft, 1987). In addressing that gap related to the experiences of female educational leaders, predominant research on women has primarily surrounded their dilemmas rather than their contributions (Papalewis, 1995). This study addressed both the challenges and contributions of women principals serving in male-dominated, secondary school arenas. We explored the nature of the leadership experiences of three female high school principals by focusing on the perceptions of leadership from the standpoint of female leaders and highlighting how women interact with the male-constructed role of the high school principal. Qualitative methods, including a multiple case study approach, were used. Participants were interviewed and shadowed in their positions for observational data collection. The most salient themes emerging included: (a) in the shadow of an image, (b) proving oneself while being put on watch, (c) invisible networks made visible, (d) mentoring for leadership development, and (e) balancing silence and the rules. In addition, these women presented several characterizations of leadership that included: (a) collaborative communities developed through open doors and open ears, (b) emotional investments and nurturing reap returns, (c) instruction must prevail, and (d) children must be the focus of schools. This study sought to expand our understandings of the challenges that campus- based female leaders face as well as their contributions, thereby broadening our perspectives of female educational leadership, specifically at the high school level

Latino and White Students' Perceptions of Teacher Behaviors That Convey Caring: Do Gender and Ethnicity Matter?

Knowing how to improve educational experiences for students through the construct of caring, especially those that are often disconnected from access to an equal education, may be one way to improve their success. This paper reports on the findings from a study conducted to measure Latino and White high school students' perceptions of teacher behaviors that convey caring and the influence of students' gender and ethnicity on those perceptions. Results suggest that gender is an influential variable, and while ethnicity was not statistically significant overall, there was some significance at the item level