Bryan Van Pelt's bportfolio

EDU 6600 Initial Reflection             A crucial element to the success of a school is whether or not teachers are pushing themselves forward with new learning and understanding of best practice.  If teachers remain static, the student’s needs will never be met as the world is constantly changing.  This evolving world asks teachers to continuously reflect on what they do and if it is effective in the classroom.  It takes the leadership of certain individuals to help instill change and progress teachers forward.  In the chapter, “Exploring New Approaches to Teacher Leadership for School Improvement”, Smylie, Conley, and Marks detail three models of distributive leadership.  These models are summarized as follows: Leadership is the performance of key tasks, regardless of who is in leadership roles Leadership is a school-wide organization of power and resources Leadership is a sort of social “web” in which interactions between leaders and their surroundings

Course Goals / Program Standards :             Teacher Leadership Standard #6: Students will demonstrate an understanding of the importance of inclusive practice as it relates to engaging with parents and community members. Prior Thoughts: As a Teacher Leadership student not intending on enrolling in the principle certification route, I was skeptical on the usefulness of this course.   Why would I need to learn about the details of engaging with the surrounding community when I teach music?   Aren’t those broader issues for administrators?   My teacher training thus far has only focused on the classroom practice and not on the broader community of the school.   This course shed light on the importance of not only engaging with the community but taking steps to understand and acknowledge the space in which you work. Reflection:             Four main ideas stuck out to me after completing this course. 1.      Parent involvement looks different to diffe