LEADERSHIP AND SCHOOL DISCIPLINE
A school principal is the primary leader in a school. A good leader always leads by example. A principal should be positive, enthusiastic, immerse in the current activities of the school, and pays keen attention to his followers’ views and concerns. An effective leader is accessible to teachers, staff members, parents, students, and community members. Good leaders remain calm in difficult circumstances, think before they act, and place the needs of the school first.
The Importance of the Role of the Principal for School Discipline
The important role of the principal in leading the school is well established. “The key
role principals play in schools is well documented and acknowledged” (Buckner, 1997, p. 1).
Delaney (1997) stated that the leadership style of the principal is the key to establishing positive
school relationships. As preparation programs move to preparing instructional leaders who have the ability to construct an environment that focuses on student learning, more changes will be required. New ideas need to be acted on almost immediately or they will be appropriated elsewhere (Williams, 2003). Kohn (1998) has long advocated that for schools to help students become ethical people, we need to help them figure out–for themselves and with each other–how one ought to act.
Leaders must remain cognizant that this environment of caring and understanding is essential for an effective workplace (Scarnati,1994). One way to develop a caring and understanding environment is to possess good listening skills. Principals need to really listen to teachers and other staff, parents, and students. The administrator gains the respect needed for change by doing so. Good listening allows the speaker to feel valued (Karpicke & Murphy, 1996). Doud and Keller’s (1998) study of the K-8 principal showed that the principal’s role is now revolving more on student discipline and that it has become increasingly diverse and complex.
Whatever changes need to be enacted in our institutions, will not happen unless we establish a sense of urgency (Kotter, 1996). In the final analysis, it is our duty to identify strategies that will ensure a safe and secure environment for our students to learn. As Speck (1999) pointed out, trust is the “. . . ingredient to developing a learning community. . . .Without trust, the learning community cannot function” (p. 59).
As leaders, we can change the social organization of schools by altering the ways in which students are sorted, adjusting school size and design, and re-examining the manner in which school rules are made and enforced.
TASK
Reflect on the emerging and changing roles of educational leaders pertaining to the administration of discipline in a professional learning community.
References
Buckner, K.G. (1997). Introduction. Bulletin NASSP, 81(585), 1-2.
Delaney, W.J. (1997). Principal leadership: A primary factor in school-based management and
improvement. NASSP Bulletin, 81(586), 107-111.
Doud, J.L., & Keller, E.P. (1998). The K-8 principal in 1998. Principal, 78(1) 5-6, 8, 10-12.
Karpicke, H., & Murphy, M.E. (1996). Productive school culture: Principals working from the
inside. NASSP Bulletin, 80(576), 26-34.
Kohn, A. (1998). What to look for in the classroom and other essays. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
Kotter, J. (1996). Leading change. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Sergiovanni, T.J. (1995). The principalship: A reflective practice perspective. Needham
Heights, Maryland: Allyn and Bacon.
Speck, M. (1999). The principalship: Building a learning community. New Jersey: Prentice-
Hall, Inc.
Williams, G. (2003). The enterprising university. Buckingham, UK: Open University
Press.
