North Carolina Principal Competencies
Competency |
Experience |
Communication: Effectively listens to others; clearly and effectively presents and understands information orally and in writing; acquires, organizes, analyzes, interprets, maintains information needed to achieve school or team 21st century objectives. |
In working with my principal mentor, I have witnessed communication relayed effectively. In growing in this area, my number one takeaway is that phone calls are not always the best way to communicate with home. Branching out and becoming more creative yields better response rates. |
Change Management: Effectively engages staff and community in the change process in a manner that ensures their support of the change and its successful implementation. |
In watching this competency transpire throughout the school year, I am of the belief that stems directly back to relationships and culture. Our staff is willing to accept change and try new things based on the relationship established with the administration, and the overall culture of the building. |
Conflict Management: Anticipates or seeks to resolve confrontations, disagreements, or complaints in a constructive manner. |
My learning curve in this area is changing my mindset from middle school to elementary. Thankfully I had completed an elementary developmental project, this work gave me insight along with the role modeling of my mentor. In reflecting on my ability to manage conflict with staff my struggle remains the idea of continuing to reflect on the situation. I rerun a scenario in my head multiple times and rethink the various ways that it could have gone. |
Creative Thinking – Engages in and fosters an environment for others to engage in innovative thinking. |
My residency is in a high poverty school and creative thinking is crucial to the success of my students. The major way that I work within this proficiency was creating Power Lunch. This is a time for a select group of 5th graders to work on their school work within the school day with administration and constructively vent their frustrations on life. |
Customer Focus: Understands the students as customers of the work of schooling and the servant nature of leadership and acts accordingly. |
Working as a servant leader is the very heart of what I do. I am transparent in the fact that I am willing to work with staff on everything they do, and I am always here for the them. Good or Bad. I also work with students. In our conversations (good and bad) academics is something that we always discuss. |
Delegation: Effectively assigns work tasks to others in ways that provide learning experiences for them and in ways that ensure the efficient operation of the school. |
Delegation is a competency that I am still growing in. Working as a resident intern and continuing to learn new things tend to limit myself and my ability to delegate. However, I do know my strengths and the strengths around me, and do not mind asking for help to ease the workload of all involved. |
Dialogue/Inquiry: – Is skilled in creating a risk-free environment for engaging people in conversations that explore issues, challenges or bad relationships that are hindering school performance. |
Coming into an elementary school I knew that I had lots to learn. Being transparent in my need to learn, I gained the trust of those that I work with. Using transparency that I showed, along with my work effort to learn, I now have established true relationships with staff. These relationships offer me to have the opportunity for conversations that could quickly go very wrong. |
Emotional intelligence: Is able to manage oneself through self awareness and self management and is able to manage relationships through empathy, social awareness and relationship management. This competency is critical to building strong, transparent, trusting relationships throughout the school community. |
As an educator, I am really good at not talking when I shouldn't. However, learning to be politically correct when speaking and my facial expressions have been my area of growth. NELA has really helped with that in the trainings that they have provided. It is imperative that I first understand myself and my why before I can function within the school community in my new position. |
Environmental Awareness: Becomes aware and remains informed of external and internal trends, interests and issues with potential impacts on school policies, practices, procedures and positions. |
Longevity within a school offers many benefits along with detriments. My residency is in a new community that is also very small. In learning the new community I have quickly learned that everyone knows everyone else. Learning how to gain respect as the outsider is something I feel as though I have done well. It is a true statement that says, "Parents do not like you, they like what you do for the kids". |
Global Perspective: Understands the competitive nature of the new global economy and is clear about the knowledge and skills students will need to be successful in this economy. |
The school in which I served my residency just started a dual language immersion program. I feel as though seeing how this works has helped grow within this area. However, my overall experience with this is minimal. |
Judgment: Effectively reaching logical conclusions and making high quality decisions based on available information. Giving priority and caution to significant issues. Analyzing and interpreting complex information. |
In completing coursework through NELA, Dr. Bill Harrison said, "you will never have all of the information needed to make a decision." This statement has resounded within me time after time. I have learned that as an administrator you are required to make split-second decisions that require time for thought. As i have worked with my mentor she has instilled in me that I do a really good job of this. |
Organizational Ability: Effectively plans and schedules one’s own and the work of others so that resources are used appropriately, such as scheduling the flow of activities and establishing procedures to monitor projects. |
My journey through NELA has taught me that organizational ability is more than a must. The problem with this is finding what works for you. I have found things that work for me, and those that do not work for me. As much as I wish I could go electronic for a planner, it is something that I will be carrying around with me everywhere I go. |
Personal Ethics and Values: Consistently exhibits high standards in the areas of honesty, integrity, fairness, stewardship, trust, respect, and confidentiality. |
This competency is one that believe in wholeheartedly. Personal ethics and values are things that I am not willing to change. NELA has helped me discover what those mean to me as a steward-leader and have helped generate my mission statement. While I know that that these will continue to grow my rating on these are firm (Proficient). |
Personal Responsibility for Performance: Proactively and continuously improves performance by focusing on needed areas of improvement and enhancement of strengths; actively seeks and effectively applies feedback from others; takes full responsibility for one’s own achievements. • |
In working in my residency I have made it a personal goal to achieve no less than 3 walk-throughs per day. This only accounts for 30 minutes of my day, and allows me to see what is going on in classrooms. Starting this at the beginning of the year, I was random in my visits, however, as the year progressed I was able to spot areas that needed attention. Knowing this, I was able to work with administration and curriculum coaches to help that teacher become better. In doing this, I was transparent with my mentor to make sure that I was not reading too much into a situation. She confirmed that these were trouble areas, and hopefully with help that has been put into place, we will see growth. |
Responsiveness: Does not leave issues, inquiries or requirements for information go unattended. Creates a clearly delineated structure for responding to requests/situations in an expedient manner. |
This area is a strength of mine, and I do not leave issues unattended. I am alert to the building, and willing to make the phone calls when I see something that needs addressing. I have no problem staying at the building unexpectedly when the front door will not lock and wait for maintenance to come and fix it. I am also a firm believer that my day does not end because I left the building, and emails and other requests are still answered if I am not there. |
Results Orientation: Effectively assumes responsibility. Recognizes when a decision is required. Takes prompt action as issues emerge. Resolves short-term issues while balancing them against long-term goals. |
In working at an elementary school I have been exposed to very different types of data. I remember very clearly in the beginning of the year not understanding why there were 52 letters in the alphabet for recognition. Working to be results oriented and understanding the various forms of data I have had to work with teachers to understand the different forms of data being collected, then transferring that data to the administrative side to help move the school forward. |
Sensitivity: Effectively perceives the needs and concerns of others; deals tactfully with others in emotionally stressful situations or in conflict. Knows what information to communicate and to whom. Relates to people of varying ethnic, cultural, and religious backgrounds. |
Sensitivity is an area that I have had to work to develop, however, NELA has definitely helped me with my growth. Learning my "Why" and other leadership attributes have helped me to become more sensitive to issues. Understanding what my triggers are helps me to know how to react when they are rising. Learning this in conjunction with having a mentor is phenomenal at having crucial conversations, has also helped me develop into the person that I am today. |
Systems Thinking: Understands the interrelationships and impacts of school and district influences, systems and external stakeholders, and applies that understanding to advancing the achievement of the school or team. |
Serving my residency in an elementary school has helped me to understand how the interconnectedness of things like school schedules work together. One of the prime examples that comes to mind is when we did Walk at School Day. The 4th grade was at planning during that time. The original altered schedule had students returning to their core teachers, and then going back to their elective teachers. My recommendation was to have the enhancement teachers who already had the students be in charge and let the teachers have their full planning. This also reduced transitions. I was commended for thinking this was a great idea. |
Technology: Effectively utilizes the latest technologies to continuously improve the management of the school and enhance student instruction. |
My school much like any other school faces the challenges with classroom interruptions. Working in the office on a daily basis, and seeing how crazy it can get I understand why it is so easy to pick up the phone and relay information. Recalling what it is like in the classroom receiving those continual interruptions, I proposed that we utilize an existing technology that we already use (Class Dojo), and send information that way. This pings to a teachers phone, and shows if they read the message, and the teacher can reply. We piloted this with a grade level, and they loved it. |
Time Management: Effectively uses available time to complete work tasks and activities that lead to the achievement of desired work or school results. Runs effective meetings. |
In thinking about this competency, I think back to organizational ability. I think that in order to grow in this area, there has to be trial and error. One thing that I have learned is to get to school early. This is typically a quiet time and allows for me to respond to emails, complete beginning of day tasks, and mentally prepare for the day. On a good day, I am even able to mark things off of my to-do list. However, in saying all of this I have learned that not everything situation can be handled as it arises, prioritization is a concrete must for all in order to be successful. |
Visionary: Encourages imagineering by creating an environment and structure to capture stakeholder dreams of what the school could become for all the students. |
In examining the last two years when I decided that I was ready to become a school leader, I never knew that amount of personal growth that I was in for. NELA has taught me how to grow and become a true visionary leader for a school, my residency has amplified this tenfold. I am definitely in the beginning stages of becoming a leader, however; I have also learned throughout my two years what type of visionary leader that I strive to become. |