Journal No.11 (March 31, 2008)

This was the week that my group (Lynda &Rob) presented our research into the topic of the personal dimension of a school principal. Our presentation focused on ten attributes needed to survive and be successful as a principal.

The most difficult aspect of this was to narrow down all the information we came across. We wanted our presentation to be a balance between theory and practical suggestions and I believe we accomplished it. I was especially pleased with the scenarios we came up with. They involved real life type issues that required critical thinking.

If I could change anything, I would have made the presentation much shorter. I think that 2 hour presentations are too long and most of my classmates have become very weary at this point. This was reflected in the group that I facilitated during the breakout room activities. I really had to prong the members despite the what we thought was an interesting topic. There was also a reluctance to report what was discussed. Again, I think this reflects the fact that these presentations go on too long.

I would recommend to Sam that in the future he limit them to 60-75 minutes including the breakout activities. This way, more people will be able to follow the discussion and not have to wait too long to engage in dialogue.

For me personally, the format of being on-line made it even more difficult to stay focused on the various presentations. Face-to-face is obviously more ideal, but either way, the presentations should not exceed an hour.

I enjoyed working with both Rob and Lynda. We met at Nesbitt twice, and on-line once to practice our presentation. During this process, I got a chance to learn more about how private schools and the alternative system work. In Rob's case, a principal is not very visible because he is appointed at various alternative settings. In Lynda's case, the principal runs the show because they do not have the complicated hieracrchical system found in public school (i.e., chain of command from principal to regional directort, to assistant director general, etc.). Both described their experiences and we all shared aspects of our jobs that gave us more insight into the role of a principal. Overall, it was a positive learning experience.