Ethic of Justice: Grace, Mercy, and Policy

This post is a post from a discussion forum in one of my graduate classes for Dordt College's School Leadership program. This post is from EDUC 562: Legal and Ethical Foundations in Educational Leadership.

FOCUS POINT: The Ethic of Justice

This section of reading brings up an extremely tough topic within Education. It is important to have policies and guidelines in order for a school to base decisions off of, but often times many situations almost need to be decided case by case because the circumstances can be very different. The author makes a great point by saying "children do not start out on an equal footing; and, of course, that some need more or different attention than others in acquiring an education." As Christian leaders who seek to exhibit grace and mercy, it will be tough to treat each scenario the same, as each student/parent/teacher is different and requires differing amounts of coaching and guidance.

Some thoughts about policy...policies could be written more open ended, but then there leaves much open-endedness in the interpretation of what is being stated. On the other end, if a policy is very specific, a leader is bound to specific actions. Are certain policies are better deemed more open ended and others more specific? Policy is a newer topic to me so it is definitely a learning process.

Why Have An Academic Career?

This post is a post from a discussion forum in one of my graduate classes for Dordt College's School Leadership program. This post is from EDUC 503: Interpreting Educational Research.

Please choose one of what you consider [Marsden's] "essential questions" from the Introduction. Copy one of his essential questions that captures your interest (add the reference material) and type a 2-3 paragraph response. In other words, pretend we are sitting in a Tim Horton's (Coffee shop chain in Canada) together talking about what we think this book will be about and our quick reflections on some of his questions.

What is the point of an academic career? (pg. 4, 2nd full paragraph)

This question addressed by Marsden brings up a great point in light of the topic the book will cover, namely the relationship of faith and learning. Personally, I can say I have truly enjoyed taking the classes through Dordt's Masters program. It has shown me where a passion of mine is and allowed me to grow tremendously! There are strengths and passions inside each person and feeding those passions is key in order to grow into who each of us was created to be. This question also reminded me of a sermon series our church recently went through based on John Ortberg's book "The Me I Want to Be." In the book, John states:

"Research shows (we are in a class about research anyway right :) ) that the best moments of our lives don't come from leisure or pleasure...they come when we are totally immersed in a significant task that is challenging, yet matches to our highest ability...People experience it far more in their work than they do in their leisure."

An academic career allows us to pursue the passions God has put inside each of us and in order to continually improve and gain the newest insights. Through further studying, we can learn more about ourselves and gain a greater appreciation of God and his creation. Putting these two together allows each of us to see how we can fulfill the roles God has currently placed us in and is preparing us for. For example, those interested in science gain a very deep appreciation of the workings of creation, people involved in literature are able to exemplify the characteristic of story that God has shown to us and given to us, and those passionate about school leadership will help continue to move the school towards the mission it strives to do!

Study on!

Leadership Defined

"And -- and -- and -- I'm a leader. I'm a leader. I've always been a leader. I've never had any problem leading people. If I say do it, they're going to do it. That's what leadership is all about."

Is it really about that? 

I overheard this quote from someone on TV a few months back and it immediately caught my attention. I quickly made note of it as I am in a School Leadership graduate program where leadership is definitely on my mind and something in which I am continually seeking out how to lead well. 

So what is it to me? Here is an excerpt from my philosophy of leadership that includes my definition:

Defining leadership is an important first step in order to provide a basis for what it is, as a leader, I am trying to do. Unfortunately, defining leadership is no simple task. In terms of leadership, “there are almost as many different definitions of leadership as there are people who have tried to define it” (Northouse, 2013, p. 2). Because there is no clear definition of leadership, the word can take on different meanings depending on the person or situation. Marzano, Waters, and McNulty echo this sentiment in their research by listing numerous theories and theorists that all show what effective leadership can be (2005, p. 27). Leadership has multiple dimensions to it, and it is an extremely complex idea (Northouse, 2013, p. 1). However, having many different thoughts and theories about what effective leadership is, is not necessarily be a bad thing. God has created each human unique, with different gifts and abilities imparted to each one. Therefore, a good leader should tap into the strengths of the leadership in people around them because of the complexity that can come with leadership. Using the different gifts is a vital piece, but along with that, the people must know what they are working towards. This is where a leader needs to provide a shared vision with a plan of action. An old proverb expresses this by saying, “A vision without a plan is just a dream. A plan without a vision is just drudgery. But a vision with a plan can change the world” (as cited in Marzano et. al. 2005, p. 98). I believe these are two key aspects of defining leadership: using gifts others around you and providing a vision. Northouse offers a definition that gets close to what this type of leadership is by saying “leadership is a process whereby an individual influences a group of individuals to achieve a common goal” (2013, p. 5). For my personal definition, I would tweak it slightly and define it as the following: 

Leadership is a process where an individual influences and helps shape a vision with other individuals while all walk along side of and learn from one another along the way.