3. Problem Analysis
1. identify the elements of a problem situation by analyzing relevant information, frame issues, and identify possible causes;
2. seek additional needed information and frame and reframe possible solutions;
3. demonstrate conceptual flexibility;
4. assist others in forming opinions about problems and issues.
As dynamic systems, schools are always facing new needs and encountering problems. Some of the problems are minor issues and will work themselves out or are fairly easy to find solutions for. Other problems require planning and systems analysis, input from a wide variety of sources, setting priorities, and being able to conceptualize solutions and their impact on the school community. Analysis of and finding solutions to problems require a leader to seek out data and glean relevant information from it while keeping an open mind with respect to possible solutions. At the same time, the leader should communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed, at appropriate times, of the problem and to gain their input as to root causes of and potential solutions to the issue.
At my placement at in the elementary school, a positive problem arose: there were enough incoming kindergarten students for the following year to warrant an additional section. While this is a “problem” that many schools would welcome, the principal recognized the impact on the rest of the school for both the coming year and, potentially, for years to come. At the time, the kindergarten rooms were fairly close together – two adjoining and the third located diagonally and across the hall. There were two additional rooms in the same hallway as the adjoining kindergarten rooms that were used for pre-school/kindergarten readiness. The original thought was that the pre-school would collaborate with the kindergarten and align the two programs, however this turned out not to be the case (neither side seems to have put forth much effort in this endeavor). Additionally, the one-year addition of a section did not necessarily translate into an on-going fourth section, so if the pre-school classes were to re-locate, it would need to benefit this group, or risk losing good will with them.
After looking at several ideas, the group came to the conclusion that the best fit would be for the pre-school to re-locate to the two rooms at the far end of the hallway that were across the hall from each other (on one side of the hallway were first grade rooms and on the other were second grade rooms). This solved many problems: the kindergarten rooms could be all together, the pre-school rooms would be closer to the door where parents entered to drop students off, the pre-school rooms would face each other making it easier to go from one to the other, and the pre-school classes would be closer to larger bathrooms whereas they had been using two small bathrooms with only one facility each. In my mind, an additional benefit to this configuration is that if the need continued for additional sections in the primary grades, the pre-school rooms could be moved to classrooms in the next hallway down (which were not being used as classrooms) making it easier to add a section of first grade and second grade as the need grew. Of course the benefits for the pre-school were the angle that had to be played-up to this staff, as moving is always painful.
It will be important when facing any change, or need for change within my school, that any change brings about logistical and potentially political problems, and the best approach is to gain as much information as possible from as many sources as is prudent, then guide the stakeholders in the decision-making process. Most of the decisions in a building will ultimately be mine, but communicating with appropriate others brings insights and variety of solution ideas, while consensus in how to solve problems builds community.
1. identify the elements of a problem situation by analyzing relevant information, frame issues, and identify possible causes;
2. seek additional needed information and frame and reframe possible solutions;
3. demonstrate conceptual flexibility;
4. assist others in forming opinions about problems and issues.
As dynamic systems, schools are always facing new needs and encountering problems. Some of the problems are minor issues and will work themselves out or are fairly easy to find solutions for. Other problems require planning and systems analysis, input from a wide variety of sources, setting priorities, and being able to conceptualize solutions and their impact on the school community. Analysis of and finding solutions to problems require a leader to seek out data and glean relevant information from it while keeping an open mind with respect to possible solutions. At the same time, the leader should communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed, at appropriate times, of the problem and to gain their input as to root causes of and potential solutions to the issue.
At my placement at in the elementary school, a positive problem arose: there were enough incoming kindergarten students for the following year to warrant an additional section. While this is a “problem” that many schools would welcome, the principal recognized the impact on the rest of the school for both the coming year and, potentially, for years to come. At the time, the kindergarten rooms were fairly close together – two adjoining and the third located diagonally and across the hall. There were two additional rooms in the same hallway as the adjoining kindergarten rooms that were used for pre-school/kindergarten readiness. The original thought was that the pre-school would collaborate with the kindergarten and align the two programs, however this turned out not to be the case (neither side seems to have put forth much effort in this endeavor). Additionally, the one-year addition of a section did not necessarily translate into an on-going fourth section, so if the pre-school classes were to re-locate, it would need to benefit this group, or risk losing good will with them.
After looking at several ideas, the group came to the conclusion that the best fit would be for the pre-school to re-locate to the two rooms at the far end of the hallway that were across the hall from each other (on one side of the hallway were first grade rooms and on the other were second grade rooms). This solved many problems: the kindergarten rooms could be all together, the pre-school rooms would be closer to the door where parents entered to drop students off, the pre-school rooms would face each other making it easier to go from one to the other, and the pre-school classes would be closer to larger bathrooms whereas they had been using two small bathrooms with only one facility each. In my mind, an additional benefit to this configuration is that if the need continued for additional sections in the primary grades, the pre-school rooms could be moved to classrooms in the next hallway down (which were not being used as classrooms) making it easier to add a section of first grade and second grade as the need grew. Of course the benefits for the pre-school were the angle that had to be played-up to this staff, as moving is always painful.
It will be important when facing any change, or need for change within my school, that any change brings about logistical and potentially political problems, and the best approach is to gain as much information as possible from as many sources as is prudent, then guide the stakeholders in the decision-making process. Most of the decisions in a building will ultimately be mine, but communicating with appropriate others brings insights and variety of solution ideas, while consensus in how to solve problems builds community.
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