Friday, August 28, 2009

Leading Change...

The last classroom portion of my doctoral program focuses on leading change. I am also composing my research proposal. I know that active leaders of organizations are expected to actively seek areas where their organizations will best benefit, and institute change. This change will inevitably incur opposition, and that is where good leaders differ from great leaders. In order for great administrators to navigate and manage change, he/she must know his/her personal strengths and the strengths of his/her management team.

Knowing others' strengths allows an effective leader to design a plan in which the strengths of the individual team members interplay and create synergy to drive the change. This effective management of change makes leaders appear as though they are masterful at making desired changes and makes them appear as if they are actually "the best."

I am blessed to have made it this far, and I know that without the hand of God guiding my endeavors, that I would be a man on an island. I am blessed, and thankful for that blessing. My desire is that I can utilize the gifts and blessings that I've been given to make a dramatic difference in many lives.

Look for more postings as my educational philosophy continues to change. Change is inevitable, and we must be open to it!

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

A New School Year

As I enter my ninth year as a high school teacher, I am also entering the last semester of my doctoral coursework. I am excited, and realize that by the time I finish this school year, several things will have transpired. First, my wonderful son will have turned two, and my beautiful daughter will have turned four. What a true blessing they are to me. My wife and I will have been married for seven years. My how time flies!

Most of all, I will have most, if not all, of my dissertation written. I remember my days at David Crockett high school as a student, and some who claimed that I would never make it in college.

Nonetheless, I am thankful for the opportunities for enlightenment, and am grateful for every blessing that has been bestowed upon me. As a traveling man, I'm certainly fortunate for the vast amount of knowledge that I have obtained. I sincerely hope that I will prove to be wiser, better, and therefore more useful.

I was fortunate enough to receive a grant last school year, and have fully implemented it. For the first time, I can truly say that I am ready for the school year to start.

I don't expect many to follow my postings, but that's not the point. If any follow them at all, I hope that they will obtain some of the knowledge it takes to travel through the leadership process. It is my hope that my students will use my knowledge as a springboard to thrust themselves into leadership roles and positions.

I have been fortunate enough to have passed the educational administrative endorsement exam, and look forward to having the credential added to my teaching certificate. I trust that this qualification will net me an assistant principal position in the future.

Nulli secundus. Nosce te ipsum. Acta non verba. Ad luceum et Ad praestantius faciebar!

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Change...

Recently, I finished my next to last semester of course work for my doctorate in educational leadership. I also passed the School Leaders Licensure Assessment. I'm qualified, but not exactly certified. Once I finish this fall semester, and complete the paperwork, I'll be certified as a school administrator.

I have learned a great deal during my tenure as a doctoral student. I've learned that leaders are made, that change takes time and involves constant management, and as Andy Stanley so pointedly states, "direction determines destination."

Lots of things have captured my attention over the years, but what I've noticed about this journey is that there are those things that can reap rewards for you and those things that are detrimental to your success. My next steps in life are laid out before me, and I daily ask God to make the decisions easy for me to see.

I have applied for assistant principal jobs, I have begun evaluating whether to focus my dissertation study on directors of schools or on principals, and I am intensely evaluating the concepts set forth by Dr. Phil Schlechty, in his book Leading for Learning: How to Transform Schools into Learning Organizations.

I am very familiar with Peter Drucker's concept of the knowledge worker, and I want to capitalize on that principle as I begin to make modifications to my research design. The next six months of my life are going to be transformational for me as I enter into a new level of leadership, one that according to my Strengths Assessment from Buckingham and Clifton's Now, Discover Your Strengths is working with thoughts and ideas.

I am excited about the deepening of my capacity for leadership, and I hope that you'll share in my excitement by following me both here and on Twitter.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Transformation

It is safe to say that I am still undergoing the process of change.  I began this journey during the fall semester of 2007 at ETSU.  Whilst busied with the concept of being forced to change schools, I was a bit bitter, however I am honest in that I am still undergoing the change.  I anticipate that the few remaining classes in my doctoral program will finish the hardwiring of my mind to help me finish the transformation process, however it has been a very difficult journey, and one that I suppose I'm glad that I had to endure.

I will finish the classwork portion of my doctorate in December of this year, and I plan to have my dissertation written and defended before the fall semester of 2010 starts.  I am excited, but have been humbled by the whole process.

Speaking of dissertation, my focus is going to center around professional development standards, and I am excited about this new focus.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Teacher and Administrator Technology

Well, it's been a few weeks since I started this blog, and only one person has left me a reply. I am not giving up though. I have a vision, and that vision entails this site becoming very essential to both students who desire to become administrators, and those who have wrought a time as administrators.

My vision is to create a weblog for these people to collaborate and exchange information regarding administration, which will hopefully make their lives much easier. I know that with the use of some of the websites that I have currently found, that some people's lives will be positively effected.

I invite you to subscribe to my blog, wiki, and podcasts. My hope is that you will become a perpetual contributor and invite others to participate.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Something to think about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw

This video from YouTube is unbelievable! I hope that upon completion of this class, I will be able to translate all of my course material into each of these media forms! I hope that you see the benefits as well! Please post a reply and let's get a discussion about this topic going.

Welcome!!!

I would like to say welcome to all who view this page.



My name is Scott Starnes, and I am currently teach at Daniel Boone High School, in Gray, Tennessee. I am in my 7th year as a teacher. For the initial 5 years of teaching, I was at David Crockett High School, in Jonesborough, and taught World History. Last year, I was finally able to put my experience as a Paramedic to use in the classroom, as I was hired to teach Medical Technology classes. This year, I am continuing that practice, and am teaching classes such as Anatomy & Physiology, Medical Technology, and Medical Therapeutics.



I am happily married to Christy (5 years), and have two wonderful children.  Rebecca who is 2, and Brayden who is 1.



I am enrolled in the Doctor of Education program at East Tennessee State University, for an administrative endorsement, and want to become a high school principal, and eventually, a Career and Technical Director.



Some of my favorites include:

movie - Remember the Titans and Radio

song - Sweet Home Alabama

book - Friday Night Lights

play - To Kill A Mockingbird



My interests include coaching football (have coached for 7 years), reading, and fishing. I have recently found that I thoroughly enjoy wood working, and hope to become more involved with that in the coming years.


I have found an interesting blogsite. The address is http://thereflectiveteacher.wordpress.com/

This site interested me because I was taught at Milligan College, that a teacher must be reflective in his/her practice as a teacher because that is the only way in which one grows professionally. This blog encourages teachers to take an introspective look at themselves and determine where they are professionally. I will probably subscribe to this blog.