the man in the principal's office: an ethnography
DESCRIPTION
Class Presentation Chapter 2-4TRANSCRIPT
Erica Allison CoutoShellie DeloyerLisa FurlotteMelissa KingstonEugene LeeZhoufei LiBlair Springate
1. Major Themes
2. An Ethnography of Who/What
3. Connections to the Community
4. Educational Avenues
5. Academic Controversy
6. Final Thoughts & Questions
Chapter 2
A day in the life of Ed Bell
Chapter 3
Perceptions of Ed Bell:
-Personally
-Professionally
How typical is Ed Bell compared to other Principal’s?
Chapter 4
Great detail about Taft Elementary
-Physical Building
-The Staff
-Attendance Area
-The City/School District
An Ethnography of Who/What?
Ed Bell as a Typical Principal
Ed Bell as a Typical Principal, Cont'd
But How Typical is He?
He is a man of integrity and has belief in his role
He’s not a “yes-man”
He has a greater degree of autonomy
-(pg. 2)
Strange in the familiar and familiar in the strange …
“I consider myself a teacher first, and an administrator second.”
-Another Principal, pg. 33
Ed in the staff room
Ed teaching and reading to the students
Ed and teacher leaving school on personal business
Time Period & Setting
The ethnography (and Ed's actions) are shaped by the time period and setting of the observations.
How would this ethnography be different if written about an Ontario Principal/school, and in modern times? What would remain the same? What would be different?
The more things change, the more they remain the same ...
Ed’s Life in his School and Community
Ed is so involved in the school community that he is not totally immersed in one single aspect of what he does
• What exactly is Ed accomplishing?
• Anything at all?
Perceptions & Participation
Ed & the School
“…talk is the work, i.e., it consumes most of an administrator’s time and energy”
-Gronn, pg. 61
“The school principal is a drifter moving in and out of different directions locations and areas and in and out of relationships and encounters” (pg. 78)
Traditional vs non-traditional
Formal vs informal
Formal does not always equal traditional
Ed Bell
Experienced a number of education
Methods during his formative years:• Rural school• Urban school
• Life/work on the farm• Baptist College
• Evening/correspondence classes• M.A. in Educational Administration
• “Professional Growth” policy
Comparison - Education
Ed
Mixed – formal, informal, traditional,
non-traditional
Taft School
Formal / traditional
Suburban setting
School board
Comparison - Environment
Ed
Rural beginnings New(er) to
West Coast New(er) to
Urban area
Taft School
New school, in a new suburb,
(expanding urban centre)
Comparison – Administrative Style
Ed
Education: university training:
on-job
Mentored/sponsored
Taft School
Style is somewhat informal
Mentor/sponsor
Be it resolved, should principals live and work in the same school community?
“A’s”- Yes; positive impact
“B’s” - No; little or no impact
Ed Bell's diverse educational background makes him a better school principal
Vs
His lesser experience within the formal and traditional school system(s) does not
make him as effective
What did we learn today?
‘The Man in the Principal’s Office: An Ethnography’ by Harry F. Wolcott. AltaMira Press, 1973
Gronn, P.C. (1983). Talk as the work: The Complishment of School Administration.Administrative Science Quarterly, 28(1), pp. 1-21
Barlosky, M. (2003). In Search of Leadership Standards: Quest or Quagmire? Some Political and Practical Reflections. Leadership and Policy in Schools, 2 (1). pp. 47-64.