Why focus on relationships?
My Background
As a first-generation American, born to immigrant parents that came to America in pursuit of the American Dream, education wasn't always the top priority. I did go to college, but I did not have a good relationship with school; I didn't see the value of education. I went into the business field and ended up in managing several types of businesses - from retail to restaurants. Through it all I understood the importance of developing and teaching employees - and building relationships with them made it easier to accomplish our goals. Then I became a teacher.
My Experience
I taught English and Social Studies in all grade levels from 7th grade to 12th grade and have leveraged the positive relationships I formed with my students into their successes. When the opportunity came to join Penn GSE as a resident, I jumped at the chance to use what I have learned through experience, with the hope to change entire school communities for the better.
It was an honor to be selected for a full scholarship and paid internship as a part of the Innovative Principal Residency Program at Penn GSE. I tried to bring all of my experience in business and education to bring the most value to Academy at Palumbo. In doing this, I learned the true value of building and leveraging relationships.
leveraging relationships = ENVIRONMENT conducive to learning
The combination of my experience in business and education, as well as my experiences in my principal internship, have brought me to the question:
"How can building and leveraging relationships create an environment more conducive to learning?"
which I have attempted to answer this school year.
Philosophy of Leadership
In the beginning of the School Leadership Program, my philosophy of leadership contained three main points, (1) every student can learn, (2) every decision made in school must first benefit students, and (3) major policy changes and decisions must include all stakeholders in their formulation. Those points are important of course, but reflecting on it now I realize that all of it takes place within a complex series of relationships that is the school community.
Journal Syntheses
Throughout the year, I have used habits of mind to help in my work with relationships
Contact Me
How can I help?
Please contact me if you would like to talk about how to build and leverage relationships in your school.
Mr Pitsakis (dot) com
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