Leadership in Education

Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

Leadership In Special Education

Section 1 - Introduction and Description

Leadership is evident throughout all areas of education. Not only are there leaders within

teachers and administration, but teachers also empower their students to develop leadership as

well. More specifically in Special Education, leadership requires working with a multitude of

people in order to address each individual student case. This requires high amounts of

interpersonal communication and collaboration in order to create team success. In this paper, I

will elaborate on how my values as a Special Education teacher have emerged a leadership

philosophy that utilizes collaboration, innovation, and knowledge.

In Special Education, teachers constantly work with others in order to have success

within the classroom. Because of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004,

the purpose of Special Education is to provide a free and appropriate public education to all

students, regardless of disability. This requirement is completed through writing Individual

Education Plans (IEP) for each student who could benefit from special education services. To

write an IEP, there has to be a team of people in attendance. Team members include special

education teacher(s), general education teacher(s), parents, administration, psychologist, the

child (once the meeting includes transition planning), and any other related specialists. Every

person in these meetings has an extremely different background and perspective.

Defining what ‘appropriate’ means in special education is an ongoing issue that requires

collaboration in order to resolve. We have to gather data in order to determine current academic

performance levels and set achievable goals. This is an assertive and cooperative approach

where the goal is to achieve a solution that fully satisfies the concerns of all involved (Gigliotti et.
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

al., 2018, pg.169). In many special education cases, it is the goal to include the student in

general education classrooms as much as possible. This allows them to interact with other

students and practice learning new material. When this is appropriate, collaboration is required

with the general education teachers in order to ensure differentiated instruction, necessary

accommodations, and inclusion. If done correctly, the entire class can benefit greatly, and the

special education student won’t be isolated (Arkansas State University, 2018).

Being able to recognize one’s personal skills is an important aspect of leadership. This

not only benefits skills, but also helps to identify what could still be improved. Because of this, I

completed the Leadership Competencies Scorecard 2.0 (Ruben, 2012, Appendix A). This

scorecard (LCS), provides a competency-based framework including five major competency

themes. These themes include Analytic, Personal, Communication, Organizational, and

Positional competencies. Results are determined through a scorecard that acts as an inventory

to develop a profile of one’s own or another person’s leadership competencies (Ruben, 2012).

After completing this assessment, I have determined that my strengths fall mostly under the

communication, personal, and organizational competencies.

Communication is a fundamental component of everyday life. In regards to special

education, I will use my communication strength in order to build trust with students and

members of IEP teams, ask questions to learn about intercultural relations, and listening to all

communicated messages in order to help determine what would be most appropriate for each

child. This competency is especially important when it comes to parents. While it is the law of

IDEA to include parents in the decision-making process of their child, it is beneficial for all

involved to truly listen to and engage parents in collaboration. Parents are the informal leaders

of their child’s education, and they have a significant role in the child’s success. There can be
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

many barriers while working with parents, such as cultural differences, language barriers, or a

lack of knowledge about special education services. These barriers require exceptional

communication skills in order to be able to thoroughly include parents in this process.

It can be easy for professionals to forget what it is like to not have knowledge in their

profession. When parents are included in IEP meetings, it is important to refrain from using

jargon that will hinder their ability to understand how to participate (Koch, 2017). Terms may be

confusing, and a parent might not feel comfortable enough to inquire about clarifying definitions.

Because of this, it is always best to have the ability to thoroughly communicate information in a

manner that the receiver of the message can understand. In special education, it’s important to

ask many questions. This engages parents, and helps me as a teacher to be able to better

understand their background, perspectives, and goals for their child.

I thoroughly enjoy working with other people. I am very enthusiastic, I have strong ideas

of my personal values and ethics, and I strive to be seen as a role model by others. These traits

all help me to be competent in my ability to interpersonally understand standards, character,

and expression of values. The Personal competency category very closely relates to special

education. For example, understanding values and ethics will help me to articulate my

perspectives in future IEP team meetings, as well as understand others’. Working with others is

what will provide success for our students, who all have individual needs and preferences.

Section 2 - Review Relevant Research Studies

A large part of special education, is being able to focus on strengths. This profession is

based on disabilities, and how the students are falling behind academically. Focusing on

strengths helps to motivate both students and professionals. When I can recognize the
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

strengths and skills in others, I can also learn from my followers and become a follower myself.

This is why I have a coaching style of leadership, as it is most beneficial and effective in my

professional setting. Being a coach focuses on strengths, and with that I can find ways to

motivate each individual in a way that is most effective for them.

There are many professionals involved in special education, and these professionals are

constantly researching new ways to teach information to struggling students. For many years, it

was most common for teachers to listen to researchers and implement those findings in the

classroom, also known as an expert-centered approach. While this is typically effective, more

recently it has been in practice to combine both formal and practical knowledge in order to make

instructional change (Butler et al., 2004, p. 437). With a coaching style in this more

learner-centered approach, I can help recognize knowledge and expertise from all involved.

When teachers are continuously learning through building on past experiences and the contexts

of their classroom, they gain power within their classroom to create change. Teachers then can

share this power with other collaborators in order to improve and implement practices

(Desimone, 2009) . This approach is the most collaborative, and helps to find more effective and

innovative solutions inside the classroom.

In special education, innovation is what creates opportunities for children with

disabilities. Assistive technology helps to make education more accessible to all by providing

ways to learn as well as display their learning. According to an article by Northwest Missouri

State University (2018), innovation also requires me as a teacher to collaborate constantly with

my colleagues. If there is something new that was introduced that would be beneficial to a

student, we will have to work together to adapt lesson plans and IEPs for said student. We can

use these technological advances to help empower our students to be lifelong learners. I can
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

act as a coach in this situation by acknowledging my formal leadership role and power in my

classroom, and reaching out to those with related strengths that can provide innovative ideas

involving assistive technology in order to help a student succeed.

Innovation also requires knowledge. Knowledge prompts workers to deal with complex

issues that require creative, non-linear thinking and the development of innovative solutions

(Reinhardt, Schmidt, Sloep, & Drachsler, 2011). Management scholar Peter Drucker describes a

‘knowledge economy’ as a future state where a need for knowledge intensifies (Gigliotti et. al.,

2018, pg. 178). Problem solving is a daily occurrence in special education. In a knowledge

economy, the development and maintenance of relationships is increasingly important to

facilitate the sharing of reliable and useful information. To create the best solution, problem

solving should be done with a team of people. This ensures that multiple perspectives are

considered, and potential barriers are discussed. To innovate in my future classroom, I will

create a team that values relationships with trust, respect, and accountability.

In order to be a leader, one must also be a follower. Fortunately, there are many

opportunities to be a follower in special education. In the very beginning of my career, I will have

to be a follower of other leaders while I learn the culture of the school district that I am hired into.

This requires asking many questions, having many failures, and learning from new experiences.

Being a follower is a big first step in being able to become a leader in the school district later on.

Once I become familiarized with my classroom, I will continue to be a follower by

opening my mind to learning at all times. I will follow the leadership of my colleagues, and learn

from their perspectives and expertise. In most co-teaching situations, we will work together and

alternate between leadership and followership which will maximize strengths and differentiate

instruction. I will follow the leadership of my unique students, who will teach me new lessons
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

every day about empathy, patience, and creativity. Lastly, I will follow the leadership of

researchers, who may host workshops at our district and teach us new ways to approach

difficulties and teach material.

Section 3 - Developing Your Own Leadership Philosophy

Successful leaders are able to articulate their personal leadership philosophy and utilize

their philosophy to passionately drive their followers towards common goals. During this course,

I have researched and reflected on past experiences to determine my personal values,

leadership strengths, and goals. My leadership philosophy is as follows: I believe that my role as

a leader is to continuously learn and obtain knowledge about the ever-changing universe in

order to display my integrity and learn how to best be responsible for creating equitable team

environments.

It is very difficult to define a leadership philosophy without first understanding what

energizes you (Gigliotti, et. al., 2018, pg. 101). I am passionate about providing accessibility and

recreation for people with disabilities, teaching and inspiring the youth, and exploring the world

around me. The passion that helped me to choose a career is providing accessibility and

recreation for people with disabilities. When given the option between pursuing elementary

education and special education, my positive experiences with volunteering with children with

disabilities is what ultimately helped me to choose special education. These passions drive me

to reflect on my values on a daily basis. From my experiences, I have determined that my top

values include integrity, responsibility, and knowledge; as reflected in my philosophy.

Developing a leadership philosophy comes from learning from previous experiences and

difficulties. Several years ago, I was a leader in a team setting that was very dysfunctional. This
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

experience helped to shape my philosophy by teaching me the importance of knowledge,

integrity, and equity. While in this team, our goal was to finish a project for one of our classes.

We were grouped randomly, and because of this we were unfamiliar with each others’ strengths

and weaknesses. None of us spent any time communicating goals, sharing perspectives, or

determining strengths-based role assignments. Because of this, there was no trust in our group,

nobody was held accountable, and there was no communication. We were all very frustrated

with each other and we did very poorly on the assignment. Afterwards, I was explaining the

details of the group project to a friend of mine, who mentioned that one of our group members

had a learning disability. Because there was no trust, this particular member didn’t feel

comfortable communicating their disability and required accommodations. If we had taken the

time to learn about each others’ strengths, we could have made a more equitable experience for

everyone.

After this experience, I reached out to the group members and expressed remorse for

not valuing communication in our project. I realized the importance of equity, and being able to

learn about new ways to approach a situation that provide the necessary accommodations. I got

distracted by my frustrations, and didn’t open my mind to learning about others. I didn’t show

integrity because I wasn’t honest about my own weaknesses, and I didn’t take the time to

assess strengths. From that day forward, I always felt motivated to work towards overcoming

difficulties through communication in order to show integrity and responsibility towards equity for

all.

Moving forward, I try to take more of a proactive approach instead of a reactive

approach. Whenever I am a leader in a group, I prefer to communicate early on instead of

waiting until a conflict or dysfunction occurs. Continuous research and knowledge helps to be
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

proactive. When I am knowledgeable about a situation, it makes it easier for me to have integrity

in the situation. I can be honest about what I know, as well as what I do not know. In times that I

do not have knowledge about what to do, I choose to be responsible for my own learning and

listen to other people who are more knowledgeable on the subject.

When I graduate this next year, I will be seeking a teaching job as a special education

teacher. Starting out, my goal is to teach a self-contained Autism Spectrum Disorder classroom

with grades 3-5. Starting a new career brings a lot of challenges and changes. In order to be

successful and focused on positive results, one must set goals. Tromp and Ruben (2010) have

developed a set of guidelines for goal setting commonly referred to as SMART goals. These

guidelines focus on having goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and

time-bound. I prefer to use this framework because it helps me to think critically about my goals.

I can also easily make these goals in a visual medium, which helps me to maintain motivated.

Within the first year of my teaching, my goal is to have my students be successful. I will

be making many mistakes during this first year and learning a lot, so I would like to see where

my strengths are as a teacher. More specifically, I would like to see 90% of my students reach

their academic performance goals by the end of the school year because of my teaching. This

can be achieved by collaborating with colleagues, using interpersonal communication to listen

and lead at IEP team meetings, and provide differentiated instruction through innovation. As

teachers, our goal is to have successful students that learn and contribute to society. This may

be difficult to complete alone, so I will have to acknowledge my lack of experience and reach out

to professionals that I trust to help me create ideas and problem solve.

After 3 years of teaching, I would like to become more innovative within my classroom

and school district. There is always room for more relevant assistive technology and other
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

strategies in order to help teach material. By the end of my 3rd year, I would like to incorporate

at least 3 new strategies or innovations in my classroom. With this goal, even if they are less

effective, I will still have learned from the experience and know more about how to manage my

classroom. This is achievable because of how often new technology is being introduced into

research practices. I will also have a multitude of related professionals to collaborate with in

order to bring new ideas into many classrooms, not just my own.

After 5 years of teaching, my goal is to achieve my Master’s Degree in order to be able

to teach developmental cognitive disabilities (DCD). This can be done online while I am

teaching in my current classroom at that time. My current license does not cover DCD, so I will

have to complete further education once I get settled into a school district. There is a significant

shortage of DCD teachers, and I believe that I would fit best in this setting because of my

passion for equity and working with children with severe disabilities. I genuinely enjoy the

challenge of problem-solving and discovering innovative ways to help teach children with more

severe/profound disabilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, special education has many opportunities for leadership. Through

research and reflection, I will continue to expand on my passions and values to commit to my

leadership philosophy as a teacher and in other team settings. To me, being knowledgeable is

the basis of being able to follow through with my other passions and values. When I am

knowledgeable, I can teach others. I can also continue to be taught by others. While teaching, I

will maintain responsibility and integrity towards an equitable classroom. Utilizing collaboration,

innovation, and continuous research will help achieve my goals as I transition from my
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

undergrad career, to having my own classroom where I can implement my leadership skills and

educate the children who will one day make a difference in our society.

References

“Importance of Collaboration in Special Education.” ​Arkansas State University Online​, 9 Feb.

2016,

degree.astate.edu/articles/k-12-education/importance-of-collaboration-in-special-education.aspx

Butler, D.L., Lauscher, H.N., Jarvis-Sellinger, S., & Beckingham, B. (2004). Collaboration and

self regulation in teachers’ professional development. Teaching and Teacher Education, 437.

Desimone, L. (2009). Improving impact studies of teachers’ professional development: Toward

better conceptualizations and measures. Educational Researcher, 38.

Gigliotti, Ralph A, et al. “Leadership - Communication and Social Influence in Personal and

Professional Contexts.” 2017.

Koch, Katherine. “IEP: Students Benefit When We Collaborate.” ​Edutopia,​ George Lucas

Educational Foundation, 4 Apr. 2017,

www.edutopia.org/blog/improving-collaboration-iep-table-katherine-koch​.
Leadership in Education
Melanie Bengtson
HONR 401

Reinhardt, W., Schmidt, B., Sloep, P., & Drachsler, H. (2011). Knowledge worker roles and

actions - results of two empirical studies. ​Knowledge and Process Management.

Ruben, B.D. (2006). ​What leaders need to know and do: A leadership competencies scorecard.

Washington, DC: National Association of College and University Business Officers.

Tromp, S.A. & Ruben, B.D. (2010). ​Strategic planning in higher education: A guide for leaders

(2nd ed.). Washington, DC: NACUBO.

“Why Innovation Absolutely Matters in Education.” ​Northwest Missouri State University Online,​ 8

Jan. 2018, online.nwmissouri.edu/articles/education/innovation-matters-in-education.aspx.

Appendix A