the man in the principal's office: an ethnography

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.