7-1 Good Principals:What Traits Do They Share?

Good Principals:What Traits Do They Share?

好校長：他們有什麼特質？

Do you want to be a better principal? Maybe you're thinking about becoming a principal and wondering if you have what it takes. This week, Education World's Principal Files principals tell about the "principal qualities" that are most important to being a successful school leader. Included: Links to other resources that provide further insight.
你想要成為一位好校長嗎？也許你可以想想看！本週，世界教育的「校長檔案」（Principal Files）中的校長談論有關「校長特質」的議題，這對想要成為一個成功的學校領導者是很重要的。包括：可以提供長遠視野的其他資源。

Do you want to be a better principal? Maybe you're thinking about becoming a principal and wondering if you have what it takes. A few weeks ago, Education World asked our Principal Files principals, What, do you think, are the most important traits of a good principal, a strong school leader? This is what Ed World's P-Files principals had to say. BE A GOOD LISTENER

你想要成為一位好校長嗎？也許你可以想想看！幾週以前，世界教育詢問「校長檔案」Principal Files中的校長：你認為什麼是一位好校長或學校領導者最重要的特質？他們回答道：成為一位好的傾聽者。

"Listening and understanding what you have heard is one of the most important traits of a strong principal," said Steven Podd, principal at Islip (New York) Middle School. "By listening to others, I can find ways to solve problems, help kids and parents, and support teachers." A simple answer, it seems, added Podd. "But look around you. Notice how many people really listen to you when you speak. It's a critical skill!"

「傾聽和瞭解是成為一位卓越校長最重要的特質」一位中學校長Steven Podd這樣說到。「藉著傾聽他人，我可以找到方法去解決問題、幫助學生和家長以及支持教師。」這似乎是很簡單的答案，Podd又說，「但看看你周圍，有多少人是真的願意用心傾聽你說的話，這真的是一項關鍵能力。」

"Being a good listener is an important trait for administrators to possess," added Bonita Henderson, assistant principal at Pleasant Ridge School, a K-8 school in Cincinnati. "Children and teachers have important things to say, and a lot can be learned and gained from listening well to them."

「成為一位好的傾聽者也是行政管理者需要擁有的一項重要特質」一位學校的副校長Bonita Henderson說道。學生和老師所需要的資源或需求可以從傾聽他們的心聲中得到。

Principal Bill Meyers agrees. "People do not always expect a principal to solve their problems," said Meyers, principal at Lincoln Elementary School in Sterling, Illinois. "Many times, they just need someone who will listen to their concerns. An effective administrator knows when it is appropriate to shut up and just listen."

一位小學校長Bill Meyers說到：「人們通常不會期待校長去解決他們的問題。很多時候，他們只是需要一些人可以傾聽他們所在意的事情。一個有效率的行政管理者總是知道在適當的時候閉上嘴巴，專心傾聽。」

Being "able to listen objectively with sincere eye contact" is essential, said Lucie Boyadjian, principal at Glen Oaks School in Hickory Hills, Illinois. "Listening conveys a caring attitude, and caring is a building block for trust," added Boyadjian. "The ability to build trust is an essential human relations skill that greatly facilitates interpersonal communications."

「予以真誠的眼神且專心傾聽是很重要的」，一所學校的校長Lucie Boyadjian說道。Boyadjian又補充說明之：「傾聽傳達了關心，而關心正是信任的組成要素之一。建立信任能力是一個重要的人際關係技巧，它也促進了人際方面的溝通。」

Mary Ellen Imbo, principal at Westwood Elementary School in

Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, has been part of several committees charged with hiring administrators for Broken Arrow's 14 elementary schools. "As I've sat in on administrative interviews," said Imbo, "I've learned that listening skills are of utmost importance."

俄克拉荷馬州（Oklahoma）的部分委員會負責招聘Broken Arrow的14所小學的行政管理者（校長）。一所小學校長Imbo說：「如同我坐在行政面談中，我瞭解到傾聽是最重要的。」

"We have put aside the authoritarian leader," added Imbo. "Today's principal needs to develop teacher leadership, promote parent involvement, facilitate site-based decision making, and make decisions in the best interest of all children. In order to accomplish all those things, a strong principal must be a good listener and flexible."

Imbo又說：「我們要把獨裁領導方式放一邊。今日需要的是發展教師領導，促進家長參與及學校本位決策，並以學生利益為優先。為了完成這些目標，一個卓越的領導者必須要兼具傾聽力與柔軟力。」

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