Marva Collins/Never Gave Up Compare/Contrast

In this video Mrs. Catrino displays several servant leadership characteristics. Mrs. Catrino was accepting of Lilly and asked her to be her special helper, making Lilly feel accepted and valued in the classroom. Catrino showed a commitment to Lilly and helping her learn how to read by allowing her to come to school early to practice reading with her. Catrino was vulnerable with Lilly through the whole process and in turn Lilly became vulnerable with her class and asked them to help her read since she helped everyone with directions. Catrino showed an awareness to how severe Lilly's reading deficit was and called her parents in to discuss the situation with them. She knew something had to be done and continued to support and encourage Lilly.

In the book Teachers as Servant Leaders by Joe Nichols, there is a list by Ordway Tead (p. 14) of ten qualities of leadership. Of those ten qualities, Mrs. Catrino displays a sense of purpose and direction. She knows that Lilly needs help in order to read at grade level and she tries several different strategies and tools to get there. She is friendly with Lilly by asking her to help on the first day when Lilly does not have all her school supplies. Catrino demonstrates a faith in Lilly that she can and will succeed. She never gives up on Lilly and continues to encourage her.

Of the ten principles of empowerment, Mrs. Clark shows several: she demonstrates she values people, she trusts people, and she helps others feel rewarded and recognized for empowered behavior. Mrs. Clark shows Lilly she values her from day one by asking her to be her helper. She trusts Lilly to complete her work and trusts Lilly to help other students understand directions and what to do in class. She recognizes Lilly for trying to read and empowered her to keep trying and reach success.

In this situation servant leadership qualities, teacher leadership qualities, and principles of empowerment meld together to create an effective teacher. Mrs. Catrino allows Lilly to feel accepted and valued and lets her know she will always be there for her so that Lilly will trust her. Without that trust and feeling of acceptance Lilly may not have been able to accomplish so much in here year with Mrs. Catrino. Mrs. Catrino leads Lilly and helps her achieve reading on grade level and empowers her along the way to success.

If I were faced with a similar situation I would use any and all resources I could to help the student. The first step would be to form a relationship with the student and build trust so they will work with me along the journey. This could be done by accepting them and being friendly as well as showing I value them. Once that trust is built then I could share a vision or goal with that student and show them steps to get to that goal. It will be hard work but I would need to continue to encourage and empower that student so they are able to achieve the goal.

In the movie about Marva Collins there are servant leader characteristics shown by Mrs. Collins. Mrs. Collins shows an awareness for her students and the lack of education they are receiving. Other teachers want to waste time on field trips or busy work but she is more concerned about educating the students and their needs. She tries her best to persuade other teachers to focus on the students and not themselves or other distractions. Collins is authentic in how she answers questions. She does not sugar coat her answers, but tells the other teachers exactly how she feels.

Mrs. Collins displays a great sense of purpose and direction. Her main purpose is to educate the students and she will not let paperwork or other teachers come in her way. She is concerned with the students' well being and believes they will learn if teachers will bother to teach them. She will not allow the other teachers in the teacher meetings to sway her purpose of being an effective teacher.

When Mrs. Collins is pointing out flaws or distractions at school she does not pinpoint problem people, she is just trying to solve the problem. Even if the other teachers view her as annoying for bringing up the same issues, she is trying to solve the problems and allow more students learning. She shares her direction with other teachers even though most of them do not seem to listen to what she has to say.

Mrs. Collins wants what is best for her students and is willing to work hard to accomplish that. She is aware of distractions and other issues in the school and uses those to create a direction for where she wants to go and where she thinks the school should go. She is authentic in her actions and speech and does her best to try and solve the issues at hand. She is willing to be a servant leader and work alongside the other teachers to create a positive learning environment for students. She is ready to lead the other teachers along with her through her sense of purpose and direction and she will empower others who work with her for a common goal by solving problems as they arise.

If I were in a similar situation I think I would struggle more than Mrs. Collins. It can be difficult to stand up for something you believe in when everyone else around you doesn't care or doesn't see the meaning behind it. If I were going to persuade a group of teachers to do what is best for the students I think I would need to use examples of why it is necessary. Maybe get feedback from the students as to what they would like in a good teacher. I would need to listen to other teacher's reasonings for wanting to take field trips or other activities and see if I could work with their reasoning to create a solution pleasing to all. What Mrs. Collins wants is not out of the ordinary, and really it is best for the students. But the way the other teachers are acting makes it very difficult to create any change.