Servant Leadership Interview Paper

I was fortunate to have the unique opportunity to interview my Principal, Dr. Tim Anderson and Head of School, Dr. Julie Giardino. Since we are employed at a Christian school, I was interested in learning their personal teaching philosophies, views on education and personal beliefs on leadership.
In regards to their teaching philosophies, both believe innately and unequivocally that all children have the ability and a right to learn. Together, they have over 30 years of educational experience and their passion for student learning and achievement is still evident. They surmise teachers are the authorities in the classroom, should be empowered to be creative and have the ability to adapt or change curriculum. However, they also conclude teachers should not supersede administration or affect policy. At the core or foundation of every decision they make is their relationship with Christ. This foundation drives how they interact, communicate and lead others. Therefore transparency, truth, integrity and dignity for all
Second, a good leader builds meaningful relationships by: a) modeling a servant’s attitude, b) collaborating with constituents, c) celebrating differences, d) recognizing accomplishments and e) fostering accountability via restorative correction. Since building relationships is one of the fundamental elements of their leadership style, both are prudent in utilizing e-mail and social media as a form of communication between themselves and their constituents. Dr. Anderson understands social media and e-mail is useful as a way to communicate facts (for example teacher duties, responsibilities or upcoming sporting events). However; Dr. Giardino expressed, she values one on one communication. In her experience, e-mail can foster miscommunication due to the inability to read body language and