As I came down the escalator during a recent visit with Heather Win (PIP/MEd ‘24), Assistant Principal at Burlington High School, I recalled the story that Heather told at the end of her year in UVEI’s Principal Intern Program. It was about the boy who put his boots up on the desk, crossed his arms, and told her (in colorful language) that the teacher he used to dislike was a pretty good guy after all. It was a story connected to Heather’s action research project, part of her MEd degree in School Leadership, on the impact that improved relationships can have on teacher perceptions, student engagement, and academic achievement. The story came to mind because developing trusting relationships was then, and still is, a big leadership priority for Heather.
Most Vermont schools don’t have escalators, but BHS has been temporarily located at the old, renovated Burlington Macy’s store for nearly 5 years, with a move to a brand new campus planned for next year. As we toured the building, Heather introduced me to someone new at every turn. (And there are lots of turns to navigate as you walk through the former department store in downtown Burlington, Vermont.) We met a member of the student services team, someone with deep roots in the community, who told me that Heather was “wonderful” at her job. As her former UVEI coach, I knew that this praise, and the warm exchanges with a dozen other faculty in various roles, came naturally from Heather’s emphasis on relational trust as an essential ingredient of school leadership.
…developing trusting relationships was then, and still is, a big leadership priority for Heather.
In the middle of my visit, we stopped by the Seahorse Cafe, where neurodivergent students learn workplace skills and run the business. Heather was greeted with familiarity and fondness by the students and adults in the cafe, including a parent of a student who was working behind the counter. I was greeted with professionalism and charisma by the student barista, shown the photos on the wall, the delicious-looking donuts, and the coffee menu. Heather treated me to an espresso.
We took a break from our school-tour to sit and talk in Heather’s office. As we talked, I was reminded of another quality I admired in Heather when she was in our program, her ability to see and describe some of the most important ingredients of a school: structures and routines for faculty learning and collaboration; systems that support a positive learning climate; formal and informal incentives for people to become their best and learn from mistakes along the way.
She seems to cherish those moments when she and her colleagues engage in designing solutions to problems together.
Before I left I asked Heather what elements of her learning at UVEI were having an impact as she navigated her second year as school leader. “So much!” she said. One thing in particular was the importance of “collective efficacy” – described in her action research paper as “leaders’ intentional work to improve teachers’ belief that their work together as a team matters and can affect change.” Heather spoke of times at BHS when faculty on the teams she supports have brought their ideas to the table and been engaged in helping each other solve the challenges they collaboratively define. She seems to cherish those moments when she and her colleagues engage in designing solutions to problems together.
As I prepared to leave, Heather encouraged me to tell members of the UVEI school leader and teacher cohorts to reach out to her if they want to connect, share ideas, learn together, or talk about career opportunities. I encourage readers to reach out to Heather! And please reach out to any of us at UVEI should you want to be in touch with any of our amazing alumni across NH and VT and beyond. The UVEI network, after 55+ years, is strong and vast, and keeps getting stronger year after year. As visiting our alumni in their schools always reminds us, there is so much we can – and do – learn from each other.
Elijah Hawkes is the Director of School Leadership at UVEI, and he coaches a good number of UVEI’s principal candidates. Elijah can be reached at ehawkes@uvei.edu.
