Providing Instructional Leadership
Leadership Dimension #4
Introduction:
The administrator ensures that all students have access to quality teaching and have the opportunity to meet the provincial goals of education.
Administrator Descriptors:
- demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy
- implements strategies for addressing standards of student achievement
- develops school-wide principles, goals and strategies for fair and balanced student assessment and evaluation practices
- provides effective supervision and evaluation to ensure that all teachers consistently meet the Alberta Teaching Quality Standard
- promotes an understanding of diversity and facilitates the inclusion of all students
- ensures that students have access to appropriate programming based on individual learning needs
- recognizes the potential of new and emerging technologies and their use in supporting learning and teaching
- ensures that staff communicate and work effectively with parents/guardians and community agencies
- promotes community partnerships and mobilizes resources to enhance student learning
The administrator ensures that all students have access to quality teaching and have the opportunity to meet the provincial goals of education.
Administrator Descriptors:
- demonstrates an in-depth knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy
- implements strategies for addressing standards of student achievement
- develops school-wide principles, goals and strategies for fair and balanced student assessment and evaluation practices
- provides effective supervision and evaluation to ensure that all teachers consistently meet the Alberta Teaching Quality Standard
- promotes an understanding of diversity and facilitates the inclusion of all students
- ensures that students have access to appropriate programming based on individual learning needs
- recognizes the potential of new and emerging technologies and their use in supporting learning and teaching
- ensures that staff communicate and work effectively with parents/guardians and community agencies
- promotes community partnerships and mobilizes resources to enhance student learning
List and Identify Evidence/Artifacts:
The evidence for Providing Instructional Leadership centres on a variety of tasks I have done this year. I can use the Beginning Teachers Initiative as one example. I have provided the foundation for 21st century teaching and learning to the beginning teachers in our school and in the division. We have looked at inquiry, universal learning environments, understanding by design, balanced assessment and many others factors that lead to the vision and mission of Rocky View Schools. I also want to mention however, that although I think this program is powerful evidence of my ability to provide instructional leadership, it is not the only way.
I was charged with the task this year of being the point person for PowerSchool. As we moved in the direction of Personalized Learning and Personalized Communication it was evident that this program was going to be the best tool in communicating with parents. I made sure that teachers understood how the program could work for them, and ensured that as many parents as possible had an account. I also made sure that teachers were consistent and timely in entering their grades and communicating with parents on a regular basis. Along with this came the focus on Policy HK implementation. Many teachers had concerns and/or were confused about the policy. In some cases there was real resistance. However, each of the teachers has now eliminated any reference to academic punishment in their course outlines. We are still working on trying to get some teachers to balance their assessment putting less emphasis on tests and exams, but the conversations are still happening and the work is continuing.
Through this work on both PowerSchool and Policy HK, along with regular teacher supervision and our Learning Walks, it became really evident who the teachers were that were reluctant and resistant to complying with and overtly dismissing anything to do with 21st century teaching and learning. At SCHS we now have a critical mass of teachers who have embraced the transformation of the school. Those that do not, stick out. With one such teacher, we have had to move to the evaluation and remediation phase. Doing this work, has become a valuable learning experience for me. It has allowed me to look closely at the School Act, the Teacher Quality Standard, and the process by which evaluation must take place. In some ways, it has been a lesson in frustration but in others offers me the legal foundation to build a case against poor teaching practice.
I was charged with the task this year of being the point person for PowerSchool. As we moved in the direction of Personalized Learning and Personalized Communication it was evident that this program was going to be the best tool in communicating with parents. I made sure that teachers understood how the program could work for them, and ensured that as many parents as possible had an account. I also made sure that teachers were consistent and timely in entering their grades and communicating with parents on a regular basis. Along with this came the focus on Policy HK implementation. Many teachers had concerns and/or were confused about the policy. In some cases there was real resistance. However, each of the teachers has now eliminated any reference to academic punishment in their course outlines. We are still working on trying to get some teachers to balance their assessment putting less emphasis on tests and exams, but the conversations are still happening and the work is continuing.
Through this work on both PowerSchool and Policy HK, along with regular teacher supervision and our Learning Walks, it became really evident who the teachers were that were reluctant and resistant to complying with and overtly dismissing anything to do with 21st century teaching and learning. At SCHS we now have a critical mass of teachers who have embraced the transformation of the school. Those that do not, stick out. With one such teacher, we have had to move to the evaluation and remediation phase. Doing this work, has become a valuable learning experience for me. It has allowed me to look closely at the School Act, the Teacher Quality Standard, and the process by which evaluation must take place. In some ways, it has been a lesson in frustration but in others offers me the legal foundation to build a case against poor teaching practice.
Reflection:
I think that if you pay attention as an administrator to what your staff is doing, you will get a great sense of who is on board, who is engaged, and who is overwhelmed. You need to know each of your staff on both a personal and professional level to gauge where they are. Just like in the classroom, you must differentiate for your staff as well as your students. The bottom line always though is, that student learning must come first. In all the decisions we make and as much as we build relationships with the adults in the building, students must come first. When I look at all of the Principal Quality Standards, here is one that is embedded in all the rest. This one leads to and is part of all the rest. Instructional leadership encompasses all of standards. It is the foundation of what we do as administrators. I mentioned at the very beginning of my reflections this year, that all of the standards blend together at one point. I couldn't have been a successful instructional leader without building effective relationships, or leading a learning community.
Areas of Growth/Areas of Excellence
This is another area I think I have a strength in. In my rather unassuming way, I tend to get people to move forward. I am however, willing to take on the tough challenges and have the tough conversations if I have to. I know what is possible for 21st century teaching and learning and I can imagine that happening in every classroom in my school and the school division. I will continue to work hard to have this vision come to fruition.
Because of my strong conviction and passion for this work, I sometimes lose my patience. Not that anyone else would see, but inwardly, the lack of passion and the lack of desire for hard work, sometimes drives me crazy! I have to remember that this is a process. To transform a school in such a fundamental way, requires all of us to have patience. Sometimes I lose it. Sometimes I just want to fire someone. But for the most part I recognize that the process has to unfold and that I need to offer support and guidance for transformation to occur.
Because of my strong conviction and passion for this work, I sometimes lose my patience. Not that anyone else would see, but inwardly, the lack of passion and the lack of desire for hard work, sometimes drives me crazy! I have to remember that this is a process. To transform a school in such a fundamental way, requires all of us to have patience. Sometimes I lose it. Sometimes I just want to fire someone. But for the most part I recognize that the process has to unfold and that I need to offer support and guidance for transformation to occur.
