If you have been following along at home, this is the third in a series of four articles about teacher supervision and evaluation practices. We looked at how the teacher contract impacts teacher evaluation (Is Your District’s Teacher Evaluation System Stopping You From Being An Effective Instructional Leader) and how you as the site administrator implement the system (Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: How I Got Better). If you have not already done so, there are two research-based surveys you can take to get a feeling for where both the district and your own personal practice are on the continuum that Continue Reading
instructional leadership
Part One of Building a Learning-Focused Culture in Four Parts: Defining It
Sometimes the best way to define something is to include descriptions of what it is NOT. I believe this is true in the case of defining a learning-focused culture. It is complex and multidimensional, which makes it difficult to fully describe. Must it include a fully-functioning PLC framework? Does it mean that reading and math scores are improving? Must the term “learning-focused” be part of the school’s vision, mission and/or goals? While these are important considerations, in this series of articles I want to pinpoint what YOU do to build relationships as the site instructional leader with your individual teachers. Continue Reading
Is Your District’s Teacher Evaluation System Stopping You From Being An Effective Instructional Leader?
In my experience, both teachers and administrators believe that the teacher evaluation system in their district is not ideal. As a teacher, the evaluation process varied from being told what my goals and objectives would be for the year to writing my own annual goals and objectives that are never revisited throughout the school year, except me when I am asked to reflect on what I did to achieve my goals. I taught at a school where classroom observations were typically very few and far between and usually did not follow-up with ANY meaningful feedback. I have also taught at Continue Reading
TRULY Inspirational Instructional Leadership At This Time
The changes to how instruction is being delivered across the nation are difficult to comprehend. I have been focused on classroom instruction in the traditional sense for decades and it has taken me some time to find how I can contribute to this current reality in K-12 education. Over the past weeks, I have had the opportunity to deeply engage across a wide variety of platforms to learn about how instructional leaders are responding to the Coronavirus pandemic to keep all stakeholders informed in an ever-changing landscape. I feel compelled to share what I have found in hopes that it Continue Reading