Introduction
I have been in the teaching field for almost twenty years and over the years, I have acquired many leadership qualities by holding various positions, such as an executive director, principal, interim superintendent, director of student life and residential housing, administrative assistant, and a History/ Literature teacher. Besides I am a team leader and have skills in planning and management. I also know how to organize different projects, explain their priorities, and assign various tasks. Moreover, I have computer and software skills especially in Microsoft Office, and vast knowledge of the software that deals with statistics such as SAS and Minitab.
Components of an implementation plan for instructional improvement
I have experience in the development and implementation plan for instructional improvement in my school. I was triggered into developing the plan after I observed and examined teaching methods and learning materials used in classes. I also evaluated different instructional strategies to determine which ones need improvements and the areas that needed to be improved. One of the components of the plan was the instructional objectives. I made sure that every teacher prepared a lesson plan that had the instructional objectives clearly defined. I also ensured that the objectives were specific and measurable.
This means that specific objectives involve observable actions that help the teacher to know whether the objectives have been achieved or not. The objectives should use words like ‘state’, ‘define’, ‘calculate’, ‘label’, rather than using words such as ‘explain’, ‘describe’. An example of an instructional objective is, at the end of the lesson, the students should be able to state at least two causes of air pollution’. At the end of the lesson, the teacher asks the students to name the causes of air pollution thus evaluating their comprehension. The objectives also assist the teacher to prepare for the lesson. The second component of the implementation plan was how to improve the lecture method by the use of active learning in class. From what I had assessed before, students do not concentrate fully during lecturing because most of them end up sleeping. In my plan, I incorporated the lecture method of teaching with small group discussions and made sure that every teacher followed that process. The teacher can ask questions and get answers from the small groups where every student participates hence promoting learning and understanding.
The teacher can also explain different concepts in groups or the students can get explanations from their colleagues. This highly promotes learning and after it was applied in my school there was a remarkable improvement in the students’ scores. The other component of the plan was the use of cooperative learning among the students. I made sure that students tackled assignments as a group instead of individually. Due to the gain of creativity skills, the student performance increased and they were also encouraged to learn. The other component of the plan was motivation. I suggested positive ways of motivating the students to improve learning such as the use of words like ‘very good’, ‘excellent’, ‘clap for the student’. Importantly, I proposed giving sweets to the active students in the class so that it can encourage others to become active and concentrate in class. Another component of the plan was involving students in out-of-class activities such as going to the laboratory and doing fieldwork. I made sure that one lesson in a week for each subject was meant for fieldwork activities such as measuring, collecting, observing, et cetera. This method makes the mind of the students to be focused due to the use of real things thus improving their understanding.
Philosophy of scheduling
I have a philosophy of scheduling that supports students’ achievements because I have experience in creating and applying for a study program in my teaching subjects; history and literature. The program involves the use of short tests after a week on various topics. Punishment is given to those students who score less than half thus they are encouraged to read more so that they can improve their performance. I improve my philosophy of scheduling by attending educational conferences and workshops that are only meant for teachers. I also make arrangements in meeting parents for individual students so that we can cooperatively discuss the weaknesses of their children and how to work on them. This is because for a student to succeed both the parent and the teacher must play a great role. This has led to positive results from the student due to the support from all sides. Besides, I made a school renewal plan that led to the increment of the passage rate by almost ten percent in ELA, 15% in algebra, and 6% in physical science.
Assessment methods for measuring the performance of the students
I require the teachers to use a variety of assessments to measure student performance since they are good methods of evaluating the achievement of learning objectives. One of them is giving homework to the students. This is important since the students can correct their mistakes. Debating is another technique and is very essential since the teacher can assess communication skills and the students’ comprehension of various concepts. Brainstorming is also good because the teacher knows whether the students understood a certain topic or not. Checklists help in assessing observation skills for the students, for instance when measuring and identifying colors. Criterion-referenced tests are used to evaluate the progress in the curriculum.
It aids the teachers and students to know the topics that require much time for the comprehension of concepts. Direct assessment methods involve things such as projects or integrative papers given to the students. They help in assessing the ability of the students to integrate and transfer learning. Performance assessment is another example of a direct assessment that involves the use of essay tests or experiments. The method helps in assessing certain skills and knowledge. Moreover, the direct assessment also involves giving an exam to the students to assess their growth and achievement academically over a certain time. It also assists the teacher in comparing the scores of different students and to know their weak areas. Standardized tests are developed outside the institution and are very strict because the time frame for the test is usually specified. They help in comparing performance in different schools.
How to incorporate a diversity of thought and background in high school
In a high school setting, it is always good to ensure that there is a diversity of thought and backgrounds. This can be done by admitting students from different cultural backgrounds. The different cultures are then integrated through the formation of clubs. The students can learn new things from their colleagues and they improve their skills. The students also learn how to tolerate, respect, and understand other cultures. Besides, a diversity of thought and background can be created by admitting students from different backgrounds. This means that the school should consider both the rich and poor students as long as they have the potential. This makes the poor children feel accepted and they are encouraged to become leaders of tomorrow. Diversity of thoughts and backgrounds can also be ensured through exchange programs whereby foreign students are invited to study with the other students for a certain period. This promotes diversity and exploration.
Conclusion
Apart from teaching, my management skills are perfect because I have been involved in managing other departments such as finance, operations, and communication departments. My leadership skills are also perfect since I have experience in several things such as providing leadership, managing services, and operations in the school. I have been able to control programs for student service such as the exchange program that is meant for foreign students.