School’s Climate and Social Norms (among staff, supervisors, students)
What is the school climate like?
The school has a very helpful climate since it provides a number of facilities to every student individually so that their expertise and skills can be harnessed to the fullest. The school has a lot of space for the students to develop their own personalities and socialize with others. The teachers are completely approachable by the students and even the administrator through a mailbox kept mainly for the students. Students have a very positive relationship with their teachers who are always open to their feedback and they correspond both formally and informally. The students always maintain a strict disciplinary code when they are in school.
Identify the social norms followed in the school environment.
In the school, the administrator is responsible for ensuring that both the academic and non-academic needs of the students are met completely. He also looks over the required supplies, curriculum necessities, and cleanliness of the entire school. Learning is encouraged everywhere in the school, whether in the classroom or outside in the garden or geography patio. The teachers stick to the protocols and standards fixed by the district and state board regarding their curriculum, proficiency, and classroom. Each class has a matrix that guides the teachers and students through their daily routines. Most of the classes have the same lesson format where the teachers ask important questions by referring to the matrix and at the end of the lesson summaries the entire lesson with the students. (Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon, 2007)
Protocols for Professional Growth
What professional development programs are conducted for the teachers?
The teachers must receive their Professional Learning Unit or PLU so that they can continuously renew their teaching certificate. For this, a predetermined set of topics are included in a checklist which is then discussed and appropriate notes are taken by the teachers. Also, the teachers are taught to use effective communication strategies, like the setting of and following particular agendas, gathering input from the students and acting upon them, and active listening strategy. But not all teachers use these strategies efficiently.
What is the relationship between the supervisors and teachers?
When the topics of the checklist are discussed, the administrator always remains open for feedback from the teachers and also looks for their opinions. He supports his staff a great deal and as a supervisor is very particular about professionalism in practice. He is very particular about the rules and regulations of the school and even requires that the teachers, just like the students, follow these rules. He cares about people’s diversity and fairly decides who gets what responsibility. He uses various means and methods so that effective communication patterns can be provided and responses and feedbacks are possible. The supervisor always nurtures an environment of teamwork and openness in the school so that the students can learn properly. Since the administration completely supports the teachers they too feel that the supervisors help them to improve their teaching techniques.
In the second section of your report, provide recommendations for change and improvement.
In general, consider the following:
Matching supervision with staff needs, in terms of changes in:
Leadership style (What should the leadership style be like?)
To guide someone effectively one needs to use all types of leadership styles possible since an effective leader is one who can master any form of leadership technique. The supervisor should use facilitative leadership styles so that he can promote the involvement of his staff members at various levels. He should not exercise his powers over them but through them. He must also have collaborative leadership skills so that decisions in the school are made cooperatively. School administrators also need to display instructional leadership styles so that they can be deeply involved with the core learning and teaching technologies, implement professional development in a more sophisticated manner and emphasize a data-driven method for making important decisions.
Curriculum supervision and/or change (What should the curriculum supervision process be?)
The curriculum supervision process should be carried out keeping the interests of the students in mind. Its needs to be constantly revised keeping up with the changing times so that the students acquire the best of everything. Their level of achievement based on the curriculum should be high. If a new curriculum is implemented or changes are made to the old one then the teachers should understand it properly so that they can make effective instructional changes so as to align themselves with the new syllabus. Also, if the curriculum is aligned vertically then the teachers follow and understand it better making their everyday lesson planning easier. (Nolan, 2008)
Professional growth and retention issues (How best can the school ensure professional growth for its teachers? What steps can the school take to retain its teachers?)
To ensure the professional growth of the teachers the administrator needs to carry out e-walks, formal observation, and daily walkthroughs of the teachers during the entire year. He needs to continuously be present in the class to support the teachers. He should continually arrange meetings with the teachers to review their evaluations and discuss any suggestions or comments. The faculty needs to be more open to volunteering so that they actively take part in the different administrative groups which are necessary for the smooth running and proper focus of the school. Once the teachers feel that they can professionally grow by staying in the school the school will easily be able to retain them.
Changing or improving posted communications in terms of
- Content (How can there be an improvement in the content of posted communication?)
The main way to improve the content of our posted communication is by improving our vocabulary. Since speakers are mainly judged by their choice of language and words, we need to be especially careful of what we say and how we say it. We should never use big words whose actual meaning is not known to us and thus it will appear to be completely out of context. We should pronounce the words properly so that our listeners understand what we want to say.
- Style (How can there be an improvement in the style of posted communication?)
To improve the style of posted communication, we first need to identify it and then try and improve it. We should be careful about the pitch and tone we use while communicating and should normally use a lower pitch. As our tone indicates our confidence level, we should maintain a neutral tone while communicating. Also, we should not talk very fast or too slow since it will either give an impression that we are nervous or boring. Thus, we should talk at a normal pace. (Glickman, Gordon & Ross-Gordon, 2007)
- Format or Delivery System (How can there be an improvement in the format or delivery of posted communication?)
In order to improve the format or delivery system of our posted communication, we need to properly coordinate and plan the format and delivery of communication taking the listeners into account. The leaders need to create a single internal communication system that is accessible by all for managing and coordinating communication among staff members. This could include school announcements, project communications, events, staff newsletter, and web pages.
- Your overall evaluation of school improvement goals and strategies. Are they appropriate? Are they on track?
The goals and strategies being implemented for the improvement of the school are quite effective and efficient although they need to be continuously studied and assessed. It can be said that the strategies are appropriate and that the school is on track since, for example, a few of the initiatives that have been currently taken by the school include the practice of flexible grouping, collaborative planning, math assessment using alternative forms and differentiated instruction. After collaborative planning was implemented, all the other initiatives were also affected as the teachers could now utilize common planning time for areas that require improvement and address successful teaching patterns.
References
- Glickman, C., Gordon, S., & Ross-Gordon, J. (2007). Super Vision and Instructional Leadership: Developmental Approach. Pearson: Allyn & Bacon.
- Nolan, J. (2008). Teacher Supervision and Evaluation: Theory into Practice. London: John Wiley and Sons, Inc.