The concept of shared vision can be applied to the field of education in order to achieve higher levels of clarity, communication and commitment. Even though there is a pressing need for the collective vision in the educational sphere, it is not easy to align all interested parties around a particular set of beliefs (Zeichner, 2012). Moreover, there is a great discrepancy between instructive programs for educators across the country.
Therefore, it is necessary to articulate more specific standards that would help to assess existing programs and develop new ones for all state education departments. It is important to devise a “list of key indicators” with minimum variations that could help to standardize and measure expected training outcomes (Kramer & Crespy, 2011). Another possible level of application of the concept of shared vision is the educational process itself during which collective vision could be imparted to the group of students (Kramer & Crespy, 2011).
Taking into consideration that learning environment hinges on both the performance of educators and the financial support of educating institutions in equal measure, it is very important to make sure that available funds are properly distributed. It is impossible to underestimate the connection between the money spent on training of teachers and academic performance of students (Coe, Aloisi, Higgins, & Major, 2014).
Since the quality of education can be regulated to a significant degree by adequate measures in resource allocation, the shift in the financial structure of an organization might result in both academic excellence and improved parents’ involvement (Coe et al., 2014). The concept of assertive communication might help reduce the resistance of all stakeholders involved in the process of fund allocation that have an impact on the promotion of change.
What I Learned in Class
By taking this course, I was able to significantly improve my understanding of the role of educator as an instructional leader and gain greater insight into the effect of successful leadership on student learning. I was able to learn a lot from listening carefully to the constructive criticism of my professor. The provided suggestions helped me to determine specific strategies for the change and allowed to achieve the level of performance that surpassed my initial expectations.
During the session for the class, I was able to explore many aspects of the educational process and the role of leadership in teaching. Even though it was hard to balance my work and school, I was able to devise a structured plan with strict deadlines that allowed me to successfully finish this course. It taught me to appreciate the importance of planning and time management in both personal and professional life.
I believe that I did not have a lot of difficulties with understanding and successfully implementing material from this course. Moreover, I was able to accomplish all of my educational goals and even surpass some of them, bridging the gap between my existing knowledge and the anticipated level of academic excellence.
The performance of effective educator could be measured by tracking school progress or by looking at how specific predetermined directions are being followed. Some specific practices such as instructional leadership could be monitored in the framework of the particular educational setting with the use of organizational mechanisms. Furthermore, gathering and analyzing the direct feedback from students could help to understand the influence of acquired knowledge on the quality of professional performance.
It can be said that all expected course outcomes were achieved. Moreover, I immensely enjoyed the learning environment of this class.
References
Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. (2014). What makes great teaching? Web.
Kramer, M., & Crespy, A. (2011). Communicating collaborative leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(5), 1024-1037.
Zeichner, K. (2012). The turn once again toward practice-based teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 63(5), 376-382.