Introduction
Supervision is very important in ensuring the improvement of education quality. Research shows that improving quality of is not just a matter of having the necessary resources. How the resources are managed is very essential and plays a big role in the overall success of an education system. It is important that teachers and students maintain good relationships. These good relationships should exist among the teachers and also between teachers and head teachers. (Oliva, 1993) The relationship between supervisors and teachers also plays an important role in enhancing quality education. Once a school lacks professional supervision, and the necessary support structures that teachers can use, then this leads to deterioration of quality of education therein. This paper is dealing with aspects of supervision There are recommendations on how to improve supervision protocols (Oliva, 1993).
Discussion
Supervisors have got various tasks that they need to look out in schools. They have to ensure that teachers are adhering to the stipulated curriculum. This is because there are instances when teachers just teach students what they feel like teaching. This always leads to poor performance in the school. Supervision in schools is normally good as it helps in ensuring that teachers are teaching the students. This is also one of the aspects of supervision.
This is carried out by scrutinizing the students and the teacher’s notes. This helps the supervisor to ascertain whether teachers teach students well or not. This helps in knowing teachers that simply evade classes or those that go to class to chat about other issues (Poole, 1989). Another aspect of supervision in schools is in line with instructional development. Where teachers are guided by the supervisors such that their instructions to the students are in line with the curriculum and they should also be pragmatic.
In carrying out supervision, teachers are helped by the supervisor to plan for instruction. This is in terms of developing lesson and teaching plans. The supervisors help teachers to come up with lesson plans that are attainable within the stipulated time. The plans made by teachers have to give room for students to do other co curricular activities. Another aspect of supervision is helping teachers in their classroom management. This involves overall control of students’ participation. Supervisors ensure that teachers in schools know and implement proper classroom management techniques as expected in the curriculum (Sweeney, 2003).
Another aspect of supervision in schools normally involves the supervisors helping teachers on a one to one basis. Teachers are helped to plan and also to implement the curriculum. In case any teacher has got problem with evaluation of the curriculum then assistance is given by the supervisors. In supervision, teachers are helped to make good use of teaching materials and teaching aids. Supervisors normally visit the schools occasionally to carry out such responsibilities.
Supervision normally includes monitoring the use of school resources like funds. This is because the government normally allocates a certain percentage of funds to each school (Sweeney, 2003). Supervision aspect here is ensuring that school administrators use such funds appropriately. There is also ensuring that schools have important and essential facilities that play a big role in enhancing quality education.
I recommend that that supervision climate done in elementary schools should be based on friendly basis. There should be mutual relationship between supervisors and school administrators. This should also be present between teachers and supervisors. This will help supervisors to get vital confidential information that could lead to detriment of education quality in the schools. This is because there are so many issues that affect education in schools and unless supervision is done on a friendly basis then there are chances that problems dealt with could only be the tip of the ice berg (Vacca, 1989).
I recommend that to improve school supervision protocols, there need not to be formality in the way supervision is carried out. For instance the supervisors should not just access teachers when the head teacher is present. There should be flexibility in that supervisors can also attend the lessons as the teachers teach the student.
The existing protocol is that supervisors visit schools when they see the need to. There should be flexibility in this area such that teachers and head teachers can access the supervisors too. In most cases supervisors normally inform school administration about the dates that they will visit. I recommend that this protocol should not be there and that supervisors should also give impromptu visits to schools. This will help saving time and also getting very correct information at the ground level (Veenman, 2001).
Conclusion
Supervision plays an important role in the overall success of the education system. There are various aspects of supervision. They include ensuring that teachers teach students topics that are in line with the overall curriculum. The other aspect involves ensuring that school resources are well utilized by school administrators. This includes government funds that are normally allocated to every school. There should be a climate of friendliness between supervisors and the teachers. This helps supervisors to unearth many factors that may be affecting the schools.
References
- Oliva, F. (1993): Developing the Curriculum; Teacher Supervision and Evaluation; Nolan and Hoover.
- Poole, M. (1989): The effects of teacher efficacy and interactions among educators on curriculum implementation. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision; pp. 146-161.
- Sweeney, D. (2003): Learning and Supervision in Schools; Portland; ME; Stenhouse.
- Vacca, J. (1989): Staff development; The administration and supervision of reading programs; pp. 147-161. New York; Teachers College Press.
- Veenman, S. (2001): Evaluation of a coaching program for cooperating teachers; Educational Studies; 27(3), pp. 317-340.