As a future administrator, there are some necessary actions that I believe will benefit the school instructional program. Fundamentally as a principal, I  feel that there are some key practices and values that I must remind myself.

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Get in the Classroom More
This seems so easy, yet I feel it will be a constant struggle. The best part of being an educator has always been engaging with students. I feel that only going to a class when there is a concern limits the idea that school is a collective of learners. By increasing the number of informal classroom visits, either to share information or participate in classroom discussions intentionally re-affirms that the community cares and is actively engaged in student success. 

Streamline Expectations and Eliminate Ineffective Practices
Begin with establishing a common vision and expectations for all teachers - this is the only way in which the goal is the same for everyone: student success.

I believe that departments must have opportunities to collaborate and establish best practices, and that the school learning plan must seamlessly be integrated into all courses. This must be reflective and collegial, in which all invested members are contributors.

Improve Feedback
Provide at least one suggestion for improvement no matter how good an observation.  There is no perfect lesson. Suggestions for improvement should always contain clear, practical examples and strategies that a teacher can begin to implement immediately.  Timely feedback is also essential.

I believe student input in the beginning, middle, and end of a course can impact how a teacher is shares curriculum, is reflective, and is better equipped to accommodate students. By creating a google form that students may complete,  teachers will be provided an insight on concrete elements to focus on when developing lessons.

Be a Scholar

Being a scholar not only helps you as a leader to improve professional practice, but it also puts me in a position to have better conversations with teachers about their own improvement. This adds a whole new level of credibility to the school community.  By relating best practices and suggestions to the most recent research and studies I will also be seen as a committed life-long learner.

As I come across research that supports the types of effective pedagogical techniques that I wish to see in the school community, archive it in a document that I can refer and share. I would like to spend my summer reading, researching, curating, and adapting this research for use during the school year. It not only saved me time when planning PD, but I believe it will also greatly improve my relationship with teachers as the instructional leader.

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Model

Don’t ask your teachers to do anything that you are not willing to do yourself! This is extremely important in terms of technology integration in the classroom and professional learning to improve practice. If a teacher is struggling with their assessments, don’t just say you need to work on building better ones. Either provide an example that you have created or co-create an assessment together.

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Teach a Class

This can be accomplished regularly during the year or co-teaching with both struggling and distinguished teachers. This is leading by example at its best. It provides a better context for the evolving role of the teacher in the digital age. An instructional leader who walks the walk builds better relationships with staff and in turn will be in a much better position to engage staff in conversations to improve instruction.

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Grow Professional

Attend at least one conference or workshop a year that is aligned to a major initiatives or focus area in my school and board. I will also try to read one educational book and another related to a different field such as leadership, self-help, or business. 

To compliment traditional means of professional learning, work to create or further develop a personal learning community. I must also recognize that social media provides a 24/7 pathway to ideas, strategies, feedback, resources, and support that every educator should take advantage of in the digital age.

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Write in Order to Reflect

Like many other connected educators, writing has enabled me to process my thinking, resulting in a more critical reflection of my work in relation to teaching, learning, and leadership. As such, I will like to continue to reflect not only to support my growth, but also as an example for our school community and others to reflect on their own practice or grow professionally. Having teachers write a brief reflection prior to the post-observation conference or teacher performance appraisal, is a great strategy to promote a conversation on improvement that isn’t one-sided.

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Integrate e-Portfolios

Portfolios are now a requirement for any teacher looking forward in becoming a VP/Principal and complimented our observation process nicely. It provides more clarity and detail on instruction over the entire course of the school year. Portfolios can include learning activities, assessments, unit plans, examples of student work, and other forms of evidence to improve instructional effectiveness. They can also be used to validate good practice.

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Co-Observe

During the first quarter of each year, I would like to co-observed lessons with members of the school team. This seems invaluable for many reasons. For one, I am able to take advantage of two sets of eyes during observations, as some things will always be missed when done solo no matter how much experience one has. This will also allow me to work with my team to help them improve their own instructional leadership. It also helps me improve, as every conversation helps me to further reflect on what I saw.

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