This week was centered around the responsibilities of administrators in the school. These go along with the guidelines we learned about in Week One. The principal just has to be in charge of implementing them (i.e., high standards) and make sure they are collaborating with teachers and staff to support a shared vision, which was touched on last week.
I was encouraged, personally, that both readings emphasized that administrators must present not only a positive attitude and atmosphere in their school's environment but also work with teachers and staff and be open and willing to listen, rather than immediately blame. The Wallace Foundation article in particular mentioned that doing this could improve teacher morale and help remedy pessimism and feelings of isolation. As a future teacher, this makes me feel that principals are being instructed to look out for my best interests, which is great to know. I have heard stories from friends and former co-workers of administrators not supporting teachers, and I know how much of a toll it can take if this is the case. When I begin my teaching job search, I know that I have to make sure that my values are in line with the mission and vision of whatever school I am applying to teach at. If a school is not a good fit in this way or has unsupportive administration, I may have to move on.
Finally, the AMLE reading discussed the importance of teachers planning and collaborating in teams in the middle school environment in order to foster student growth and a better school climate. I have seen firsthand that teachers thrive when they are given the chance to plan as teams and work together. During my first year working as a paraprofessional, I worked at a middle school. The teachers were all split into grade-level teams, with SPED being included as well. Each grade level team had a joint planning period almost every day, and I noticed immediately when teachers were in these meetings, as they seemed relaxed and convivial, often laughing and joking with each as they worked. There was a closeness between some teachers as well. In group emails, many teachers began with "Hello [School-Name] Family". At first, I was a little skeptical of how genuine this greeting was, but as the school year went on, I realized that the teachers did see each other as a kind of work family. And, from what we read this week, I realize that this came from the principals and deans who implemented the organizational structure of the school. It is good to know that these principles that are guiding middle school administrators work in practice.
Hi Melissa!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I like that you mentioned that administrators need to be willing to listen rather than place blame. Before reading, I really did not know a lot about the duties of a school principal, so I really enjoyed learning more about the role they play. It seems like they really set the tone for how the school functions. It is great that you got to experience an environment where the teachers were able to work together. I have seen something similar during my observation, and it seemed like an excellent opportunity to collaborate and bounce ideas off colleagues. You also make an excellent point about a school's mission statement - it is important to make sure that your values line up.