STANDARD TWO
Principals set high standards for the professional practice of 21st century instruction and assessment that result in a no-nonsense accountable environment. The school executive must be knowledgeable of best instructional and school practices and must use this knowledge to cause the creation of collaborative structures within the school for the design of highly engaging schoolwork for students, the on-going peer review of this work, and the sharing of this work throughout the professional community.
2A: FOCUS ON LEARNING AND TEACHING, CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION & ASSESSMENT
The principal leads the discussion about standards for curriculum, instruction and assessment based on research and best practices in order to establish and achieve high expectations for students.
Part of my program requirements was a problem of practice. There were different parts to it that I needed to complete to show competency. The purpose was to lead a change within the school. I enjoyed the process of seeing an initiative from beginning to end. However, within this project I also found myself deep in conversations with teachers about their specific struggles to meet students needs. For this project, I focused on interventions for fifth grade - an area that is often overlooked.
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2B: FOCUS ON INSTRUCTIONAL TIME
The principal creates processes and schedules which protect teachers from disruption of instructional or preparation time.
Every Wednesday, WSES holds a Town Meeting. This allows for PLTs to have an extra hour for planning together. Creating the schedule for this is important because we strive for all PLTs to have equitable extra time. Planning for this can also be tricky since there are holidays and workdays throughout the year. During these weeks, we do not have town meetings. I planned the schedule for next year's town meetings. This task allowed me support teachers in their planning and use of instructional time. I was more than happy to serve them in this way.
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The recent pandemic has caused school systems to rethink how instruction is provided to students. In working with the county, our school developed a sample schedule for parents and teachers to follow. This schedule allows for direct instruction, independent and guided practice, one on one time with the teacher, and digital instruction. Teachers still have some autonomy in how instruction is provided. The admin team met to review the schedule through a teacher's lens to address any concerns and questions that may arise. My takeaway is to keep in mind that even with remote learning, addressing students' needs and staying true to the school's mission and vision is key.
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