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| 1. Start the transformation of your school..... (continued from "Home Page") As a new principal, most of your waking hours will be spent on thinking about school improvement. Improvements which will actually empowers and energizes the staff to want educational change. Teachers will be prepared to inspire and develop the interests of their students to experience the joy and excitement of learning. As a new principal, you want a school climate which is respectful and disciplined, and an instructional program which is vigorous and supportive. These elements work together to create a school environment that provides positive outcomes and success for all children. A healthy school environment allows for increased communication among teachers and school administrators. There is a strong correlation between school environments and improved student achievement and enthusiasm. Healthy environments create motivated teachers and generate routines, ceremonies, rituals and traditions. Staff development is an outcome of a positive school culture. Teachers want to spend time to improve instruction, be present at workshops, and address the educational and personal needs of the individual child by scaling down the often daunting barriers of a larger institution. A healthy school environment includes a staff that sees themselves as learners. Teachers and administrators will want to improve their own skills and knowledge for the good of the children. In this environment, learning will thrive and student misbehavior and faculty complaints will decrease. School spirit will soar and goals will be achieved. The most effective change in school culture happens when a principal models the values and beliefs important to the school. If the principal models and demonstrates concern for others, the school culture will develop with similar values. |
| What Do Successful Principals Do? |
| 2. Start a staff development program..... (continued from "Home Page") Teachers have different capabilities, they need different tools, they have different skills and they use different techniques, "one shoe does not fit your entire staff". So, when we transform our schools, we need to be sure that we are giving our teachers the skills and the tools they need along the way. In schools with a strong culture and expectations for achievement, there is a responsibility for student learning and an optimistic attitude to make the school work. A healthy school culture has a strong effect on staff development and address the educational and personal needs of the individual child. In this culture, teachers and administrators will want to improve their own skills and knowledge for the good of the children. In this environment learning will thrive and student misbehavior and faculty complaints will decrease. Accountability only works when you allow teacher’s to grow professionally through ongoing staff development. We are the only system that will test our students and if the results are good we will reward our teachers with raises but if the results do not meet our standards then we will punish the teachers and close down the schools. I am still waiting to see the justification for this policy. We should be identifying the reasons why teachers cannot perform by identifying their strengths and weaknesses and then helping them get better through mandatory staff development. This vision can become a reality with increased interaction among teachers and school administrators. Successful schools are marked by dynamic communication and joint work among staff members. Communication correlates strongly with improved student achievement and enthusiasm, and with teacher productivity and satisfaction. A strong school culture will create teachers with shared participation in meeting the needs of all students. |
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In William Glasser's book "The Quality School - Managing Students Without Coercion", the following quote is The Preface. Glasser would like you to return to these statements because they will keep "you" as a leader on track. A boss drives. A leader leads. A boss relies on authority. A leader relies on A boss says, "I." A leader says, "We." A boss creates fear. A leader creates confidence. A boss knows how. A leader shows how. A boss creates resentment. A leader breeds enthusiasm. A boss fixes blame. A leader fixes mistakes. A boss makes work drudgery. A leader makes work interesting. Source: Shayle Uroff But author unknown |
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