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Teachers' reflection on professional development
Introduction to teacher professional development
What do teachers think about professional development
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I would be grateful if you would accept this letter as an application for the post of Assistant Headteacher at Welham. I believe that I have the required skills and experience to make a success of this opportunity and I intend, throughout this letter, to suggest ways in which my contributions would be of value to such a position within your school. Since my appointment to the Hillingdon School I have been afforded the opportunity to play an integral role in moving forward the ICT and Business Departments and the Technologies Curriculum Area. These roles, accompanied with the time that I have spent on the whole school ICT Development Group, have allowed me to build up a strong set of skills, experience and knowledge that has helped prepare me for a senior position within a very successful school. Indeed, my experience of working within a school that achieved the top grade in each of the Inspection Key Questions has provided me with an awareness of what is required for continuous school improvement and striving for educational excellence. I am a strong believer that the primary focus of any senior member of staff should still focus on Learning and Teaching despite being involved with the intricacies of strategic management. In my own roles over the last nine years I have tried to keep that mantra at the front of my mind. A strong leader, I believe, should be able to move things forward rather than being wholly reactive in dealing with day-to-day processes. I would strive to be a transformational Assistant Headteacher, constantly looking forward and shaping the future of learning rather than being purely transactional. I am confident that it is this that has contributed to the raising of standards within my own curriculu... ... middle of paper ... ...I recognise that these skills and attributes are vital to the role of a senior leader and I would welcome the continued development opportunity that the role of Assistant Headteacher brings in this area. In conclusion, I believe that I can offer a wealth of expertise and experience in contributing towards the continued development of a cohesive, dynamic and collaborative school that focuses on offering outstanding world class learning opportunities for all. I consider myself to be a good role model to students and staff alike and I am committed to leading by example. This, combined with my drive, infectious optimism and commitment to playing a full role within the school beyond those duties set out, make me a strong candidate for the post. I would welcome the opportunity to expand upon my application either through a visit to the school and/or at interview.
Ms. Hall has had many years of public education experience and higher education training in which to hone her leadership style and framework. She started her career as a teacher in the Kirkwood School District. She then served as an assistant elementary principal at both Ritenour and Pattonville School Districts before being selected to serve as the assistant superintendent of the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District in 2008. Throughout her career she continued to pursue her education as a means o...
Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the position of Student Advisor this afternoon, Friday, March 1, 2001. It strengthened my interest in the position and reinforced my confidence in my ability to excel should I be selected for the position.
Leading organizations of school administrators offer educators various opportunities to encourage educators to become leaders. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) has mandated that leaders be better prepared for the task of providing quality education to all. NCLB “… is forcing all educational stakeholders to face the weakness of contemporary school leadership and is making it impossible to ignore the need for higher quality principals” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). It is believed that all educators can be and are leaders in their own right. A leader is a visionary and has the ability to inspire others to aspire to greatness. Of the numerous opportunities that are offered, those that are most beneficial include but are not limited to leadership training programs, professional development, and creating shared leadership opportunities for teachers to become leaders. The systems “…that produce our nation’s principals are complex and interrelated – and governed by the states. Each state establishes licensing, certification and re-certification” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.1). States use the ISLLC standards “…as the framework for preparation programs and in service professional development of school superintendents, principals, and other leaders” (Hale & Moorman, 2003, p.3).
Whether I end up teaching social studies, special education, or a combination of the two, I will be content. I also believe that Loyola University Maryland’s School of Education will help me achieve this goal. Having attended information sessions for graduate education, I am very impressed with Loyola’s program and I believe that this program is in alignment with my beliefs and will best meet my needs. It is my hope that you will take my application into serious consideration. If you decide to accept me, you will not regret it.
The last issue to address is leadership. This role is challenging, but with commitment and determination it can be done. Strategies that I can take to encourage great leadership is to first build trust and confidence by fulfilling the school’s mission, vision, policy, and working environment (Drexler, 2007) on a daily basis. To be involved in school activities, in the classroom, at PTO meetings, and community affiliations will establish strong leadership skills. Providing valuable feedback, strategically planning to improve the school, and encouraging community support are other strategies that can be used to enhance leadership.
My constructivist, eclectic philosophy comes from experience and experts who have completed countless hours of research into various aspects of our field. The work of Wager, Danielson, Covey, Jacobs and Edmore, have helped shape my leadership style. My intent has always been to take the best from these experts and demonstrate that their philosophies and practices can be implemented in the real world, in real schools, with real children. Communication to and from my staff is imperative. Trying to implement what experts have suggested without communicating to my staff my strong belief and attitude about helping children achieve at higher levels would be a much tougher road to travel and result in falling short of our goals to aid children. My objective has always been to be humble, but be firm and unwavering in what I believe. All students can, will and must learn with no shame, blame or excuses for failure.
It is my belief that anyone with a desire to change the world would be fortunate to work in education. By sharing my vision with others, and building upon my skills while seeking constant growth, I strive to take an approach to leadership that fosters an effective, nurturing educational environment for the entire school community. By creating this type of environment, as well as through embracing and enhancing my leadership strengths, it is my goal to contribute to society by inspiring people to become better not only as teachers and students, but as compassionate human beings.
In building leadership capacity it is important to ensure that there is broad-based skillful participation. We want the students, parents, community, and staff to be participants. This is important because it allows for staff to take responsibility for the growth and development for not only themselves but for their peers in doing the work of leadership. It is helpful to have the community working together towards the common goal as opposed to ...
Thomas Sergiovanni (2015) describes three essential dimensions of leadership as “the heart, head, and hand of leadership.” The heart describes those characteristics within the school leader that reflect personal “beliefs, values, and dreams.” The head of leadership refers to the practice of teaching and educating. The hand of leadership reflects actions taken by school leaders with respect to management behaviors. (p. 5) Within these elements, there is room for personal choice in how leadership is practiced and it is incumbent on new principals to find an individual leadership style that responds to the uniqueness of each school.
In the future, I propose examining the structure of the school system to find ways which would allow principals more time to be leaders. In addition, principals should take ongoing direct professional leadership development to further improve necessary skill sets. Once leadership techniques are properly implemented, I am confidant there will be a marked improvement of Aboriginal high school student achievement.
Williams. I was thrilled when I came to work here to find that Mrs. Williams is the type of respected but approachable leader that is my preferred leadership style. I am grateful to have her as my mentor for this learning experience, as I feel we match closely in leadership qualities. My strength as a leader is the supportive leadership style. Like Mrs. Williams, I feel that building relationships and a culture of respect and trust is key to being an effective leader. As a teacher, I spend a good amount of time at the beginning of each year building a rapport with students and families which helps me connect with the students. As a leader of teachers I feel that being supportive of my faculty and staff will be most beneficial in helping develop a productive work environment and develop a necessary level of trust with all of the staff under my supervision. I also want to be participative and achievement oriented. I have always had a drive to be successful in all I do. I am confident that this skill will carry over to my role as a leader. The one area I will need to work on is being directive when necessary. I am not always good at being direct and want to protect others feelings. I will learn from Mrs. Williams as I continue through this program how to be directive with faculty and staff, as well as disgruntled
“I wanted to become a teacher to be able to make a positive difference on the future of children. For me, it is fulfilling challenge, stimulating the next generation to become lifelong learners. I have always been grateful to my mom (who is a retired teacher) for implanting values in me. I feel I should contribute what I have learned and experienced over the years. This way I will be paying back and at the same time can fulfill my desire of enhancing the education system.”
1.Please provide a detailed statement (approximately 1/4 to 1/2 A4 page) outlining your motivation for pursuing a career as a teacher in a NSW public school.
The role of teacher leader has been defined as “teachers who aspire to stretch beyond their classrooms to engage in leadership roles that take many shapes and forms, both “informal and formal”. (ECS, 2010). Teacher leadership has also been described as “the process by which teachers, individually and collectively, influence their colleagues, principals, and other members of the school community to improve learning practices with the aim of increased student learning and achievement.” (ECS, 2010). In years past, a majority of teacher leadership roles took the form of department chair, committee chair, grade level chair, etc. It was more of a representative role versus a leadership role. Their responsibility primarily involved dispersing information from administration to their counterparts and taking information back to administration from the group. Their position lacked decision-making power and true leadership that brings about “real” change. These tasks are still viewed as opportunities for teacher leadership; however, recently, the
As mentioned before, leadership styles take an important role in running a school. Unfortunately, many principals have not yet defined their leadership style and struggle to administrate their school. They are responsible not only of teachers and students, but of every employee in the school. They have the power to control all the resources available to improve and meet academic goals. Despite their power, principals need to identify appropriate leadership styles to succeed as