Every day teenagers are asked many questions about school when coming across adults who are wild about school and college. The most popular question asked to us is “Do you like your school?” and the answer is normally “no.” However, no well thought out explanation about why we do not like our school is ever said. I attend Frederick K.C. Price the 3rdhigh, a college preparatory school. I have been there for all four years of high school and I do not always like what I see. Within the four years that I have been there, we have went through two principals and we have still yet to find one that can run our school correctly. Due to this, I often ask myself three questions. They are as follows: 1) if I were principal for a day, how would I create a business and social relationship with my students so that I am able to hear their thoughts and suggestions about any changes they feel should be made within the school? 2) What would I do in order to keep the students interested in school? , and most importantly 3) what changes would I implement in order to ensure that all students have the opportunity to go to college?
First I would introduce myself to the students. I would give them some background information about my life, and where I came from. I would then allow each student to introduce themselves and give a bit of background information about who they are, and what interests them. Next, I would have a question and suggestion session. Here they would be able to ask any questions that they have concerning school, or mention any ideas and suggestions they have about the school. This would allow me to get to know the students on a personal level. Now you may ask yourself why she feels that having a relationship with the students is one of high altitude. I believe that building a level of comfort between the students and me would create a peaceful atmosphere. I think the students should feel like we are a team. They should not ever feel like they are under a “dictatorship” because once a teenager feels that they have no power or rule when it comes to their education they will rebel. This is why it is important to have a relationship with the students.
Secondly, I would make sure that I have teachers in place who are able to teach.
This school has had 5 principals in 4 years. I spoke earlier about this school being a part of the I-zone. The I-zone is a special subset of schools within Shelby County that are given the task of leading a school from the bottom 5% to the top 25%. In that there is a high turnover rate with administrators and teachers. I was selected to be a turnaround principal given a certain amount of time with the authority to make necessary changes. The community asked for a principal they could relate to. They wanted to be involved with the school and wanted resources given back to them so they could help their children. I listen to community concerns and established a parent power committee so they could be partners in education with us. We reached out into the community to garner some wrap around services to help and support our students. We gained seven (7) new Adopters who have formally taken the charge to provide resources that all students will need to achieve academically. Life Church gives us food. Bellview Baptist Church comes in and tutors all our 2nd grade students. Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity has volunteered to come in and work with our students on STEM projects. We have Omega Psi Phi who comes in an exposes our kids to social and character development. And the list goes on. There just so many programs and organizations ready to work with us because they know
How well did high school prepared me for college? My personal overall experience of high school was a bit disappointing because high school was not what I expected. High school was just another chapter of my life because I just learned to keep myself in the right path and continue school. Ever since my freshman year I felt like if high school was just a daycare because as usual we had the silly people around trying to capture attention from others. High school was pointless to me because I’ve always had present my parents words and they’ve proved me those words are true. In order to success you just need to try and if you can’t success the first time try it once again but next time try harder, nothing in this world is impossible its just the wanting to accomplish things.
Standard 1 of the Florida Principal Leadership Standards (2011) describe the priority of the school leader as, “effective school leaders demonstrate that the student learning is their top priority through leadership actions that build and support a learning organization focus on student success”. Our number one priority and focus is and always should be our students. They are the reason behind our professions. It is the faculty the ones who should be supported by the administrators. The leaders should celebrate their success, encourage them, support their assertive instructional decisions, and motivate them each day to create the right conditions for learning. The principals must plan to project growth the most accurate possible, employing all the help that they could get for this challenging task. Students should not be affected because qualified teachers are not available. Strategic schools use the resources at had to relocate, and alleviate the human resources problems.
Students need to be able to come to school, feel welcome, and receive the best education that their teacher can provide. To be able to do this the principal needs to make the decisions that supports his/her school. Principals need to be role models and responsible decision makers. Policies and procedures need to be updated regularly and should be reviewed by multiple parties.
The answers below are based on the review of the Wharton School District Principal Evaluation Form.
The whole purpose of a school is to get students prepared for the real world. Throughout school, students will grow and change as well as adjust
I have always had a strong belief that I could pass college like I did in high school. Always relying on those quick study sessions before a test or having the teacher going over the material right before a test. But boy was I wrong. In my first test I learned the hard way that studying is essential in college.
To begin, we need to understand the nature of students. The nature of students varies between individuals. The majority of students are well-behaved and come to school ready to learn. Part of this is due to the way they have been raised, but most students are basically good. There is a small percent of students whose nature, it seems, is to make everyone miserable. I do not know if this is because of a difficult childhood at home or because the student just likes to be the center of attention. Either way, there are always students that will give their teachers a hard time. I guess this is their nature. Every individual is different, therefore, the nature of the students I will teach some day will be different depending on their background and other various things that may happen to them as they grow up. For example, a student that has lost a sibling due to an illness or accident, may become very bitter throughout life. The nature of this student’s behavior which is being shaped by this may make this student a cold-hearted and mean student. These are the students that teachers need to spend extra time with and try to make them feel loved, no matter how hard this may be. I, as a future teacher, need to look at students and try to help them out no matter how difficult that may be.
Parents and community members want to know that their contributions towards the campus are valued and appreciated. Many times we take for granted those events occurring around us. It is crucial we express gratitude towards those people investing in increasing student achievement. Stakeholders want to feel accepted and worthy in their contributions to the campus. In addition, communities are made up of different types of culture, race and income status making the culture diverse which may act as a barrier in creating a positive atmosphere. Yet, this type of misunderstanding can be avoided by simply asking questions in a respectful manner. School leaders must make parent and community involvement a priority, valuing and accepting each other’s differences. “Schools provide wonderful opportunities to bring together students, families, educators and other community members to build the collaborative partnerships that promote quality educational, recreational, and social opportunities for all citizens” (Lechtenberger and Mullins, 2004, p. 21). Schools, parents and community members must work together to support all students in a learning environment to ensure every student is a successful lifetime
...ly have several modifications I would need to implement, but I would also need to create a real sense of community in my classroom, so everyone felt safe and comfortable.
Before such things can be implemented, there is some specific ground work and strategies that must be done within the schools before situations or dealt with and handled. In this groundwork, principals are vital in the success of the program they implement in their schools (Ballard, Argus & Remley, 1999). They are the conductors of each category needed in a successful program. Principals must hold students and staff accountable for their roles in changing the climate of the school and they must allow for the time and manpower implementing a new program will take. Gil (2002, p. 73) explains that first a solid code of conduct must be in place and operating smoothly. These clearly stated rules are to be communicated to all students and staff what the expectation is for behavior and they must be “enforced without
In order to educate my students, they must first know that I respect and care for them and will do anything in my power to help them achieve. This is the career that I am choosing and I am determined to do my very best. Children these days need positive role models and someone that cares for them because school may be the only place they receive either. If they know that I am willing to help them and that I love them as people as well as my students, then they are probably going to be more apt to learn. Managing their behavior with an assertive discipline will be my objec...
Establish clear objectives for all lessons, units, and projects and communicate those objectives to children.
Schools exist to produce well educated youth that society will benefit from. From personal experience, ill-informed adults make for an unstable, rotten community. Schools hold a big responsibility. They should create a safe haven for students that creates a love for learning, and then also nurtures that same admiration for learning. Schools that students don’t feel safe in usually house students that aren’t interested in subjects that are being taught. They should maintain a well-educated faculty who is all passionate about what they do. If there is a lazy faculty, it will influence the students to become lazy. Schools need to produce the change that this world needs- well rounded, creative, knowledgeable individuals. An effective school in today’s society would have a strong basis on the common core, but make it so that the information is fun to learn. From experience, once the information fun to learn, the rest goes by
With the proper guidance and support, teachers can achieve academic excellence in the classroom. They follow their principal’s vision and share their goals. Teachers also serve as leaders in their classroom. They share their vision and goals with their students promoting positive attitudes in the classroom. Just like it is important for principals to respect and understand what their teachers need, students also need the support, understanding, respect and empathy from their teachers. When teachers demonstrate commitment in the classroom and set high expectations they raise the level of learning in the classroom. Teachers that work with the students and their parents to understand and meet their needs will achieve positive academic outcomes. Students engage in learning with positive attitudes and strive for high achievements. Teachers work together with their leaders to improve their teaching