The Teacher as an Instruction Leader
Published in The Lawrence Educator, April 2009
A classroom teacher in the Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) wears many hats, from teacher to leader, entertainer to disciplinarian. Classroom teachers must adapt daily, to every kind of situation, from school-wide community issues and the emotional health of students, to the daily instructional needs of each student. Lawrence Public School teachers have varied skill sets and large “tool kits” to ply their trade. With the ultimate goal of producing an educationally sound future for each student, and instilling in each a life long thirst for learning that extends past high school, LPS classroom teachers use all of their tools to ensure their students success.
Highly qualified professional educators, LPS teachers have numerous resources from which to plan and implement lessons tied to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Teachers use many types of formative and summative assessment (MCAS, MEPA, Mela-O, Dibels, SRI, and MAP) that assist in providing vital data to drive instruction and meet the LPS Essential Learning Outcomes. This data, along with teaching best practices {SIOP}, on-going professional development, and Team Collaborative Planning, assist teachers in making sound educational decisions for each student and to facilitate differentiated instruction to meet the students’ learning needs.
Key to instructional leadership is the support of the school administration for risk taking in classroom instruction and the opportunity to challenge our students. Co-teaching, distance learning and teaching, resident classrooms, teacher mentoring, and advanced technology for instruction all allow teachers to extend the boundaries of instruction and increase the rigor of the curriculum. Principal Dina M. Hickey, of the South Lawrence East Middle School, encourages collaborative cross-curriculum planning and supports her faculty’s drive to add rigor to the school curriculum. Under her guidance, a team of teachers at SLEMS spent many hours during the summer compiling benchmark assessments in ELA and Mathematics. These assessments will be used to measure levels of understanding at the mid-semester and levels of mastery of key concepts at the semesters’ end.
District wide, teachers are given many opportunities for growth in leadership skills and curriculum planning. From leadership teams at the building level to participation in District Instructional Conferences, teachers are offered varied views of the educational process and are, also, offered the chance to act as presenters at out–of-district professional training conferences.
Although on-going professional development, collaborative planning, and varied assessments are essential to the quality of instruction and thoroughness of meeting the Curriculum Frameworks, subject knowledge and the ability to present your lessons in ways to engage and enlighten all students are the hallmarks of a true instructional leader. Positive classroom environment and full student engagement are, in my opinion, the two most critical needs for success as an instructional leader. A classroom that encourages higher level thinking and questioning skills, synthesis of information, and thoughtful evaluation of the learning process is a classroom that will meet or exceed all expectations.
Classroom teachers can only become instructional leaders when all the available training and support are utilized for the benefit of our students. Understanding the needs of each student, working to meet those needs across the curriculum, and working as an educational team, with all instructional staff, are the keys to having the highest level of achievement and academic success.
Highly qualified professional educators, LPS teachers have numerous resources from which to plan and implement lessons tied to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Teachers use many types of formative and summative assessment (MCAS, MEPA, Mela-O, Dibels, SRI, and MAP) that assist in providing vital data to drive instruction and meet the LPS Essential Learning Outcomes. This data, along with teaching best practices {SIOP}, on-going professional development, and Team Collaborative Planning, assist teachers in making sound educational decisions for each student and to facilitate differentiated instruction to meet the students’ learning needs.
Key to instructional leadership is the support of the school administration for risk taking in classroom instruction and the opportunity to challenge our students. Co-teaching, distance learning and teaching, resident classrooms, teacher mentoring, and advanced technology for instruction all allow teachers to extend the boundaries of instruction and increase the rigor of the curriculum. Principal Dina M. Hickey, of the South Lawrence East Middle School, encourages collaborative cross-curriculum planning and supports her faculty’s drive to add rigor to the school curriculum. Under her guidance, a team of teachers at SLEMS spent many hours during the summer compiling benchmark assessments in ELA and Mathematics. These assessments will be used to measure levels of understanding at the mid-semester and levels of mastery of key concepts at the semesters’ end.
District wide, teachers are given many opportunities for growth in leadership skills and curriculum planning. From leadership teams at the building level to participation in District Instructional Conferences, teachers are offered varied views of the educational process and are, also, offered the chance to act as presenters at out–of-district professional training conferences.
Although on-going professional development, collaborative planning, and varied assessments are essential to the quality of instruction and thoroughness of meeting the Curriculum Frameworks, subject knowledge and the ability to present your lessons in ways to engage and enlighten all students are the hallmarks of a true instructional leader. Positive classroom environment and full student engagement are, in my opinion, the two most critical needs for success as an instructional leader. A classroom that encourages higher level thinking and questioning skills, synthesis of information, and thoughtful evaluation of the learning process is a classroom that will meet or exceed all expectations.
Classroom teachers can only become instructional leaders when all the available training and support are utilized for the benefit of our students. Understanding the needs of each student, working to meet those needs across the curriculum, and working as an educational team, with all instructional staff, are the keys to having the highest level of achievement and academic success.