DEVELOPING TEACHERS AS EFFECTIVE SCHOOL LEADERS

RONNIE D. VILLEZA

Teacher as defined by the dictionary is one who teaches especially whose occupation is to instruct or to teach. On the other hand, teachers do not only simply teach— they also lead. They can be developed as effective school leaders.

As teachers, we often say that the teacher is the very effective visual aid inside the classroom. He is the hero, director, actor, conductor, and counselor, driver, and pilot and sometimes even as clown inside the very four walls of a learning area. He is the most important individual in the life of the learners, molding and teaching them to become globally competitive and productive citizens of the world.

Nowadays, teachers are very eager to enroll and finish their Masterate courses and even doctorate degrees. Ask why?, the answer would be as simple as for professional growth. And what do we mean professional growth. As teachers, one should keep himself or herself abreast with the current trends and pedagogies of teaching and one should not be stocked up in his or her entry level and position. That is why some are aiming for promotion and deserving enough to be school leaders or managers.

The ways teachers can lead are varied as teachers themselves. Teacher-leaders assume a wide range of roles to support school and student success. Whether these roles are assigned formally or shared informally, they build the school’s capacity to improve.

Teachers have the ability to lead their peers especially the Master teachers who are equipped with knowledge and skills to help to deliver the best in molding the learners.

Here are some of the roles and of the many ways teachers can contribute to their school’s success:

As Learning Facilitator

One of the many roles of a teacher is to facilitate professional learning opportunities among staff members. This is called teacher leader. When teachers learn from one another, they focus on what the most directly improves student-learning. Their professional learning becomes more relevant, focused on teachers’classroom work and aligned to fill gaps in student learning. Usually teachers have the chance to be learning facilitators during in service training for teachers (INSET) and School Learning Action Cell (SLAC).

As a Mentor

Competent teachers serve as mentors to novice teachers or to the new entrants. They serve as role models to the new teachers in school be it on instruction, curriculum, procedure, practices and politics. Being a mentor takes a great deal of time and expertise and makes significant contribution to the development of new professionals. When new teachers are appointed in a teaching profession, although they are well equipped with the knowledge, skills, strategies and techniques in teaching in their college degree, yet they need to be mentored for the enhancement of what they learned in the teacher discipline in college.

As Curriculum Specialist

It is the rule of the thumb to practice and ensure consistent curriculum implementation through the school, so we need teachers who are curriculum specialists. These specialists lead teachers to agree on standards to follow adopted curriculum, use common pacing charts, and develop school assessment. The teachers should see to it that the students can be equipped with the learnings so that they will not lag behind with other teachers.

As School Leader

A teacher, being a school leader means serving on a committee such as school improvement team or involve himself in making a school improvement plan, a bible of the school in all aspects from physical, co curricular or curricular programs of the school leading to school’s development and progress.

As Catalyst of Change

Teachers who take on the catalyst role feel secure in their own work and have a strong commitment to continue improvement. They pose questions to generate analysis of student learning. A teacher must do everything, studying every behavior of the learners so that he can change the outlook from negative to positive attitude that he can change instructional practices to improve student achievement.

The variety of roles that teachers excise determines their capabilities to find ways to lead. A teacher must continue to develop or hone his skills and talents to ensure his development fitted to assume to managerial position who would be shaping the culture of the school. Above all, a teacher must go back to the basic that all the improvement , further enhancement of procedures and processes must geared towards tot eh total development of the learner.— oOo—

The author is Principal II at Sta. Lucia Elementary School, Sta. Ana