"It is important that we take critical ownership of the formation of ourselves...

Then we must learn how to learn..."

-Paulo Freire in "Teachers as Cultural Workers",  p. 44

Philosophy of Education and Leadership

Introduction

Responsibility for student learning is shared by teachers and supervisors alike. Teachers and supervisors must be confident in their knowledge but willing to learn from the expertise that students bring into our classroom. Educators also have the responsibility of building lifelong learning skills that will equip students with the ability to contribute to their local and international communities. Knowledge is more than a list of facts and students must be taught how to apply this knowledge into multiple contexts.

The goal of a good leader is to promote collaboration and teamwork, but is often faced with obstacles when considering high stakes standardized testing. Education is not defined by the standardization movement but high academic state or national standards must be evident throughout the school classrooms and curriculum. Standardized testing should be utilized to increase student learning but does not define curriculum.  Specific teaching methods must take into account the distinct and unique learners that make up a classroom. Teachers must be trusted to uphold high standards of education but need to communicate what is happening in their classroom so the leader may better advocate, support, or offer support for classrooms.

Platform of Leadership

The Aims of Education

I will begin by elaborating upon the three primary functions of education. The first is to promote the growth of the student as a whole person, meaning that educators possess the responsibility to educate students not only academically but also in more intrinsic areas such as awareness of self and how one relates to the world, social interaction skills, creativity and innovation, and the ability to adapt to unexpected situations.

Secondly, our schools must acknowledge the changing nature of what a community, society and culture actually means. Our world is becoming increasingly connected; isolation of communities and cultures become superseded in favor of a more globalized society. Education exists to help prepare students to interact in this world. In order to participate in this globalized world, students must be taught to respect, express and have awareness of self and others.

The third function of education is to create lifelong learners. This does not simply mean to create the desire to learn things but also to teach students how to ask questions, find answers, and change their lives by applying knowledge and concepts. Much of this is possible through student motivation, which creates a need to have relevant curriculum. A simple way to create this curriculum is to ask students for input for daily lessons, units, and even to design projects. Students must be respected for the knowledge and skills that they already possess and are challenged to grow these skills daily while also supporting their classmates grow in their learning.

Views of Knowledge

Building knowledge is a foundational skill for life. Students must be taught that at no point should they assume they have learned enough and simply stop learning. Teachers must model this idea daily and most importantly, be honest with students about their own knowledge. Students should strive to achieve high academically in order to create a rich lifelong experience not only for themselves, but for those around them because they are taught to support learning in others.

This concept of knowledge should go beyond school. Students should be achieving high grades and test scores because of the knowledge they want and have acquired, not only to achieve high grades or test scores. It is disheartening for anyone in school at any level to be asked why they are learning something, and to not be able to respond. It is more disheartening for a student to know why they want to learn something, learn it, and then be told that it is not necessary to pass a test and so not relevant for school success.

Knowledge is active in acquisition and students must be taught how to apply this knowledge into multiple contexts. Knowledge is more than a list of facts students should know before being considered adults; instead knowledge must be considered and taught in its complexity. Educators have the responsibility to create a curriculum that is relevant to student ­lives, but students must also be taught to look beyond themselves at the knowledge each person brings to the classroom regardless, of what background they come from academically, culturally, or socially.

The Social Significance of the Student’s Learning

Building lifelong learning skills are important because these skills will equip students with the ability to contribute to their communities, both local and global. A part of this contribution should be in sharing their knowledge in their communities, and so students should be given the opportunity to learn these skills through volunteering and community based projects. Schools are losing their connections to communities for many reasons, but teaching students to bring their knowledge back into the community is a simple solution of many.

The connection between schools and their communities is important because it brings relevance to student learning. Knowledge is power and students must learn to not only share their learning, but utilize it in order to contribute to their communities and work towards social justice.

The Image of the Learner

It is important to remember that while we are educators, we are also learners. We must be confident in our knowledge but willing to learn from the expertise that students bring into our classroom. We must take advantage of the prior knowledge students bring to each lesson by teaching them how to discover their knowledge and so it can build confidence, motivation, and a fundamental desire to learn.

There is a misconception that there is only one kind of useful knowledge, and that knowledge comes out of a book. When students have trouble learning this type of knowledge, it tends to create a cycle of low self-esteem that is difficult to overcome. Much of the problem is that many educators assume that students can all learn in basically the same way. Once teachers begin to understand the unique person in each student, they can better reach students to stop the cycle, in order to start a new one where students realize their full potential.

The Image of the Curriculum

Curriculum must contain essential educational knowledge that will build successful learners and citizens. The curriculum must reflect the student context through overt curriculum and just as important, acknowledge that there are things taught in a school that are not intended. The null curriculum are those things that are not included in the classroom curriculum such as multicultural history, authors of minority cultures, or role models that reflect student context. Students have a difficult time applying curriculum to their own life when it does not fit into their life.

Another important consideration is the hidden curriculum which, according to James A. Banks is a “curriculum that no teacher explicitly teaches but that all students learn” (Banks, 2008). Students pick up on the attitudes of staff towards certain students, as well as the makeup of the staff itself. All curricula must reflect the student population through the attitudes shown by staff, and reflect the beliefs and backgrounds of students and staff of the school.

An expectation in American schools is to succeed on standardized tests. Standardized testing should be utilized to increase student learning but does not define curriculum. A good leader will use these tests to assess student learning progress, but understands that they are not a completely accurate assessment of knowledge and rarely reflects the efficacy of a school curriculum because of the broad design of the tests themselves; standardized tests are not designed for any particular school. Administrators must also realize that while we are encouraged to compete against other schools locally, nationally, and internationally, ideas that work in other schools are not simply transplanted in order to create a magical cure for student low achievement.

The Image of the Teacher

A teacher possesses many roles: leader, expert, disciplinarian, coach, and even parent at times. A good teacher is reflective, considered, and skilled in her practice and classroom while continuing to seek learning at any opportunity. A teacher is not an assembly line worker who creates students as merchandise, but instead is an advocate for student prosperity. Teachers seek to better the lives of their students by facilitating the development of lifelong skills.

Teachers also seek to awaken awareness of social justice in their students through explicit classroom lessons, modeling of practices, and practical implementation of student ideas for their community. A part of this social justice awareness is to acknowledge injustices taking place in our global community, some are even known by students on a first-hand basis. Classrooms are a safe place, but must also acknowledge the needs of neighbors worldwide.

The Preferred Pedagogy

Specific teaching methods must take into account the distinct and unique learners that make up a classroom. Teachers must be flexible and willing to differentiate instruction and impart knowledge through a variety of means with the specific needs of students in mind. An environment of trust must be built through a persistent discussion of social and classroom expectations as well as how to build trust and respect between peers.

Teachers should utilize a social classroom through effective cooperative learning and concept formation activities. Lessons themselves are student-centric and reflect the unique context of each classroom. The ultimate goal of my classroom is to teach students to express themselves creatively and clearly in their artwork while implementing these complex concepts, as well as new and challenging art skills.

The Preferred School Climate

Schools are a safe place for student learning because student success is the paramount goal of education. A part of this idea is involvement from the community where parents are invited to be a part of student education. Active anti-bullying methods are prevalent throughout classrooms and schools. Student learning is the priority that pushes aside more selfish aspirations of leadership.

Education is not defined by the standardization movement but high academic state or national standards are evident throughout the school classrooms and curriculum. Supervisors have a profound respect for the professionalism of teachers and strive to create a climate that supports structured collaboration of teachers across content areas. School staff is in persistent pursuit of knowledge in effective pedagogy and content knowledge.

The Purpose or Goal of Supervision

The goal of educational leadership should at all times be to organize a school in order to best meet the needs of students. In order to meet these needs, supervisors have to know what these needs are and so supervisors take active steps to know their students and what they are learning. Supervisors push to be involved in classrooms in order to support teachers and to provide feedback, but do not control what is taught or how it is taught.

Teachers must be trusted to uphold high standards of education but need to communicate what is happening in their classroom so the leader may better advocate, support, or offer suggestions for the classroom. Supervision should provide a community of respect and collaboration through professional learning communities, professional development, and adequate preparation time for daily classes.

The Preferred Process of Supervision

We exist in an educational climate where high stakes assessment is a fact of life but the ultimate goal of actual student learning must remain a priority at all times. In order for effective supervision to take place there must be an environment of communication where the needs of students, teachers, and leaders are discussed and addressed openly. Supervisors accept input from those they lead not only when solutions are needed, but also when deciding what areas of a school need improvement.

Leaders promote collaboration and teamwork through means such as a time provision during the school week or day that would be allotted for teacher partnership. A leader is approachable and encourages teacher input, concerns, and suggestions for any changes that have taken place or must be made.

Closing

            The most important idea to remember about supervision is to work with teachers, not against them. Every person has their own ideas, background, and method that is effective for them, even if it does not align perfectly with what a leader has in mind initially. By taking the time to know teachers and students, a leader can build a strong vision in schools that will support teachers and students alike. Because a leader knows teachers and students, they can build upon the strengths each person provides, while working with those areas of weakness that will later turn into strengths.

References

Banks, J. A. (2008). An introduction to multicultural education. Pearson Education, Inc.

Sergiovanni, T. J., & Starratt, R. J. (2007). Supervision: a redefinition. New York: McGraw Hill.