Thursday, January 16, 2014
Exemplary Educators
Here are two compelling articles... a recent one about a principal in a middle school in the Bronx; the other about a high school English teacher from years ago. Effective leadership and inspirational teaching are essential components of quality schools. Please share your thoughts.
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In reading these articles...it just goes to show that whether you are able to do something small for a student like letting them steal your books to read...or something huge..like dedicating your life to your school, like the principal...kids take notice and appreciate it. Fortunately, a good number of teachers and administrators are in this field for the right reasons and many make sacrifices every day. I am sure we can all name at least a few educators that made a profound difference in our lives. I am glad that we, as educators and administrators, get the opportunity to return the favor.
ReplyDeleteI found these articles to be inspiring. I wanted to focus on one specific point that I found to be critical. Principal Gonzalez knows the community from which his students came from and also understands their social and emotional needs. Often times, I feel that these components are overlooked in schools and other educational institutes in lieu of test scores or standards. His level of concern for the safety and well-being of his students is evident in every area. He has the teachers arrive 10 minutes than contractually obligated in order to allow to desperately needed after-school time (They vote on this each year). He also adjusted the time of after-school so students were not walking home in a potentially dangerous area in the dark. He has moved the lockers into the classrooms to decrease the amount of hallway time, often chaotic in middle schools as indicated by the article. These are things that take someone who is not only passionate, but very detail-oriented.
ReplyDeleteI think great teaching and great leadership requires skills in a plethora of areas, it is not just knowing the curriculum or using the next fancy website or device in class. If the learning environment and the relationship between student and teacher, teacher and administrator, and student and administrator does not exist, you may have a much harder time achieving greatness. Obviously, Principal Gonzalez wears many different hats.