The statements in this article are special – not because they have a strong research backing; rather, they are special because they are clear and elegant and they resonate with every educator. Teachers can enjoy working in Ms. Getz’s school. She appears to blend rigor with grace, reality, and understanding. The statements pay hommage to artifacts of the “old way” that still have relevance to the way great schools become so, and how teachers are inspired to make magic with their students. They reassert the essence of good teaching…
“Many are the ways Ms. Getz evaluates teachers. She regularly visits classrooms. She looks at the written materials they send to families and the administration. She watches them during group planning sessions with other teachers. She studies their lesson plans and notices how they maintain their rooms, when they show up for meetings and whether they take notes. She looks to see how they organize themselves for the day and the records they keep. She listens to parents. Ms. Getz wants to know whether teachers continually challenge themselves, have the power of reflection, make intellectual connections and are curious about the art of teaching. Some of what she’s hunting for, she can describe only vaguely: “There’s something at the core of a good teacher that kids get, and makes them feel safe and relaxed.”
And, they remind us of an approach that every working person can appreciate from a boss:
“A good principal protects her teachers from the nonsense.”
Many of us who have experience as teachers can remember what its like to be in the classrooms at times where we lacked trust in our leadership. This brief note about a respected principal gives us a chance to enjoy a sunspot in the school reform era… and rest in comfort that those time-honored qualities of good leadership still exist in schools:
“A good principal leads by example.”
Read and enjoy!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/26/nyregion/the-secrets-of-a-good-principal.html?ref=michaelwinerip
