Supervision Tasks "We are used to thinking of a curriculum as something that robs the teacher of her professional judgment…we believe that… when developed through careful, extended work with diverse students and teachers…[new curriculum] are a tool that allows the teacher to do her best work with students" (Russell, 2007).

Fellow Teacher (Susan)

Why is great attention paid to curriculum development in this school?

It is a widely accepted belief in public schools that only the teacher knows the needs and the abilities of her students, so that teacher in that particular classroom should be the one to decide on curriculum. But I don't necessarily agree.

What is your approach to curriculum development?

Answer: Yes, teachers can and should adjust curricula to match the skills and abilities of her students, but curricula should be developed in a partnership with other teachers on staff, with new and creative approaches in the current literature, and in consultation with administrators and with students.

Question: In this school, besides curriculum development, you are asked to work with action research, professional development. Why is each of these approaches to supervision important and how do you perform each task effectively?

Answer: Improving teaching tactics and upgrading our approach to student learning is absolutely vital. Professional development is actually an intervention, and we have professional development workshops every summer. As for action research, we use teacher action research strategies, which engage the community in the process of coming up with solutions to classroom problems. That way the community has a sense of ownership and teachers become activists seeking input and new relationships through good communication.

Question: How do you deal with...

Action research can be confusing for parents but what we're trying to do is to help teachers evaluate their approach so if the community is informed as to hoped-for outcomes, any issue can be cleared up. Professional development should be an agreeable engagement for all teachers and administrators; I can't see any problems in that area.
Interview with Administrator (Vice-Principal)

Question: Why is each task of supervision necessary; how do you perform each task effectively?

Answer: Our staff thoroughly enjoys professional development (PD), which is mandatory for our school and very necessary. We develop the PD agenda with full teacher input. It is necessary to constantly upgrade curricula; our school doesn't buy textbooks, instead our students have iPads, and so fresh new curriculum is easily presented as outdated curriculum is deleted. As to action research, we have several top notch social studies teachers who lead the research of the most successful, well-thought-of innovations. Those teachers decide what is to be done and the administration backs them up.

Question: What type of issues might arise with each task of supervision and how do you deal with each?

Answer: That's a good question but frankly we don't run into very many negative issues with our professional development program each summer. Everyone's on board. Same is true with action research in this school -- the same progressive teachers are trusted to bring research to the table and insist that the staff act on it or not act on it. And curriculum development, there is a place where controversy can, and does, come up. I bring the teachers involved into a session in my office and we insist on…