Instructional Leader as They Relate

¶ … Instructional Leader as They Relate to Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

An instructional leader is someone who makes instructional quality the foremost priority of the school. Some have, in fact, redefined instructional leadership as "learning leadership" where the "instructional leader's" role consists in the quality of learning / education / instruction that is performed in the school rather than in evaluating and administering his/her employees and other administrative matters

As regards curriculum, instruction, and assessment, the instructional leader's role lies in assembling his staff members on a regular basis in order to discuss their work, work together to problem solve, reflect on their jobs, and become more accountable for what students lean. In other words, principal and staff meet to reflect on the quality of their education and assess it in order to see how and where they can improve their curriculum. The whole is performed in a network of shared cohesion and discussion rater than as a hierarchy or set of isolated opinions. Suggestions are made, feedback solicited, effective instruction modeled, opinions are sought, and the meetings structure around praise rather than criticism, and, occasionally, the leader may wish to provide professional development opportunities.

Experiences that I have had within this leadership cycle

I have recently implemented this in my school and have gingerly tried it out. I think it is much better than the traditional format practiced in schools where each teacher seems to have his or her independent style of teaching and thinking and where few if any of the styles mesh. I have found instructional leadership to prevent and obvert conflict where teachers and/or principal may disagree with another teacher's method. This may be particularly so when the teacher in question is innovative and her method intimidating to the more traditional approaches of other staff.

Sharing and listening to opinions of other staff also promotes a more collaborative and supportive environment in the school that disseminates to the students.

For these reasons and more, I found instructional leadership an extremely beneficial method since not only do we benefit from colleagues research and instructional methods, but we become closer to oen another as a result, better understanding each other. For the principal too, this method helps him improve his relationship with staff and the atmosphere has a positive impact on students and parents where a harmonious school atmosphere is created instead of one that represents fragmentation.

In all ways, then, my experiences within this leadership-cycle has only been positive.

Goals in the next five years that relate to instructional leadership

Instructional leaders need to know what is going on in the classroom. I intend to walk around the students inconspicuously picking up observations of the way that they perceive their classroom teaching and unobtrusively picking up information regarding classroom content. I also intend to make an unobtrusive survey of textbooks and material taught in the classroom. I will inconspicuously interweave my observations in the meetings in a manner that teachers do not feel threatened.

I also intend to make these meetings more relaxed encouraging teachers to dress in casual style, act in casual manner, and perhaps we will format them around picnics and stimulating events. In this way, teachers will feel more free to express their views and the style of the meeting will be more relaxed and on a collegiate atmosphere rather than in an hierarchal manner.