Culture of Learning

Standard #2: An educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional development.
The administrator: a. Provides leadership for assessing, developing and improving climate and culture. b. Systematically and fairly recognizes and celebrates accomplishments of staff and students. c. Provides leadership, encouragement, opportunities and structure for staff to continually design more effective teaching and learning experiences for all students. d. Monitors and evaluates the effectiveness of curriculum, instruction and assessment. e. Evaluates staff and provides ongoing coaching for improvement. f. Ensures staff members have professional development that directly enhances their performance and improves student learning. g. Uses current research and theory about effective schools and leadership to develop and revise his/her professional growth plan. h. Promotes collaboration with all stakeholders. i. Is easily accessible and approachable to all stakeholders. j. Is highly visible and engaged in the school community. k. Articulates the desired school culture and shows evidence about how it is reinforced. For Standard two I chose the opportunity I had to help with parent-teacher conferences. It relates to criteria a, h, I, j and k. I helped set up and then facilitate high school conferences. I know that people dont realize how much planning and time it takes to have these even ts be successful. I communicated with families and other professionals within the school environment. I addressed concerns and successes of my students. Conferences are held four times a year in the cafeteria from 3:10-5:30pm. I helped set up tables, posting signs, posting names and departments so that the stakeholders could find where and who they needed. I found it interesting when certain staff asked to not sit by specific co-workers. Conferences are for a total of two hours and 20 minutes! I like organizing and planning so this was fun for me. I always find conferences to be a positive experience. The parents and families that come are truly interested in the best for their student. It may not always be a positive interaction, but they seem more willing to work out a solution so that their student can be successful. I observed the administrators interact with the stakeholders and then took mental notes of how I should be when I am the administrator.

During the conferences, I am scheduled to meet with my Special Education families. I dont get as much turnout as other general education teachers do, but the families that do show up care. I know that the students appreciate it, even if they dont say it. I was able to set up one of my students with the Drivers Ed teacher that had a table promoting his driving school. I enjoy conferences so I can observe other teachers interact with their families and students.

The new principal changed the structure of the conferences this year by having conferences in the teachers classrooms instead of the cafeteria. The associate principal and I created a survey for the parents to take. The survey included what time of day do the families want to attend, what information the parents want to discuss at the conference, how many conferences do the parents attend within the year and where do the parents want the conferences located. Seventy-Five percent of the parents wanted the conferences in the classroom. The families thought it was more intimate and private for their students issues. The families would like the conferences times to be from 4:00pm to 6:30pm. The families would like to discuss grades, attendance and behavior. The majority of the families come to all four conferences throughout the year.