• ISLLC/Case Studies
  
  Reflective analysis of case studies relevant to ISSLC Standards.
  
• Classroom Observation
  
  The purpose of these observations is to make sense of teaching and learning in the school context, not to evaluate the teachers.
  
• Shadowing & Interviewing
  
  This activity serves as a way to observe and study leadership phenomena.
  
• Professional Organizations
  
  Here are several links to helpful organizations relevant to school improvement. 
  
• School Design & Planning Laboratory (SDPL)
  
  The mission of the SDPL is to advance the planning of safe, comfortable, and developmentally appropriate learning environments for students of all ages in a multicultural society.
• UGA Leadership Program
  
  If you are interested in Leadership Certification visit the UGA Educational Leadership Program site.
  

Classroom Observation

The purpose of these observations is to make sense of teaching and learning in the school context, not to evaluate the teachers. The following is my reflective essay on classroom observation.

Reflective Essay on Classroom Observation

     While reflection by oneself can be the core to your success as an educator,  helping other teachers invokes something greater then ourselves. Through encouragement, support, and a little feedback, a simple act of kindness, a smile, and helping one another can result in making a difference in student's life. I see the passion in teachers, wanting to cultivate a learning environment that shines with children being successful, enthusiastic about learning, and engaging in that critical thinking mood that teachers plan for so often in their instructional plan of the day.  Each teacher has a way of engaging, connecting, or at least getting their attention. The more creative, the longer it seems to last. The more teachers bring the outside world into the classroom the more students have to say, even if it wasn't relevant to the subject that began to unfold. But at least the attention phase kicked-in and students were ready to rock. It is up to the teacher now to take it to the next level.

     The teachers I observed are all seasoned educators and were prepared to transition to the next level, either by jumping into the next assignment or the do portion of the previous assignment. Students were not as eagle to begin when the teacher lectured for too long on the what and how of things. Though you might not hear students say, "Teach me", that is what they prefer. Students want to be engaged in the lesson, not lectured to. They even know the difference between passive learning and actively engaging in learning.  In fact, in the classrooms where teachers set out the plan and got to it right away, students went with the flow much easier, followed right along and got started. Motivation by the teachers in some cases were non existing at the beginning, but as the lesson progressed, every teacher find a way to motivate students for success in life and/or college, while others included motivational bits and tips for now while in high school  I was amazed at those moments and more so when heads nodded in agreement to what the teacher had just finished saying. 

     I understand some of the students were at their best behavior during my presence in the classroom. Making one unsolicited positive comment early on , such as, "I like that!" made every one in the classroom comfortable. More then anything else, was the teacher's positive response to my being there and continuing with his or her instructional strategies. I have learned so much from my mentors, leadership course, and over the years about connecting with students, I was beginning to wonder if I connect with teachers too, how much more successful would our organization be as we all grow professionally?  How much more evidence of success would we see in our children because of teachers helping one another?  When teachers start to see classroom observation as a helping hand, I think the passion for teaching and learning gets the boost to get through every child.

  Mr Band starts the beat with his hand, sooner then later they get it together cause they can. With PCs there are toys, give'em a task and watch the boys as they show what they can do, they'll be proud, if you are too. With Mrs Paris French is easy, its not a class they see but a busy ... street in Paris. Mr Pool test for Alge(bra), after several heats with numbers. Then he invites them to the board and they run because they want more?  Each teacher has a way but everyone of them were happy for any input I had to give. In the heart of these teachers, they know that school improvement and student success begins with us. As an administrator, my classroom observation has to come from the heart to help others become more successful, not find things to write about that point fingers.

In summary: All the ISLLC Standards were reflected in these activities. Evident during the classroom observation and from what I gathered in the discussions afterwards with teachers.

Classroom Observations Record Log