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EDL725 : The Class : Introduction : Introduction | |||||
Welcome to Supervision of Instruction (EDL 725). As teacher leaders and school
administrators in the twenty first century, you will need the skills and understanding
of a teacher-of-the-year, the insights and abilities of a human resources director,
the management and leadership skills of a chief executive officer, the resources
and savvy of a successful politician, and the nurture and courage of a caring
parent. Never before have educators been held accountable for so much by so
many. Criteria for this accountability come from federal and state mandates,
state teaching standards, district evaluations, career ladder goals, grade level
and subject knowledge to name a few. With so much at stake, it is important
to understand the nature of supervision and evaluation of instruction, to value
and respect its place in education, and to accomplish its goals for the benefit
of the students. To do that we must know more than the specific criteria cited
on an evaluation form; we must know what constitutes professionalism, effective
planning and teaching, positive learning climate, and appropriate assessment
at each level of teacher development. We must also be able to identify each
of these elements and to know when one or more are missing.
In addition to knowledge and understanding, this course provides skill related
opportunities through field experience that includes planning conferencing,
classroom observation, data collection, analysis, and post conferencing. In
situations where actual classroom observations are not possible, simulated teaching
episodes are provided on video.
According to Keith Acheson and Meredith Gall, authors of Techniques in the clinical
Supervision of Teachers, "Clinical supervision has as its goal the professional
development of teachers, with emphasis on improving teachers’ classroom performance
. . . in a model that is interactive rather than directive, democratic rather
than authoritarian, teacher-centered rather than supervisor-centered . . . .
It is focused upon the improvement of instruction by means of systematic cycles
of planning, observation, and intensive intellectual analysis of actual teaching
performances in the interest of rational modification" (8).
The three phases of clinical supervision include a planning conference, a classroom
observation, and a post-conference. However, some systems now begin the cycle
with a post conference in the spring and include a professional growth plan
for all teachers. Teachers who work on their growth plans over the summer or
other break may revise them before the planning conference in the fall. A practice
phase is also included between the planning conference and the classroom observation.
Teachers are motivated to practice new techniques and strategies in anticipation
of the upcoming classroom observation. Generally, both teachers and evaluators
are more focused on the implementation of specific aspects of teaching before
a classroom observation than they are after a post conference when results are
often filed and forgotten.
Objectives:
This module is divided into 4 topics. To complete this Module successfully, please complete the topics in the order shown below:
Go on to Clinical Supervision and Effective
Teaching
or
Go back to Supervision and Evaluation of Instruction
E-mail Dr. Gloria Smith at
gjs8@jan.ucc.nau.edu
or call (480) 854-7673
Copyright 2001
Northern Arizona University
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED