When beginning any new role, there are two visions. The supervisor has a vision for the role and
the person in the role has a vision. I
believe both visions should be discussed.
Through discussion, an understanding and expectations should be
established. In this case, I believe the
principal needs to communicate his/her expectation and plan for the new
role. I do not believe that the person
in the new role should have to figure out how they fit into the “big picture”
or vision of the school. The MIL’s first
steps in getting organized are for her to write down her vision for the new role
and develop a plan of action to assist teachers and administration. It is imperative for to the MIL to meet with
the principal to ensure alignment to what the principal envision. However, if it is impossible to meet with the
principal, then the MIL should email her plan to the principal for
approval.
The MIL needs support from the principal and staff. The principal should lay out the expectations
of the new role to the faculty to ensure all stakeholders (i.e. teachers)
understand how this new role will assist them with professional
development. Furthermore, the MIL must
study the mathematics standards for all grade levels and create a vertical
alignment document to identify vertical gaps in concepts and skills. Also, study assessment data (e.g.
end-of-grade test, district benchmarks, common assessment) to identify horizontal
gaps students have. The MIL needs
evidence from data to support her conversation with teachers and build a case
for change.
I have faced several of the same
challenges in the scenario. My
supervisor provided little to no direction in terms of expectations for my
role. Thus, I took the initiative to
observe classrooms, review data, have informal conversations with teachers and
met with lead teachers. Gathering quantitative
and qualitative data are important to inform next steps and decisions. Once I reviewed data, I met with teachers
during their planning times and discussed the strengths and areas of concerns,
gaps, etc. It was important to paint a
picture in which change was necessary and inevitable. I set up regular focus meetings with
teachers, observed classrooms, and modeled lessons. I believe structured monitoring and feedback
are a major part of continuous improvement.
I definitely agree with your insight as to the two working visions. When we first were told we were going to have a literacy coach, I don't recall anyone meeting with us to lay the ground work as to what this person was going to do. She just showed up one day and asked if we needed help. Now because I had worked with here prior to this I knew her background and she was very comfortable with me. But it took several occasions for her to earned the trust of others. Had that obstacle been eliminated her transitions with others would have been much smoother.
ReplyDeleteBuilding trust is not easy. As we hire new people, leaders should share their job responsibilities. Just like the article mention, you do not have to have experience in every subject or grade but a willingness to want to help and make things better. This is also a good time to see if the newly hired person is assertive. They can take the initiative to meet with teachers and seek out their needs. When they see you jumping in and working hard they will get on board.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct! Most supervisors like it when people take the initiative and "jump in". However, a supervisor/principal needs to share his/her expectations and vision with both the staff and the person in the new role. This will help build trust among everyone. Without the principals' explicit support, it will be harder but not impossible to build relationships.
ReplyDeleteShannon,
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that you were put in a position where the communication was not good and you were unsure of administrator expectations of you. I can imagine this is frustrating, especially for someone like you who wants to do a great job. It is important for the supervisor and the administrator to be on the same page. I fear that teachers may try to play one person off the other or there will be a lack of communication resulting in frustrated teachers and staff. You handled the situation well by getting in the classrooms and experiencing first hand what needed to be done. I would think being in the classrooms can also help you establish a good rapport with teachers and students resulting in student academic success. Continued monitoring and feedback will allow you to maintain a positive relationship with teachers and continue to influence students. Great ideas Shannon!