Espacios Protegidos o Singulares

*o you remember -rincipal ?oberts; story from the pre!ious lesson< *o you want to find out how she was able to achie!e instructional leadership<

?ead onN

E!en with her success, -rincipal ?oberts recogni/es that to be a good school head, it is important to keep up with curricular trends. Thus, she is an acti!e member of professional organi/ations, including the 'nternational ?eading (ssociation. he not only shares information with teachers within her school but also publishes articles in the

?eading Teacher, a publication to assist teachers and administrators in the teaching of reading and writing $"udd > ?oberts, 1@@6, in Aarris, 1@@8%.

+hat do you think of this< a!e you done what -rincipal ?oberts does< +hat limitations do you see around you that pre!ent you from doing so< +rite your ideas on the space below.

 <es ust like 7rincipal Aoberts 0 am also a member of various professional or!ani'ations and contribute ideas in some professional ournals in the countr*# 0 also act as a resource speaker in di"erent teacher trainin!s in the %ivision# That wa* 0 assist other teachers and administrators#

Let's Thin! A"out This

?ead this story and find out how i t relates to your work as a change agent.

!he Story o the Contented Farmer

's!o is a rice farmer in the town of "an 3ose. e owns vast tracts of land handed down to him y his parents. For many years% 's!o en6oyed having the most amount of rice harvested per hectare in the entire province. e credits his success to a system of farming that he learned from his father. #ne day% his friend Dorio dropped y. /'s!o% ' am going to town to attend a lecture of a famous rice scientist. ' heard he has developed a new farming method that helps preserve the soil1s nutrients. <ould you li!e to come2 /$o%2 says 's!o. 2' am already content with my rice harvest. $othing you can learn would ma!e you harvest as much as ' do anyway. ' still practice the est method possile.2  /#!ay%2 said Dorio% and off to town he went. Another wee! passed. Dorio saw 's!o again. /'s!o% would you li!e to 6oin me ' am going to town to learn a new system of fighting pests. They say it is more efficient and uses lesser chemicals. ' thin! it would e good for you to learn.2 /$o%2 says 's!o. /As ' said efore% ' am already content with my rice harvest. $othing you can learn would ma!e you harvest as much as ' do.2 Dorio said% /'f it suits you% goodye then.2 A month after% Dorio dropped y 's!o1s house again. /'s!o% would you li!e to come ' am going to town to get some hyrid rice that resist pests etter. 't comes from the government and it1s free. ' thin! you should give it a try.2 /$o%2 says 's!o. 2' don1t need it. ' am already content with my rice harvest. ' don1t need anything new from anyone.2 Dorio left after saying% /' hope you don1t regret your decision. "ee you then.2 After a month% a new !ind  of rice,eating pest attac!ed the rice fields of "an 3ose. 's!o1s fields were totally  wiped out. Dorio1s% on the other hand% survived the pestilence. e was ale to reap a decent harvest from his fields. 's!o had to sell a portion of his lands to e ale to start anew.

1. +hat lesson did you learn from this story<

One ma* actuall* bene+t more from learnin! new thin!s# Traditional practices ma* have been e"ective in the past but the call of the times ma* warrant adaptin! to some chan!es because it could spell ones success or failure#

0t applies in the same wa*# 9hould there be advances in technolo!* it ma* be worth to tr* it sa* in instruction or school operations or if there is a new approach or instructional

framework or strate!* and techni,ue it ma* be !ood to tr* it out to improve teachin! practices or ensure better academic achievement#

&. 's there really a need to continuously learn new things and impro!e< +hy or why not<

 <es because the needs of our students chan!e too# The demands of the workplace or societ* ma* re,uire our students the future citi'ens of the countr* to be better e,uipped individuals#

$s teachers it is our obli!ation to provide them with optimum education and train them well#  To do so re,uires us to be better e,uipped teachers as well#

Let's #ead

!he "eed or Continuing )ducation and Learning

Effecti!e schools, and effecti!e principals for that matter, do not only impart knowledge. They help add to the body of knowledge through research and other acti!ities. owe!er, many of today;s schools are not effecti!ely organi/ed to support and encourage continuous learning. The pursuit of educational research and the quest for new information is prompted by the changing demands of the society we li!e in. To respond to those demands, we need:

• new strategies, new processes, and new mindsets and paradigms for sustaining quality

teaching and learning in the schoolK

• to build the school as a learning organi/ationK it must be open to new learning and build a

culture of inno!ationK and

• the school head to act as chief learning officer of the school who bears the ultimate

responsibility for the success or failure of the endea!our.

To promote continuous learning and to add to the body of knowledge of education research, what strategies may the school head employ in continually learning from each other within the school, from other principals in the school district or outside it and from other sources of information< +rite your ideas on the space below.

o Aead.subscribe to professional ournals;

o Conduct action researches and other school-based research activities; o 9urf the internet;

o Conduct school-based trainin!s; and o (e more re)ective of classroom practices

ere are some suggested acti!ities:

• "reate a formal learning organi/ation within the school or district.

• "onduct regular meetings, conferences, and fora to ser!e as !enues for updates and selfD

impro!ement.

• ubscribe to professional =ournals and other research outputs.

• Cse the 'nternet as a source of new ideas, best practices, and research findings.

• upport continuing staff de!elopment.

• ?eflect often and deeply about your effecti!eness as a principal.

• -ursue discussionsdialogues with other educational leadersschool heads about the craft of

instructional leadership.

• 5iew your work through the eyes of those you ser!e.

• Ctili/e research output as a basis for promotion.

• "reate a culture of research.

'ndeed, there are still a lot of things to be done. The task may be daunting, but the fact that you are enrolled in this course tells us that you are interested to learn to become a leader for your school. There are still many more modules for you to study, many more opportunities to practice and impro!e. 't may take time and a lot of effort but you are certainly on your wayM 4ou ha!e heeded the call for instructional leaders. et E(?TE" eF"E be your guide in becoming the kind of principal that you want to beM

ow uch ave You Learned?

To find out how much you ha!e learned from this lesson, try and answer the questions below.

1. 'dentify the six Idomains for impro!ementJ of a school principal. i. ii. iii. i!. !. !i.

2. 'n column (, there is a list of characteristics. 'dentify whether these characteristics describe a leader or a manager, by writing the word Leader or Manager on the corresponding row in "olumn ).

Column A Column B

Excite people with !ision

 *iagnose and influence systems

"reate a !ision and goals that influence others to share that !ision

et the direction

-lan and budget

3oti!ate -eople

Emphasi/e systems structures and action

"hange organi/ational rules

&. 3atch the leadership qualities in "olumn ( with their corresponding descriptions in "olumn ) by writing the letter of the characteristics on the space before each entry in "olumn (.

Column A Column B

'deali/ed 'nfluence (. This pro!ides support and encouragement to indi!idual members.

'nspirational 3oti!ation ). This is a beha!ior that influences influences

indi!iduals to !iew problems from a fresh perspecti!e and with a new and increased awareness.

'ntellectual timulation ". This modelshig !alues as an example and includes communication of an inspiring !ison.

'ndi!iduali/ed "onsideration *. This is the beha!ior that inspires indi!iduals to feel powerful identification andstrong emotion toward the leader.

0f a principal refuses to learn new knowled!e he will be left behind# He.9he will not be aware of recent developments Glike the use of computers and technolo!* that could help him.her and his.her school adapt to a chan!in! societ*#

7. ow could transformational leadership lead to impro!ed instructional leadership<

8hen practicin! transformational leadership one should be able to lead and mana!e chan!e# $ principal who has vision can e"ectivel* lead and mana!e chan!e towards the improvement of instruction in his.her school if he.she has the ,ualities of transformational leadership#

ow uch ave You Learned?

et;s find out how much you ha!e learned from this module. (nswer the questions below as directed.

1. i!e four reasons why a school principal is like a "E# of a company.

o Aormulating a shared !ision

o -ro!iding positi!e influence

o etworking

2. *efine the role of an instructional leader.

0nstructional leadership is one of the roles of a principal# 0t is what school leaders do to improve teachin! and learnin! in the school# 0nstructional leaders are also called learnin! leaders# The* continuousl* seek to improve teachin! and learnin!#

$n instructional leader is a !ood resource provider an instructional coach an e"ective communicator; and a visible presence in the school#

&. i!e fi!e challenges facing many schools in outheast (sia.

a# &ack of +nancial and other resources

b# Bot ver* ideal socio-economic realities

c# Hi!h teacher-to-student ratio

d# 0nade,uate trainin! and development for teachers

e. &ess ideal curricula

2 6. ame the three personal styles of principals.

a# Aesponder b# 2ana!er c# 0nitiator

& 7. *iscuss why, although a manager has important skills for creating changes in a school, a leader is needed more.

$ leader is more needed than a mana!er because he.she provides vision inspiration direction and ener!* needed to direct the school towards chan!e# This is important in a school settin! where the principal is expected to not onl* mana!e school a"airs but also provide !uidance and direction towards achievin! the schools !oals#

6 8. *escribe a transformational leader.

encoura!es creativit* and innovation and provides support to others#

8

9 9. ow can transformational leadership lead to impro!ed instructional leadership<

 Transformational leaders should lead and mana!e chan!e# This is because chan!e in schools is inevitable# 7rincipals who are driven b* a vision and who possess transformational leadership ,ualities can e"ectivel* lead the teachers towards the improvement of instruction#

 . i!e fi!e strategies that school heads may apply to promote continuous learning and selfD impro!ement.

a# =se the 0nternet as a source of new ideas best practices and research +ndin!s# b# 9upport continuin! sta" development#

c# Ae)ect often and deepl* about *our e"ectiveness as a principal#

d# 7ursue discussions.dialo!ues with other educational leaders.school heads about the craft of instructional leadership#

e# Create a culture of research#