Administration of Schools

Abstract

School administrators have much responsibility in assisting teachers, support personnel, and students to achieve. They possess a leadership position to help others as well as themselves to grow, develop, and achieve. Schools of education training pre-service administrators need to stay abreast of the latest trends that truly develop leadership characteristics in vital areas of the total endeavors of the school. Which areas of the total school should administrators assist their teachers to achieve well? A Professional Teaching Staff Administrators need to assist each teacher to develop well professionally. The school administrator then provides a good model for teachers to emulate. He/she has served previously as a classroom teacher and has a repertoire of effective knowledge and skills for teachers to use. The school administrator then has general principles of learning to share with teachers as well as specific learning opportunities to use in the classroom. For example, in the teaching of reading, he/she is able to diagnose individual student problems in reading. These problems might well include the following: * using word recognition skills to unlock unknown words * phrasing questions to stress higher levels of cognition * emphasizing fluency in reading * stressing reflection and self evaluation in reading achievement School administrators need to offer praise to individual teachers in work well done. Teachers need to feel that their efforts are appreciated. At the same time, they must become intrinsically motivated in becoming outstanding teachers. Higher energy levels are then available for teaching students. Teachers do like to have their talents and abilities recognized. Each teacher is important and should be respected by being accepted and feel a sense of belonging. The school administrator believes that he/she has as the ultimate goal to assist student optimal achievement. By showing interest in classroom teaching endeavors and providing assistance where needed, the administrator reveals competence and a caring attitude for teachers and students. Teachers do like to fell that someone is there to assist, for example, with discipline problems. With mainstreaming, the teacher may experience some highly challenging students who do not conform to the norm, but disrupt the classroom. Here, the administrator needs to possess considerable knowledge about positive ways to improve student behavior. Environmental Conditions in the School and Classroom Setting Working conditions need to compliment each teacher to achieve optimally. Classrooms and surrounding areas need to be clean and well kept. Teaching materials must be adequate to provide for each student. This means that the following kinds of materials, among many others, must be accessible: * manipulative materials to help students attach meaning to what is being learned. * audio visual aids to vary learnings and provide understandings of abstract content. * reading materials on the developmental level of students to include textbooks, library books, and Internet sources. * materials to make aids for instructional purposes. In addition to helping to secure teaching aids, the school administrator also must work in the direction whereby intercom announcements do not disrupt teaching. Adjacent classrooms must curb disturbances so as not to disrupt others. The school administrator needs to make his presence visible. This helps to minimize discipline problems. When asked, the school administrator must have valuable suggestions that truly work in cutting down on disturbances in the classroom. When observing university student teachers in the public schools teaching pupils, the writer noticed the effectiveness of school administrators maintaining quality disciple for classrooms by being visible in assisting teachers and circulating among the different classrooms in the school setting. …