Class Reflection

Looking back on this semester, several things stand out as pieces that I will remember and take with me into the future. I thought that our class had a great dynamic of interesting and well-spoken educators. Coming from many different teaching environments made for a rich body of diverse experiences. As an administrator I think it is important to appreciate and remain conscious of the fact that your school can learn from different kinds of schools as well as schools that are similar. Prof. Bachenheimer modeled the sorts of qualities that I think make for any effective administrator. He was prepared, knowledgeable, personable, and a good listener. He created an inclusive atmosphere of collegiality and recognized the value of each student's opinions and experiences. Our look at curriculum had both philosophical and practical values. I think that it clarified the role that curriculum plays in schools, as I had little experience in designing or assessing it. The greatest lesson that I think I will carry away with me is that an administrator must always recognize the opportunity presented by improving the curriculum, while tempering that ambition with the realities of schools and standardization. There are still wonderful things that can be done in curriculum that will still conform to standards and prepare students for tests. The challenge as an administrator seems to be to strike that balance with your teachers between what we must team and how we can teach it. Curriculum design does not occur in a vacuum. It is an exciting experience to work with other teachers to create an idea for a new change to the curriculum. By doing so, administrators and/or teachers have the opportunity to directly affect what happens in the classroom. I know that if I ever become an administrator I may feel overwhelmed and inundated with all of my responsibilities. It will be important to remember that which is most important, the learning that takes place in the classroom. Curriculum is one of the key vehicles that drives a school in whatever direction it moves.

Orange Middle Schools

What appeals to me about the plan of Orange Middle Schools is that their focus is not on a specific methods of instruction,but rather on establishing relationships between their students and teachers. I firmly believe it is only through the strengthening of these relationships that students will experience success. Many of students from such impoverished and underfunded districts do not have stable home lives. In the place of a supportive home, the best thing that the school can do is take the time and make the effort to strengthen the relationships between such neglected children and their teachers. For many students, school can be an apealing escape. It is reliable, predictable, and serves as a welcome escape. The weekly discussion groups afford students time to vent, share, and be open with other members of the school community. By creating those ties, the school can challenge students much more and expect greater effort and results. I would also commend how the school includes students in the dialogue of school improvement by asking them what's on their mind and what their concerns are. Through this discussion, they learned that school safety is a major concern of students.

If I did make one recommendation to the schools, it would be to try and make the greatest effort to appeal to parents and guardians for support. Going along with their inclusive model of weekly discussions with students, give parents an opportunity to get involved as well. Another recommendation that I would make, and perhaps this is already being followed, would be to make sure that the concerns and suggestions of students are being acknowledged. It is nice and democratic to ask students what changes they wish to see in their school. If their feedback is ignored it would will have the opposite effect of what is intended.

Curriculum Mapping

Curriculum mapping is a technique employed by school districts to create a uniformity and continuity within their curriculum. A district wants there to be there to a uniform curriculum for students in each grade level, regardless of which teacher they have or which school they are in. School leaders also employ curriculum mapping to insure that the subject curriculums from grade to grade fit together without overlap or contradiction. It affords the district a way to create positive change by being inclusive with faculty and appealing to teachers to take part in the process.

In my district, we do not employ curriculum mapping. The concept of teacher isolation that we have discussed before in class is on display in my school. There is a disconnect between department members where we do not communicate as we should on a professional level. Even more severe is the disconnect between the high school and the middle schools. The curriculum for social studies on the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade level has been created with little regard to what students will learn in high school, and we move forward in our curriculum without acknowledgement or regard for what students have already learned.

As an assistant principal/disciplinarian, my department supervisor is inundated with his main office responsibilities. He is very little time to concern himself with our social studies department, which is composed almost entirely of veteran teachers. I think his general attitude is that he trusts us to make responsible decisions with regard to our practice and to communicate with one another as needed. That is the key: “as needed”. Curriculum mapping is not an essential element of school planning. Its benefits are obvious and I would be excited at the prospect of participating in its design. However, as a non-essential tool, it will never be given its fair consideration until it is mandated from the superintendent. If our district has been proactive about anything, it has been technology. Curriculum development is not something that we place a premium on.

Curriculum mapping can be a positive element of curriculum change because, first and foremost, it is inclusive rather than exclusive. Rather than having change forced upon them, the teachers take an active role in its creation. In this way there is a sense of ownership amongst the faculty. The creation of curriculum mapping also depends on an open dialogue between teachers, something that we should be fostering anyway. By creating “horizontal consistency” and “vertical consistency” within schools, we are encouraging communication between teachers not only in the creation of mapping, but also in its continued use. This strengthens the sense of community within a department, school, and district.