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Lonergan Unit4reflection
Lonergan Unit4reflection
Unit 4 Reflection
for authentic and fair evaluation. Therefore, our evaluation system is GREATLY
improved. When I become an administrator, I will seek to implement a system at
least like the one that we currently use. Currently, all teachers are observed a total
of six times per year by an Admin team member and their department chair- four
15-min walk throughs and two full period observations. The department chairs are
given an extra course release in order to handle all of the observations. Prior to this
system, only non-tenured teachers were observed each year, and tenured teachers
were only observed once every three years! I see only benefits from improving our
evaluation expectations and classroom observations. I learned from the readings
and discussions that our system was gravely outdated before and teaching and
learning can only improve when there is an authentic and meaningful system to
help teachers grow!
My other take home point of Unit 4 was an idea mentioned in the last weeks
readings. It mentioned that leaders grow leadership. I like this concept from a
practical and personal perspective. Growing leadership makes a school work more
effectively toward goals, which is practical and can help a leader delegate
responsibility. In addition, growing leadership builds trust and investment to the
mission of the school. I feel that my school, and its leadership, grows leaders. In
fact, we joke that Saint Ignatius is a principal grower! There are four principals in
the Chicagoland area (that I can think of) who worked as assistant principals or
department chairs at Saint Ignatius before stepping into principal positions at other
Catholic high schools. I feel it is a sign of a high functioning school when the
schools leadership can foster and grow teacher leaders. I want to be able to do this
as a principal. It will be important to me to foster a community of learners that is
always growing.
Unit 4 was a full circle capstone in the human resources department. I felt it
brought together themes from this class and from the summer courses in
Instructional Leadership and School Culture.