1. How does a school culture affect the school quality and its improvement?

There are twelve key aspects where we can assess school culture. If a positive school culture
exists in the school, the assessment of those twelve key aspects will have a positive result. One of
them is student achievement. Studies show that a positive school culture will eventually lead to
students achieving more. This is just one, and I’m pretty sure the other eleven aspects will have a
desirable result.

2. Compare and contrast collaboration and contrived collegiality, then given examples for each.
Collaboration and contrived collegiality are both existing teacher cultures that is based on the
teachers working on communion. The only difference is that collaboration promotes voluntary
camaraderie while contrived collegiality is compulsorily imposed. While collaboration is the culture
that we must all strive for, remember that it is not easy to work voluntarily with people we don’t
know yet. So maybe the contrived collegiality, even though it is mandatory, it might lead to people
working voluntarily later on. An example of collaboration would be teachers sharing their teaching
strategies with their colleagues without any personal motives or gains, just pure sharing ideas to
improve teaching strategy that will result to improving student achievement. Contrived collegiality
are those administration-imposed meetings or seminars where you are tasked to worked with your
colleagues to accomplish something.

3. What are different subcultures do you observe in your school? Does it employ positive or negative
effects?
I worked in DLSJBC for two years. And within that two years, what stand outs the most is the
culture of being a family. I spent two years working with people who I considered my second
parents, Mama Cecille Paulinio and Mama Leah Tesorio, with the senior high school faculty as my
older brothers and sisters. I personally think it employed positive effects considering that I am what
I am today because of what I learned during their company. I can say that I am now a better
teacher than when I started because of them.

4. Why do you think teacher cultures receive most attention in relation to school’s improvement?
Teacher culture has received the most attention in relation to school’s improvement especially the
student achievement because of the fact that teachers spend time the most with the students.
Studies have shown that good positive teacher cultures are estimated to have two to three times
the effect than any school factor.

5. What factors differentiate on school from the other?

A lot can be said in differentiating schools from each other. But it all boils down to the differences in
school culture. All those services, facilities and even leadership differences can be summarized to
a difference in school culture.

6. “Culture is both a product and a process”. Explain in your own words.

According to Wincek, culture is a comprise of intertwining of assumptions, values, and beliefs from
which a group’s norms, practices, rituals and meaning emerged. The word that stands out there is
intertwining. Intertwining, or intertwine means to connect closely. Culture is what connects us to our
 past and what paves the way for the future. The culture we have in the present is established and a
product by people’s intertwining assumptions in the past. And no matter what generation we are in,
it will constantly be a process for the future.

7. What could be some of the reasons as to why their teachers leave their jobs?
There are a lot of reasons that can be attributed to why teachers leave their jobs. It maybe because
of health reasons, family reasons, or the most common, being overworked but underpaid. But,
based on the sentiments of my fellow teachers, all those reasons can be reconsidered. To them,
the very reason why they left their jobs is because of the existing school culture, the existing school
environment. They can manage being underpaid and overworked, but being in a toxic school
culture or environment is a big factor.

8. What can teachers do to contribute to their improvement outside the school community?
Personally, I don’t think teachers have to do more. Yes, we have the civic responsibility to our
community, but these teachers do more inside the classroom that it resonates outside the school
community. Establishing good relationships with the learners, parents and colleagues will lead to
those learners, parents and colleagues also establish good relationships with people in the
community. That one example is good enough to say that what the teachers are doing inside the
classroom can help improve the school community.

9. Cite a scenario wherein one can see the leadership of a teacher that involves in an administrative
function.
When I was in DLSJBC, I’ve encountered a lot of teacher leaders. We have our senior high school
coordinator who is also a teacher that oversees the management of the senior high school
department. We have our unit leaders, one for Grade 11 and one for Grade 12, also teachers
(classroom advisers) that helps the senior high school coordinator in the management functions.
And the learning leaders who are the heads in each learning area.

10. What makes a teacher a great leader?

By being a great teacher, one can be a great leader simply because of their ability to lead the
learners into the path of learning. That in itself is one good enough reason to say that a teacher is a
great leader. Sure, there are those leadership functions, administrative functions that a teacher can
assume, but there’s no greater leadership responsibility than leading students.

11. How does teacher leadership affect students’ achievement?

By just being a teacher in the classroom setting, one can already be called a leader. This
leadership affects the students the most because good teacher leadership can lead to good
student achievement.

12. How does collaboration benefit teachers?

By collaborating, there is a give-and-take relationship. Teachers can benefit from this because they
can gain knowledge from the experiences of other teachers. If the teacher is also an experienced
 one, he or she has the avenue to share what he or she has learned, especially for those new
teachers.

13. Why does teacher leadership include sharing best practice?

Experienced teachers have employed more than enough strategies and practices in their teaching
approach. It may be safe to say that those strategies are already battle-tested, and thus, by sharing
them to other teachers will lead to student improvement across the school. Of course, let us not
underestimate the new teachers especially in this generation because of their knowledge in the
technological aspect, which they can also share to their teachers who are what we call “digital
immigrants”.

14. The publication of Fairman and Mackenzie of their study reflects the context in which the study was
applicable. An excerpt goes, “the study concludes with the commitment of teacher leaders to
improve, about significant changes in school.” Can this statement still speak true of our teachers
and school leaders at present?
I’ve been around teachers for entirely all my life. And I can say that the commitment to improve is
stronger now than ever. We are plagued by this pandemic but despite that, teachers still are finding
ways to improve themselves to reach their learners. Those older teachers are doing their best to
adapt and learn about the technological advancements to help them in their teaching instructions.

15. Why are those teachers who take initiative in improving themselves are seen as leaders? What
makes a good leader?
Teachers who take initiative to improve themselves are seen as leaders because of the fact that
they took initiative. Taking initiative can be seen as having a calm and sound mind, that can be
able to work under pressure. That is one quality that makes one a good leader.

16. What is your definition of a teacher leader as agent of innovation?

As an agent of innovation, teacher leaders should lead the path to knowledge and skills that are
relevant to the present times. One is expected to acquire this knowledge and skills and take
initiative to share this knowledge and skills so that all students can benefit.

17. Does the current educational system provide enough support to encourage innovative practices to
take place? Why or why not?
I’ve been into a lot of webinars that focuses on innovative teaching practices so I can say that the
educational system is provided with enough support. Especially during this pandemic, a lot of a
agencies have organized training and seminars to best help the teachers still reach out to the
students even during this time.

18. As a future teacher, what are the steps that you are going to take to ensure that you will contribute
much to the development of your students?
I am going to learn as much as I can, from the tangible things like content and preparations, to
intangible things like being a good teacher leader in the classroom. I already had experience
 teaching, but I know I still have a long way. This education course is my first major step to become
a great teacher that can help contribute to the development of my future students.

19. Who are the teachers that you consider as leaders? What are their qualities?
I think every teacher I know can be considered as leaders. They each have their own strengths,
their own teaching strategies and approaches. By being around them, talking to them, can help me
greatly in my pursuit of the teaching profession.

20. As a future teacher, how will you make yourself a leader?

Contrary to others saying that it’s hard to be a leader, I can say that if I just become true to myself,
I can be a leader in my own way. I’ve been faced with a lot of leadership responsibilities and my
only secret is that I have no secret. I’m an open book thus I can be true to myself around everyone.
As a future teacher, this is a great quality considering that somehow, there are other teachers who
live double lives. They are different when they are at home and they are different when they are at
school. Yes, as a teacher, we should be able to adapt, but staying true to one’s self is also a great
adaptability skill.