Instructional Leadership in the Content Areas
Case Studies for Leading Curriculum and Instruction
- 274 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Instructional Leadership in the Content Areas
Case Studies for Leading Curriculum and Instruction
About This Book
Co-published with University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA), this textbook prepares aspiring educational leaders for the important and challenging task of supporting instruction in their schools. Instructional Leadership in the Content Areas equips leadersâwho might not have content backgrounds that align with those of the teachers they superviseâwith research-based practices and knowledge specific to a range of subject areas. Presenting over 20 problems-based cases at the elementary, middle, and high school levels and across seven areas of content, this book deepens knowledge of exemplary instruction, improves feedback dialogues, and helps leaders work effectively alongside teachers and instructional specialists. Rich with activities, resources, and discussion questions, this casebook provides a broad overview of instructional leadership and the tools for school leaders to improve and support classroom practices across all content areas in intentional ways that support career-long professional growth.
Case facilitation notes are available here: www.routledge.com/9781138578845
Frequently asked questions
Information
Chapter 1
Introduction: The Importance of Strengthening Instructional Leadership
The Importance of Instructional Leadership
The main underlying assumption [of instructional leadership] is that instruction will improve if leaders provide detailed feedback to teachers, including suggestions for change. It follows that leaders must have the time, the knowledge, and the consultative skills needed to provide teachersâin all the relevant grade levels and subject areasâwith valid, useful advice about their instructional practices. While these assumptions have an attractive ring to them, they rest on shaky ground, at best; the evidence to date suggests that few principals have made the time and demonstrated the ability to provide high-quality instructional feedback to teachers. (p. 11)
When I first got [to the elementary level], I could not tell you what the five components of literacy were. I know them now. When they would do guided reading, I didnât know what to look for ⌠So it was much more difficult to talk about intervention or about targeted learning for students because I didnât know what the targets were. Iâm better at that, but itâs still difficult. I could walk into a science room and know right away whether or notâat a high schoolâwhether they were at the right level of rigor, and now I have to go and look every time. Even then, I canât tell you, is this a prerequisite skill or is this their final learning area because I donât know how literacy development progresses as innately.
With math, I can give you feedback not only on instruction Iâm seeing, but also on instructional content, on the mistakes that are made, on misconceptions the kids are having about the content, or misconceptions the teacher doesnât know the kids will have ⌠I can actually look at the question right away and say, âOK, that was a good question.â But Iâm not able to do that with social studies. Iâm not able to know when the teacher is teaching the content in the right way.
I think [school leaders] mostly would focus on strategies that they could see were being used that werenât necessarily about the language. You know, theyâd see youâre using collaboration among your students or youâre giving student choice on this area, or, âI liked how the students were volunteering answers,â that sort of thing. It just didnât have anything to do with language in particular. Or even language-specific strategiesâI think they wouldnât have recognized them.
I havenât gone in[to] a math and science room yet because they kind of intimidate me, and Iâve been kind of telling myself Iâve got toâI need to start doing it so I can see. But math and science were, as a student, my weak areas, and so certainly I donât know about the best ways to teach math. All I know about math instruction is what I got as a student, which was 20 years ago, you know. It was definitely sit-and-get, you know, and âHere, work these problems, and work these problems for homework.â
There has got to be a level of trust there between the administrator and the teacher because itâs very easy for that teacher to not want to accept feedback from someone who doesnât have experience with that grade level or that content areaâŚ. I was always hesitant ⌠to provide feedback for subject areas that I donât know anything about.
I was in there teaching my little first-year teacher heart out, and after the class I walked up to her because you know, she took her notes and she left and walked out. So, I went and found her and I was like, âWas it okay?â and she told me that I was one of the best first-year teachers sheâd ever seen. I said, âThank you,â and I was so [disappointed] ⌠Because all I wanted in the world was to know how to deliver the instruction to my students so they could be successful ⌠and [she] just said it was good. Theyâre like, âThis is great for you. My expectation has been met. This is fine,â and Iâm like, âNo. Itâs not good enough.â The hardest thing for me was realizing the disparity between what I was able to do for my students and what they actually needed, and I wanted someone to help me bridge that gap and thatâs just not what I got that day. It was very disheartening.
Standards for School Leadership
Challenges of Instructional Leadership
Table of contents
- Cover
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Table of Contents
- List of contributors
- Foreword by Michelle D. Young
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- 1. Introduction: The Importance of Strengthening Instructional Leadership
- Part I: Elementary School
- Part II: Middle School
- Part IIIÂ Â Â Â Â High School
- Part IV: Whole-School Cross-Disciplinary Efforts
- Index