Course 10: Supervisory Policy and Practice

Supervisory policy and practice was the first  was the first course where I really started to use tasks to evaluate the education through an administrators lens. I started to think more critically about the things we were doing in my school. The activities we did supported this new way of thinking. The first assignment that helped me evaluate our processes from an administration perspective was the evaluation critique. I have always been frustrated with elements of our evaluation process. I had never sat down and outlined what I liked and what I did not like. Nor had I even taken the time to really understand why we had to complete this long, tedious process. That was because I had only ever thought of evaluation from my a teachers perspective. As I started to examine our divisional evaluation policy, I started to see why certain elements are included in the formal process of evaluation. Even though I still may not agree with all the elements, I have a more well rounded understanding why it is such a thorough process.

Another major assignment for this course was our action research project. I was dreading this assignment, as it seemed like it would be very challenging. However, once I got into the project, it was really interesting to gather data, synthesize information, and present the themes that emerged from my interviews. I also learned a lot about leadership by interviewing four unique stakeholders. One of my participants, shared a lot of information about the challenges facing administrators who want teachers to grow in their professional capacity. He spoke at length about the difficulties of fostering a culture where professional growth is the norm. These conversations were extremely valuable in advancing my understanding of evaluation and more importantly promoting teacher growth and development from an administration standpoint. 

The most practical takeaway for me from this course was the creation of my own supervision philosophy. This course, and this assignment in particular, will serve me well as I begin my journey into educational administration. I will need to ensure that I make time to give supervision and evaluation the attention it needs if I am going to leverage my the process of evaluation to positively impact students. I am excited to apply the theoretical concepts that I have developed through this course, in my professional practice.