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Abstract:
This explores the characteristics of the leadership between Parents and Teacher's with regard to educating students in the classroom. How teachers leadership affect classroom management and how that leadership affects parents. Especially, how the coexistence of leadership with parents and teachers affects positive results of students' performance in the classroom. This partnership requires more than one leadership model to explain all the significant decisions. Teachers and parents must corroborate and facilitate a parallel leadership if students are to improve their learning skills in the classroom.
PARALLEL LEADERSHIP BETWEEN PARENTS AND PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TEACHERS: SUCCESSFUL COEXISTENCE
Educators have experienced throughout history that trying to convince the entire world to value literacy would be a daunting project for any group, no matter how large, widespread, or powerful. However, it is hard to say just how useful power and coercion would be in such an effort anyway. A great deal of leadership, however, that is near magical ability to help others envision or realize a particular goal is unarguably essential to the task. That is the author's underlying message to all parents and teachers in all schools. Teaching in the Hillsborough County Schools as a fifth grade school teacher was a wonderful experience during the school year 2006-2007. My first step was to ensure learning and effectiveness in the classroom. I implemented my classroom management style, which I had already premeditated. I believe "Management works within the paradigm and leadership creates new paradigms. Management works within the system and leadership works on the system. You manage "things"; but you lead people. Fundamental to putting first things first in our lives is leadership before management: "Am I doing the right things?" before "Am I doing things right?" (Covey, Merrill & Merrill 1994, p. 27-28).
I have often desired a more clear and concise description of classroom management and the roles a teacher must take and demonstrate every single day, absent or not. In an effort to maintain structure and discipline in the classroom, it is suggested that the teacher implements the following rules and procedures.
1. School mission statement.
2. Students assigned seats.
3. An appropriate "DO NOW" exercise written on the board.
4. Calling out in class "NOT ALLOWED".
5. No student may leave the room without an official room pass.
6. A specific time limit imposed on the use of the pass.
7. Teachers should prepare lesson plan and have it displayed on teacher's desk during the lesson.
8. Teachers should maintain an accurate record of grades and other evidenced of student progress on a continuing basis.
9. The student's records should be readily available for examination upon request.
10. Teachers should make every effort to decorate their classrooms with examples of students work as well as other timely and appropriate materials.
11. Classroom decorations should be varied and updated on a regular basis.
12. Teachers DO NOT touch or lay hands on students.
13. No remarks made about students attire.
Additional Responsibilities in the Classroom
1. Student's rights and responsibilities.
2. Student disciplinary code.
3. Early detection of discipline problems.
4. Alternative educational programs appropriate to individual student needs.
5. Guidelines and In-service to ensure effective implementation of school policy on school conduct and discipline.
6. Rules and regulations for maintenance of public order.
All the above rules, procedures and management information are just the minimal requirements needed to effectively lead, teach and educate students in a classroom. Teacher's pedagogy skills are demonstrated everyday with every student in the classroom to ensure each individual student is learning or have learned the lesson taught in classroom. Teacher leadership roles coupled with a greater understanding of the fundamental skills, and knowledge needed must be achieved in order to fulfill their roles successfully as leaders in the classroom.
TEACHER LEADERSHIP
The authors' desire to clarify stems from having studied emerging teacher leadership roles at the teacher preparation phase in a major research university (Jasmin, 2003), and having held positions of responsibility for induction and ongoing professional development programs for teachers in adjacent school districts. Universities and states are quickly adopting changes and altering requirements for teacher preparation to ensure effective classroom management. Teachers are expected to assume leadership roles with little or no preparation (Zimpher & Howey, 1992). The complexity of the issues surrounding new roles for teachers cannot be ignored but the development of common expectations of teacher leadership roles in the classroom. Teacher preparation, induction, and ongoing professional development phases could prove to be helpful in setting higher expectations when filling leadership positions with qualified individuals. Teacher's professional development should become a continuous improvement process for classroom leadership efforts throughout many of our schools today.
Teachers throughout years have beseeched parents, guardians, single parents and surrogate parents to partner with teachers, school administrators and district school leaders to participate in schools' activities, or volunteer, visit their student's classrooms. School districts make a yeoman effort of encouraging classrooms support through parent/teacher partnership programs. Most of such efforts have been futile, however, school leaders continue to be relentless and vigilant in trying to get parents involved in their children's learning other than when they received the students' report card or called-in because of an incident at the school. Most parents, as I found through research usually visit the school, meet with their students' teachers and administrators during the first month. Otherwise, a low percentage of parents and guardians continue to involved themselves in their child/children classroom learning.
Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Districts Data (2007) demonstrated when parents and guardians participate in Elementary, Junior High and High Schools; student's classroom performance improved. Hence, classroom management is the criteria utilized by teachers effectively and leaders coupled with their pedagogy skills to enhance students learning environment.
The author recognized that any role assumed by a professional educator is influenced by local context. Thus, this article argues that basic expectations for parallel leadership between parents and teachers could become a successful coexistence. Data drawn from existing research generated during the past decade have shown positive results between parents and teachers from effective leadership in the classroom. Teaching and learning standards initiated nationwide to provide common benchmarks and consistent expectations for teachers and students and similar guideposts for teacher's classroom management styles. This article draws on the existing research to outline common expectations for parents and teachers roles within one major phase of the teacher career continuum K-12.
THE PARENT AND TEACHER CHALLENGE
Classroom management is just another way of having students following specific rules in order to get their undivided attention to learn. The beginning of each school year, teachers are hoping that they can influence parents to do the same with their child when he/she is at home after school. The coexistence of parents and teachers, since the beginning of " one room school house" has been difficult. Having parent/parents or guardian meet with teachers for a parent/teacher conference about their child or children classroom performance is a continuous struggle. Education has lost the battle but not the war on influencing parents to partner with teachers to enhance the learning of their child. Wasley (1991) offers a generic definition of teacher leadership as "the ability to encourage colleagues to change, to do things they would not ordinarily consider without the influence of the leader" (p. 170).
Additionally, Zimpher and Howey (1992) note widespread acknowledgement that the expertise and the catalyst for change has to be embedded in a continuing way at the schools. However, the common reality of staff development efforts in school districts reflects the notion that outside experts are best suited to encourage professional growth and effective classroom management (Jilek, Loadman, & Derby, 1998). This deeply-rooted habit of thinking persists despite teacher reports that the best way to go about improving the quality of their professional practice is to spend more time learning from and working with their colleagues.
Teacher's who have assumed roles created with the expectation that they will bridge the complex communication gap between parent and them through sheer determination throughout the school year are surely mistaken. Teachers should not have to keep saying to the Principal, "Aren't you at all interested in what I do half the day?" As the teacher, you are aware that your student's parents are not interested in their students' classroom performance, let alone their school year achievement. The Principal should acknowledge teachers' efforts and submit remarks to the teachers and the district, who should then share their sentiments and tireless efforts of such teachers.
During district visits, the officials walk through with the Principal and/or Assistant Principal witnessing and admiring our classroom activities, lesson plans and how the student's are behaving and on task during the lesson. In and out, within five minutes and the same goes for specialist who are touring the schools. One would hope for more collaboration specifically to demonstrate an effort to work with teachers toward professional development and instructional improvement. Such requirement demonstrates that he/she is an expert classroom practitioner who can articulate his/her beliefs about children, teaching and learning; takes risks and works at the edge of his/her knowledge (i.e., has a strong commitment to his/her own professional development and is willing to engage in bringing parents and teachers effectively together.)
ONGOING PARENT AND TEACHER COEXISTENCE
Teacher leaders from collaborative settings described their mentors and leaders as those who initiated new programs, tried new ideas, and motivated others to experiment and brainstorm solutions to teach and communicate coexistence. Teachers, in general, do share a tradition of collaboration, not only from their peers but from parents and other outsiders. As leaders on site, they could encourage and support more effective job embedded professional development ideas and incorporate it in their classroom management throughout the school year.
This article is not intended to be all-inclusive, but rather to be illustrative of the clarity necessary for better defining expectations for the parent and teacher's coexistence. A role called for teacher leaders in today's education reform efforts. There mere attempt to compose such a categorization of expectations raised a number of questions for further consideration. Just who will be responsible for providing the prerequisite needed for teachers to continue to carry out their effective classroom management successfully? Who will volunteer their time and efforts to ensure parents and teachers coexistence through communication and participation for the enhancement of their children's academic improvement and achievement? What is being done relative to the preparation of school administrators to complement and enhance teacher leadership in the classroom? Should there be prerequisites for a parallel leadership between parents and teachers in order for coexistence to effective students learning?
CONCLUSION
Teacher, leaders' classroom management styles are emerging as a result of educators and administrators seeking to improve parent and teacher relationship to improve students' performance in the classroom. The Hillsborough County School District and Pinellas County School District have implemented ongoing professional development training for tenured teachers and newly prepared teachers and administrators to participate in during the school year.
This article argues that basic expectation for teacher leadership, classroom management and parent/teacher coexistence are critical to the improvement of student's learning in the classroom throughout the school year. By continuing to have effective classroom management, courageous educators attempting to improve the partnership coexistence between themselves and parents should be successful. Thus, improving their profession could begin a common framework, a blueprint from which to embark on important work. Clearly identifying expectations for teacher leadership needed now and in the future-and determining how educators will acquire the knowledge and skills needed to assume those roles successfully-are critical steps in the continuous reform efforts to improve parents and teachers coexistence in public education in this country.
References
Covey, S.R., Merrill, R.A., & Merrill, R.R. (1994). First thing first. New York : Simon & Schuster.
Hillsborough County School District . (2007). School district geographical and students' performance data: Tampa , FL.
Jasmin, D.G. (2003). The perceived affects of teachers absenteeism in private vs. public elementary schools. Sarasota : Argosy University .
Jilek, J., Loadman, W., & Derby , L. (1998, February). Ohio 's P-12 systemic educational reform: Implications for the preparation of teachers and administrators. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, New Orleans , LA.
Pinellas County School District . (2007). School district geographical and students' performance data: Largo , FL.
Wasley, P.A. (1991). Teachers who lead: The rhetoric of reform and the realities of practice. New York : Teachers College Press.
Zimpher, N.L., & Howey, K.R. (1992). Policy and practice toward the improvement of teacher education. Oak Brook , IL : North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.
By Dr. Donald Jasmin, Professor
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Dr. Don Jasmin enjoyed expressing himself in writing and storytelling.As a student, he loved to write and read aloud to the class and/or of student’s assignment to the class.It was conceivable that he would grow up to be an author. Dr. Jasmin joined the United States Navy, where he attended Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, Illinois and majored in Business Administration and Science.After, ten years in the Navy, he was honorably discharged and attended MercyCollege in New York and majored in Elementary Education. While teaching in Bronx, New York, he Co-owned and operated a private Elementary and Middle school, “Faith Hope Charity Christian Academy,” Mount Vernon, New York.Dr. Jasmin attended HofstraUniversity, Long Island, New York then transferred to ArgosyUniversity, Sarasota, Florida and majored in Organizational Leadership in Behavioral Science and Education.
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