I would like to challenge the notion that school leaders should be the sole instructional expert in a school. Whilst the Principal and other senior leaders need to know what good teaching practice looks like and what constitutes ‘good enough’, it is not realistic nor is it likely to be the most effective approach for them to be the sole providers of this feedback to teachers. Researchers (Hattie, 2012) suggest that it is more effective to have teachers working collaboratively and for very high effect, using a coaching approach in how they support each other.
This coaching approach is supported by the Australian Professional Standards for Principals and the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) providing many resources to help. Refer http://www.toolkit.aitsl.edu.au/category/coaching-mentoring.
Leaders play a significant role in leading instruction; however, it is when teachers work collaboratively with peers, incorporating data collected through peer observation and following up with regular and sophisticated collegial coaching conversations, that we see the most impact on teaching practice. This impacts directly on outcomes for students.
There are occasions where the Principal may be the best placed, if not the only person in the school that is qualified to do this. As a Principal of eighteen years myself, I was the only appropriate person available to do this in some schools I led, particularly small rural schools with a staff of very inexperienced teachers.
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