1. What are your strengths that are most helpful to staff (teachers)?
The strengths that I have that are most helpful to staff (teachers) are helping them to calm down, helping them see their own good qualities, helping them to put their ideas into action, and helping them motivate their students.
You may ask how is it that I have the ability to help the teachers clam down when they are upset and out of control. Well, because I have learned how to “step aside” when I have felt myself getting upset and this is when things get out of control. By my own trial and error I have become a master of being clam and can pass this on to them.
Many teachers can not see their own good qualities because sure enough we are our own worst critic. Because I am on the outside looking in I can give them encouragement and support to help them bring out their good qualities that I see in them.
Some teachers have terrific ideas but are not sure how to get them up and running so as I listen to their ideas I give them advice on how to put their ideas into action because I know that by implementing their ideas into our program it makes our entire educational team run smoother.
Finally, I give assistance in helping with the motivation of their students. This is done by letting them bring new ideas to their teaching and the learning style of their individual students.
I ask them to sit back and take notes and observe the way that their students learn; which some learn in different ways. Some are hands on and some are visual learners and with this information they have the necessary keys to motivate their students to wan to learn.
By using my supervision skills in the areas stated above I have “invited and required conscientious, creative, and dedicated performance” from my teachers. (Bruno, 2009)
2. What additional skills would you like to gain?
The additional skills that I would like to gain are to incorporate more staff professional development for my teachers because it is required for my program to stay accredited per the NAEYC of 2006.
I would also like to gain additional skills in the area of dealing with “the unwilling employee, who does not take responsibility for her own actions.” Employees of this caliber tend to blame every other teacher, child or parent for the cause of their problems. (Bruno, 2009)
I would also like to gain additional skills in helping my new teachers who are “at the survival stage” of teaching to gain the tools that they need to succeed and remain in the teaching profession beyond their first three years of teaching.
These first three years are critical for the teacher “at the survival stage”. I have noticed that the new teachers leave the teaching field because of “the demands of the job: parents’ needs, classroom management issues, required documentation, lack of planning time, and children who require one – on – one care.” (Bruno, 2009)
Finally, I would like to gain additional skills in the area of helping my teachers “build partnerships with families” that they serve. So I too will have to attend professional developmental meeting that are geared for directors that have workshops that highlight the topic that I have mentioned above. By taking steps to enhance my supervisory skills I can say with a loud clear voice that “supervision is many things: a vision, commitment, style, system, and a relationship!!” (Bruno, 2009)