When I decided to take this course, I was not sure I would persist and endure to the end. I have always been afraid of exploring new things, but supervision and administration was a passion, so it was not difficult to start. However, I tend to get bored fast, so I thought I would suspend my classes to regain energy, or if that were not possible, I would just drag myself through the remaining part of the course. Nevertheless, my experience was entirely different when I started the course. I understood that a supervisor should not induce fear but act as a guide to those under them. The understanding revolutionized my attitude towards the course, as I assured myself to be a guide, not a tyrant.
In line with my newly acquired attitude, chapter seven was the most important for me and presented lessons that I resonated with most. The chapter addresses directive control behaviors (Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2018). In step three of the above, the instructional supervisor needs to listen to understand the point of view of the teacher. I was particularly interested in this step since that is where most instructional supervisors intimidate teachers. With the attitude that they are right and superior, they fail to understand why the teacher reasons in a different way. Getting to understand the teacher shifts the blame for him/her and focuses on the problem, which could be the system, administration, or students. I was also particularly interested in this chapter since I had the experience of a quite unfriendly instructional supervisor. His presence was intimidating, not only to me but including experienced teachers. I would not want to cause panic among those I supervise, as I experienced how fear makes even the most qualified teachers look incompetent. In understanding what he did wrong, I was able to avoid the same mistakes.
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A debate also arose when we learned about the new wave of evaluation systems. Is it genuinely a better option, or a hot mess? (Glickman, Gordon, & Ross-Gordon, 2018). While some people, including fellow supervisors, think it is not productive, I find the system customized to fit the needs of learners in the 21st century. The instructional supervisor needs to ensure the teacher focuses on the individual progress of students. However, there are concerns about the adequacy of training on the implementation of the new system. Rolling out a fancy system is not enough to encourage teachers to embrace it, as they do not understand its benefits yet. Instructors need to be able to compare the old and new systems and recognize the differences by themselves, as to develop intrinsic motivation to apply it. The government needs to invest in the training, not just be sending out trainers, however, by following up on the implementation at the classroom level, as well as an assessment of the same. By doing so, necessary adjustments will also be made, in terms of teacher motivation and reinforcement of the system.
The perceptions I had before I joined the course changed as I attended more classes and understood what an instructional supervisor meant practically. I had relied on theory and other peoples' experiences to form opinions, but my experience turned out more than I expected. It was also during this course that I have gained more confidence and learned to embrace diversity in educational settings. Being an instructional supervisor requires a flexible personality that adjusts to the different types of people one meets, as individuals are expected to handle all of them professionally. Thanks to the insights the course had to offer, I now know what is meant to be an instructional supervisor.
Reference
Glickman, C. D., Gordon, S. P., & Ross-Gordon, J. M. (2018). Supervision and instructional leadership: A developmental approach . Allyn & Bacon/Longman Publishing, a Pearson Education Company, 1760 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02494
