School Leadership BED234

Course B.Ed Semester – 4

UNIT – 2 SCHOOL EFFECTIVENESS AND SCHOOL MANAGEMENT

1) School effectiveness -meaning and its assessment

The concept ‘effectiveness’ refers to an organization accomplishing its specific objectives.
School effectiveness therefore means ‘the school accomplishes its objectives’. School
effectiveness can therefore be regarded as a distinct characteristic of an effective school. School
Effectiveness is the criteria to find strengths, needs, goals, priorities of School. School
Effectiveness is based on student performance to ensure academic excellence, school
infrastructure ,classroom organization, professional training of teachers, teaching strategies ,
learning arrangements ,use of latest technology in classrooms and examination results.
School Effectiveness can be measured by evaluating these parameters –
a) A strong, purposeful and involved principal
b) cooperation between principal and teachers and among teachers
c) Effective teaching and learning with variety of teaching methods and strategies
d) Effective evaluation and monitoring
e) Focused professional Development
f) Effective Co-curricular activities including sports
g) The effective use of ICT and in teaching and learning
h) Effective Counseling of students because emotional stability facilitates effective learning.
i) Student self-discipline
j) Positive Learning Environment

2. UNDERSTANDING & DEVELOPING STANDARDS OF EDUCATION

Educational standards define the knowledge and skills students should possess at a specific stage
in their educational career. Standards serve as a basis of educational reform across the nation as
educators and policy makers design them according to desired outcomes and student success.
National, state and local educators play an important role in improving student learning through
development and implementation of standards throughout the country. Education standards are
written descriptions of what students are expected to know and be able to do at a specific stage of
their education. They describe educational objectives—i.e., what students should have learned by
the end of a course or grade level.

Development of Educational standards

Types of Education Standards-
1. Subject Standards - Educational standards are often developed by the national
organizations supporting those specific disciplines.
2. Teaching Standards - Many national organizations (NCTE & NUEPA) are working to
develop standards to assist educators in improving curriculum, instruction, assessment,
educator preparation and professional development.
3. Curriculum Standards - These describe what learners are expected to learn at particular
stages in their education. National curriculum standards appear in different forms and
cover a wider range of subjects. In order to know how far curriculum standards are being
achieved, it is necessary to have assessments designed to measure performance of
students.

Benefits of Educational Standards-

1. They give information about what has been achieved at a particular stage of education
and how it can be compared with other achievements.
2. They provide feedback to learners and teachers.
3. They enable students to know what they are expected to understand and teachers to know
what to teach.
4. They help in reformation of testing, teacher education, improved teaching practices, and
proper allocation of resources.
5. They give us ideas about strengths and shortcomings, and makes suggestions for
improvement.
6. Focus the education system on understandable, objective, measurable, and well-defined
goals to enable schools to work smarter and more productively.
7. Reinforce the best teaching and educational practices.
 8. They ensure better accountability – holding teachers and schools responsible for what
goes on in the classrooms.
9. They help in planning, implementation, and assessment of student learning.
10. They maintain quality of Education

4. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Classroom management refers to the wide variety of skills and techniques that teachers use to
keep students organized, orderly, focused, attentive, on task, and academically productive during
a class. Classroom management is a process that allows teachers to control the learning and
direction of their classroom. Teachers use classroom management to keep students focused on
learning and preventing disruption from slowing the learning process. Since classroom
management keeps classes on track and prevent disruptions from slowing down the learning
process, it’s one of the most fundamental aspects of high quality education.
Classroom management Techniques are -
1) Positive relationship between teachers and students along with students and students
2) Motivation and Reinforcement
3) Always welcome and appreciate feedback from students
4) Good classroom management is a vital component of ensuring students reach their full
academic potential
5) When teachers can effectively control the direction and behavior of a classroom, students
are likely to achieve improved academic results.
6) Increases meaningful academic learning and facilitates social and emotional growth.
7) Decreases negative behaviors and increases time spent academically engaged.
8) Promote active learning and student involvement.
9) Exhibiting appropriate levels of cooperation
10) Provide Flexible Learning Goals
11) Talk informally with students before, during, and after class about their interests.
12) Make eye contact with each student to scan the entire room as they speak and by freely
moving about all sections of the room.
13) Allow and encourage all students to participate in class discussions and interactions.
4. EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION-
Effective communication is defined as verbal speech or other method of conveying information
in a clear and understanding way, and making sure that information is received and understood
properly. Excellent teachers are able to transmit not only knowledge but they can communicate
skills and values. For a teacher, it is not just important to give a quality lecture but it is more
important for the presentation of a lesson or lecture in class. Communication skills for teachers
are thus as important as their in-depth knowledge of the particular subject which they teach.

Following are some of the communication skills that a teacher must possess so that they
interact properly with the students –
1. Positive Motivation - This is one of the important things that a teacher must possess. In a
class, students always have different kinds of taste and preferences over subjects. So it is
the job of the teacher to create enthusiasm and interest in the minds of the students
towards a subject. It is also a teacher’s role to remove any fear that a student may have
towards a subject.
2. Effective Body Language - This is the most powerful communication skill that a teacher
must possess. Good presentation skills include a powerful body language supported by
verbal skills. This can create a long lasting impression in the minds of the students and
lectures will become more interactive and interesting for the students. Besides, a teacher
should maintain the volume, tone and rhythm of their voice during a lecture.
3. Sense of Humor - The importance of this factor has been regularly underestimated. A
good sense of humor keeps the students active and interested in the teacher’s class.
4. Understanding the Students - Teachers should encourage students to communicate
openly. There should be emphasis on cultivating a dialogue rather than a monologue. So
while solving any kind of problems in the classroom, it is always wise to hear the
opinions of the students also.
5. Team Formation - This is a good method where you can divide the classroom into small
teams and ask them to solve different problems or complete assignments. This practice
will increase not only the interaction among the students but also among the teacher and
students.
 6. Technical Skills - It is also important that teachers should be up to date with all the latest
teaching aids like computers, video conferencing and especially the use of internet. This
will also help the students to keep up their interest in the learning process.

5.Motivational Skills-
Motivation is a key factor in students’ success at every stage of their education, and teachers play
a pivotal role in providing and encouraging it. For a classroom full of students enthusiastic about
learning, working hard, and pushing themselves to excel. For that reason, providing motivation is
a skill that all teachers must develop. Here are some practical ways for teachers to practice that
skill and motivate their students:
1. Be enthusiastic about your subject: A teacher’s enthusiasm is a crucial factor in student
motivation. If students see that their teacher is happy to be in the classroom and excited
about teaching them, they will learn by example. Therefore, share your enthusiasm and
passion for your subject.
2. Create a pleasant, relaxed and enjoyable environment: A classroom is a great place
for learning, but sitting at a desk day in day out can make school seem a bit dull for some
students. Move around and interact with your students.
3. Use achievable and relevant materials: It is essential for you to know what the most
effective approach to teaching the language is and what activities are suitable for a given
group of learners. The teaching material must be relevant to the students.
4. Have high but attainable expectations for your students: Research has shown that a
teacher’s expectations have a powerful effect on a student’s performance. If you act as
though you expect your students to be motivated, hardworking, and interested in the
course, they are more likely to be so.
5. Help students set achievable goals for themselves: Failure to attain unrealistic goals
can disappoint and frustrate students. Encourage students to focus on their continued
improvement, not just on their grade on any one test or assignment.
6. Vary teaching methods: A teacher must be creative and flexible. It is not worth going to
a class where the teacher simply follows a few notes or a text to the letter, simply reading
it.
 7. Make students active participants in learning: It is extremely important for students to
feel that they are valued members of a learning community. They are more likely to learn
by doing, making, writing, designing, creating, solving than just by listening to a lecture.
When students participate in a lesson, they are more interested in it.
8. Give students a sense of control and responsibility: Assigning students classroom jobs
is a great way to build a community and to give students a sense of motivation. Most
students will see classroom jobs as a privilege rather than a burden and will work hard to
ensure that they, and other students, are meeting expectations.
9. Work from students’ strengths and interests: Knowing your students has many
benefits, one of the most important being that it allows you to relate classroom material to
things that students are interested in or have experienced.
10. Be caring and supportive: Students must feel the teacher is caring and supportive, and
that he/she respects their values and opinions.

7. Learner centered Education

Learner centered Education as its name indicates ensures active learning, student engagement
and other strategies that involve learners. This education focuses on skills and practices that
enable lifelong learning and independent problem-solving. It is based on constructivist learning
theory that helps learner in constructing meaning from new information and its relationship with
prior experience.
1) Learner-centered Education include active learning, in which students solve problems,
answer questions, formulate questions of their own, discuss, explain, debate, or brainstorm
during class.
2) Learner-centered teachers teach students how to think, solve problems, evaluate evidence,
analyze arguments, generate hypotheses—all those learning skills essential to mastering
material in the discipline.
3) Learner-centered teaching encourages students to reflect on what they are learning and how
they are learning it.
4) Learner-centered teaching motivates students.
5) Learner-centered teaching encourages collaboration.
6) The main focus is on the needs, skills, and interests of the learner. Learner-centered is often
accompanied by a problem-based approach, where the problems are picked so as to fit the
interests and needs of the learners.
7) Learner-centered teaching creates experiences that ignite curiosity and develop passion in
learners.
8) Learner-centered Education is Inquiry-based i.e. It motivates learners to seek answers to
questions that they are genuinely interested in figuring out.
9) Learner-centered Education helps in active exploration, construction, and learning rather than
the passivity of lecture attendance and textbook reading.
10) Learner-centered Education includes cooperative learning, in which students work in teams
on problems and projects.