This Week with Sara Fitts is naming 4 things every school needs in order to be a school of excellence. When educational organizations have these 4 things, excellence is the by-product for everyone involved.
The very first thing every school needs is a consistent message. It really doesn't matter so much what the message is - it has to be consistent. Consistently stated. Consistently promoted. What does the school stand for? What is the purpose? What is the mission? What is the vision? What is important here? Strategies can (and should) change. And each strategy and technique implemented in the school should support and strengthen the overall message of the school.
The next thing that every school needs is a strong commitment to teaching and learning. Some people think that this goes without saying; however, a commitment to teaching and learning is not evident in every school - believe it or not! In order to have excellence in teaching and excellence in learning, the commitment must be evident in every aspect of the school. A commitment to teaching and learning is really about finding what works and doing everything possible to support what works - for teachers and for students. It is also about continuing the search for better ways, better methods, better strategies, better techniques, better technology, better scheduling options, better support, better professional development, better practices - all on a daily basis.
The third thing that every school needs is instructional coaching. Instructional coaching should be the true catalyst for excellence in every school. The benefits of instructional coaching are infinite. Teachers and students are much moire engaged with much less stress and struggle when instructional coaching is well-implemented. And I'm not just talking about professional development sessions that spout the flavor of the week. I'm talking about instructional coaching that is built and supported by a consistent message and a strong commitment to teaching and learning. There is a huge difference (along with huge results) in the latter.
And the final thing that every school needs in order to become a school of excellence is balance. Balance between academics, athletics, co-curricular activities, and extra-curricular activities. When my sister and I each left home for college my dad gave us this message: "Remember this, girls. It's not all in the books. We expect you to study and work hard. But we also expect you to have fun and enjoy yourselves. But remember that the person in the gutter didn't plan on being there!" True words. And they apply to every school as well. There has to be a balance - sometimes even a fine line - but there has to be some fun, too. And this is true for teachers and for students.
I believe that when every school implements these 4 things, excellence for everyone is the by-product. Teachers will be happier and less-stressed. Students will have higher grades. And the school will likely raise scores in all areas.
Sara L Fitts retired from public education after 24+ years as a math teacher, high school administrator, and instructional coach. She has owned SLF Consulting since 2000 providing math tutorials, SAT and ACT prep courses, time management strategies and study skills courses. SLF Consulting is located at 8425 Dorsey Circle Suite 102 in Manassas, VA. For more information, please visit our website.
