When it comes to being an instructional leader, certain characteristics are essential for one to be successful. Many people may have their own ideas about what these characteristics are, but there are a few that stand out among the rest. In order for schools to be successful, they need good instructional leaders at the helm! Learn about what are the good characteristics of instructional leaders.
Good Instructional Leaders Value Peer-to-peer Learning
Good instructional leaders understand the value of peer-to-peer learning and instruction, so they routinely promote opportunities for coaching and observation. Through these activities, teachers can build their individual skills and learn from one another. One way to do this is by organizing groups of teachers to observe one another teach a lesson in their classrooms while focusing on different aspects such as content delivery or class management techniques.
The engagement between teachers not only enhances the professional development culture but also allows more students to experience more varied instruction styles. Good instructional leaders strive to make sure that everyone benefits — both teacher and student — when promoting peer coaching and observation opportunities.
Good Instructional Leaders Encourage A Growth Mindset
Good instructional leaders understand the importance of teaching their students to develop a growth mindset, and they actively encourage it by maintaining reflection in their classrooms. Reflection activities help students to identify patterns in their own learning experiences, which in turn gives them the power to become autonomous learners who know how to self-monitor and adjust their approaches for sustained progress. It also improves student motivation when they gain the confidence to take ownership of their learning journeys.
Good Instructional Leaders Take time to Reflect
Good instructional leaders make time for regular reflection activities, bringing purposeful awareness and mindfulness into the classroom environment. There are two primary excuses offered for leaders who do not reflect and those are time and process. For time, the reality is that we have time for what we value. Leaders that do not have the time, simply have not protected that time because of prioritization. In considering process, every school leader should go through a needs assessment process as it forces reflection using both quantitative and qualitative data.
Good Instructional Leaders Understand Resilience
Instructional leaders know that resilience is one of the keys to success. Not only can it help individuals cope with and overcome adversity, but it can also lead to better learning outcomes and more successful educational programs. A good instructional leader knows this and works hard to build resilience among their staff, students, and other members of the school community. They provide training on constructive coping skills and stress management, as well as other elements that lead to greater resilience like positive relationships, self-efficacy, autonomy, positive emotionality, problem-solving skills and relationship building. This helps create a healthier school environment in which instructional leaders can foster academic excellence.
Good Instructional Leaders Value Both Content and Comprehension
Good instructional leaders understand that in order to be successful, content is important but so is comprehension. It is not enough for students to learn the information, they must also understand how and why it has value. Instructional leaders strive to provide an environment where students can gain a wealth of knowledge on a subject as well as use that knowledge for practical application.
With thoughtful guidance and effective teaching strategies, instructional leaders are able to ensure their students are fully understanding what they are learning. Furthermore, effective instructional leadership creates an environment where learners can go beyond mere comprehension and be thoroughly engaged in the lesson material.