THE ROLES OF THE SENIOR TEACHER AND HEADS OF DEPARTMENT IN HIGH SCHOOLS.

 ROLES FOR HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND SENIOR TEACHERS

JOB PURPOSE

To supervise and teach in the specified subject /sessions in order to ensure delivery of quality education

What is management in teaching.

Involves planning, coordination, organization, directive and control of the teaching activities.

Involves coordination of staff in order to achieve set goals and objectives

Involves controlling Staff and decision making

Is how an educational institution looks at its affairs

Is the process of managing information through people

Is the act of getting work done through others

Involves influencing, controlling and directing in order to achieve the institution goals

Involves planning, organizing, directing, controlling, supervising, coordinating, motivating, monitoring and evaluation, material and human resources

What is administration?

Involves in the effective implementation of procedures, systems, processes and supervision and control and production activities. Management of records and information, human resources

The process of running and organization

The process of effectively administering the entire organization

Involves decision making, pertaining the issues of the institution in order to attend the objectives and goals

Involves effective of institution rules and regulations

Roles involve, but not limited to, the following: 

SCHEME AND RECORDS OF WORK 

Monitors regularly the preparation of the schemes and records of work to ensure the proper implementation of teaching programmes.

Schemes

Records of work 

Lesson plans

Class lists 

Tally sheet /SEN/OVC

Tests

Home work

Assessment charts

Time tables 

Syllabus 

Remedial work

Professional adviser to the Deputy and Headteacher 

TEACHING AND LEARNING

Ensures the availability of both teaching and learning materials in a particular subject in order to facilitate effective teaching and learning.

Stock book

Text books

Teachers’ guides

Equipment

Ordering of teaching and learning aids

Reviewing of books

Issuing teaching and learning materials

Care of school property

Carry out stock taking of materials and apparatus at the beginning and end of each term

Assist in the preparation of teaching and learning aids.

PROFESSIONAL AND ORIENTATION MEETINGS

Plans and co-ordinates regularly professional meetings for serving teachers and timely orientation for new teachers in order to enhance standards of teaching and keep teachers abreast with new development.

Research contemporary pedagogy  

Demo Lessons 

Sprint activities 

SBCPD

Recommendation for study

SUPERVISION AND MONITORING

Teachers’ supervision and evaluation are essential and complementary functions, although they present distinctive characteristics (Glickman et al., 2008; Nolan & Hoover, 2004; Pawlas & Oliva, 2007). Supervision represents an organizational duty that promotes professional development, perfecting teaching practice and more learning and success for the student. Being of procedural nature, it has its basis on research-action and it configures ecological, cooperative and formative activities. As such, each teacher can exercise supervision duties, regardless of his/her duties in the organizational structure.  

In turn, teachers’ evaluation is an organizational duty that accomplishes an overall formal assessment of teacher’s competence and performance. Evaluation makes sure that each teacher’s performance in the system reveals a minimum level of competence, taking into account the student’s success. The converging duties of evaluator, specialist and decision-maker are based on national-level criteria, as well as on objectives and targets stated by each school, within its pedagogical autonomy framework. Hence, the evaluator exercises duties of global assessment for each teacher, including class observation. Unlike supervision, the relationship between the evaluator and the evaluated is hierarchical, exercised by teachers appointed for that purpose.  

HOD, Therefore, Supervises and monitors effectively teachers and provides advice on subjects. 

Lesson observation

SPRINT activities

Tests 

Class/individual time tables

Rotas 

Co-curricular activities 

Checking of the absenteeism /punctuality of teacher /pupils

Checking of written activities

Checking preparation files

Checking on classroom rules.

Conflict resolution

Guidance and counselling

Enforcing Discipline

Link / communication  

Quality management

GROUP DISCUSSION

Why should the HOD carry out each of the above activities?

TEACHING

Teaches effectively in order to impart the relevant knowledge, skills and attitudes using child centred methods.

Own class

Teaching a class whose teacher is absent

Preparing adequately 

Marking

Making teaching aids 

Management and administration tasks and aspects that HODs do

Formulation of strategic plan and budgeting

Formulation of a discipline code

Implementation and Interpretation of government policy – e.g. re-entry policy 

Enforce code of conduct

Management of finances at departmental level

Enforcing Students code of conduct

Making departmental work plan

Making institution work plan

Record keeping

Budgeting

Programming of works

Organizational structure

Job descriptions

Job evaluation processes

Compensation programs

Class room mgt.

Lesson plans

Schemes of work etc.

School health programs, e.g. food provision

Assessments

GROUP DISCUSSION

Why should the HOD have a class to teach? 

Perform any other duties as Deputy and Headteacher may direct from time to time.

SOURCES OF AUTHORITY

Position 

Training

Natural wisdom

Note: the opposite of the above QUALITIES OF A GOOD HOD 

An ideal HOD must have the following professional and inter-personal qualities:

Good listener 

Good researcher

Good communicator (eloquent speaker, ict wizard, 

Good record keeper

Follow up addict

Submissive 

Assertive 

Protective 

Cultured, mannerism, 

Creative 

Foresight/forecasting 

Warm hearted / charismatic

Punctual 

Ethical/Professional 

Knowledgeable 

Prompt to complete assigned tasks

Self motivated 

Self supervised 

Sacrifice 

Critical thinking

Empathy 

Preparedness 

Confidant 

Analytical 

Accountability

Dependability

Presentable

Resourceful 

Availability 

Suggestible (not conceited, insolent, I know it all, accept divergent views)

Integrity 

Honest 

Social   

Role model. Remove what’s in your eye before doing so for others 

THE opposite qualities are the undesirable qualities of an HOD

GROUP DISCUSSION

Why should the HOD poses the above qualities?

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

School improvement means the school is capable of learning to do something new with more positive results.

Schools that foster a learning orientation among their staff and student is more likely to bring about development/ improvements.

HODs need to implement policies and structures  which enhance the School improvements 

HODs can foster colleagueship and participative decision  making among staff.

Such collaboration increase the capacity to cope with changes or to resist undesirable ones.

ROLES OF THE HOD IN SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT 

To ensure success HODs should

Allow stakeholders to interact during problem-solving and come up with shared opinions.

Take active role in initiating and responding to desired changes and improvements.

Involve the staff during planning of desired improvements.

Leave room for risk taking and errors as staff learn new skills.

Be aware of the need for improvements by analysing their observation profile SEL.

Write commitment to try new ideas 

Afford opportunities to experiment with suggested improvements.

Afford opportunities to discuss problems and solutions.

Expose TEACHERS to values approaches that promote change

Challenges

LACK OF RESOURCES

Financial and human resources

Planning events

Too many meetings not funded

Political interference

No capacity building

Brain drain

Poor attitude towards work

Low salaries

Teachers discipline

Human resource inertia

Poor communication between head teachers and management

Lack of teaching and learning materials

Less man power (vocational skills)

Absenteeism

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