Recently attended a two-day workshop on what constitutes effective teaching and how we, as administrators, can identify it, encourage it, and improve toward a better environment for our students. Overall, I feel refreshed when I come out of a workshop like this because I can see many of the things we do at Vermilion Outreach being affirmed by the research.

In summary, many researchers found that teachers are very important to student learning. One study out of Australia suggests that the teacher accounts for 30% of the influence accounting for student achievement. The same study says this is second only the student himself which accounts for about 50%. Items such as peers, home and school vary each between 5% to 10%.

What was surprising was what did not matter: level of teacher certification did not affect student success, level of advanced degrees, and neither did the extensiveness of classroom experience. Teachers in their first three years of teaching were not as effective but they did improve. After 5 years there was no distiction between teachers.

Factors that could be measured in effective teachers were things such as knowledge of their subject areas (but did not require doctoral level knowledge) and pedagogical knowledge. Teachers who had many skills in the techniques of teaching resulted in improvement in student achievement.

There were intangibles. Items that lead to high student achievement:

• teachers who had a belief that all students could learn
• belief in their own abilities as teachers
• ability to connect with students
• teachers who strive to continue to grow, to improve, to learn

I always question my role as an administrator after workshops like this. Based on what I have learned, what can I do to make sure my school and my staff remain effective and help our students? I see my role as a principal in two modes: some who makes sure the staff have what they need to do their jobs, to provide the right environment and support and the role to guide them in the direction I see for the school. These roles can be at odds and complimentary. They are most at odds when the staff disagree with me on the direction I see for the school.

Fortunately, our strength as a school is connection with the students. We also are constantly working to learn and improve our craft. I also believe we are very knowledgeable about the courses we offer. I am fortunate to have specialists who provide teaching for courses that I am not well versed in. This may be an area of growth for our school with such a small staff. We will certainly be working to learn more skills in working with our students and supporting them.