wit h consistent feedback. For example, Boles will
sta in a struggling teacher’s classroom to demony
strate lessons, provide supportive feedback, and
vide substitutes so teachers can watch expert
pro
teachers at John Sevier or other elementary schools
in the district and throughout the region.
High visibility. The school leaders make it part of
their job to monitor and support teachers daily. “Rick
and Ginny are in our classrooms every day for five
minutes,” one teacher said. “They show me that they
appreciate my work.” Boles affirmed, “We are in every class every day, not to check up on people but
to offer them support.” Teachers feel they can ask
for any type of instructional or behavioral help—and
will be praised for doing so because relationships
are based on trust, a belief in the teachers, and a
shared vision of what the school can be.
For the leaders, visibility also means that children
know that all adults in the building care about them.
“We want every child in the building to have 100
sets of eyes on them. We know every child by face,
by name, and by their family,” Boles said.
Providing in-depth support. The strong emphasis
on relationships requires a strong support system
for teachers. For many, John Sevier is their first
teaching experience. (The staff has an average of
seven years of experience.) Teachers in their first or
second year of teaching receive coaching as part of
the educator evaluation and support system used
by the district. Coaches and school leaders frequently meet to support each other and the teacher
Video: “Supporting
Teachers” (1:59)
http://tnscore.org/scoreprize/
lessons-schools_elem2012.php
“Mentoring and Instructional
Coaching Program”
http://www.tnscore.org/scoreprize/
downloads/2012/Mentoring_and_
instructional_Coaching_Program.pdf
Treating all teachers as leaders. John Sevier Elementary rotates the composition of its leadership
team every two years. Eventually, every teacher
and staff member, including counselors, office staff,
and custodians, will serve on the leadership team
and make decisions that affect the entire school.
For example, this group helped to decide the focus
of professional development, the nature of after
school clubs, and the allocation of funds for the
playground and other initiatives. The school conveys its expectation to lead to every new employee.
Support comes through activities, such as a book
study of The Leader in Me by Stephen Covey.
Teachers feel they can ask for any type of
instructional or behavioral help—and will be
praised for doing so because relationships are
based on trust, a belief in the teachers, and a
shared vision of what the school can be.
15
Pathways to the Prize
Lessons from the 2012 SCORE Prize School Winners