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Professional development Professional development is very important in career of every supervisor, who wants to become a leader. Professional development is also important for workers striving to be professionals and skilful workers. Supervision becomes very helpful and useful nowadays. There are three main functions of supervision: Administrative function is necessary to promote and maintain work standards, practice co-ordination with administrative bodies. It is necessary to organize smooth work of offices and establishments, including educational establishments, firms and hospitals. Educational function means development of skills and knowledge of each worker of the staff so that he will be able to realize his abilities and possibilities.
Supportive function is necessary for maintaining good and warm relations between workers. (Brown 1995) It is necessary to admit that supervision in educational sphere is of great importance, but it is faced with the problem of workers indifference or ignorance and rather often workers are nor skillful enough to perform their duties. Therefore, professional development courses or trainings try to stimulate workers to be aware of their work and to be more responsible. The first aim of educational supervision is to upgrade skills and to get rid of indifference and ignorance. It was mentioned that the classic process involved with this task is to encourage reflection on, and exploration of the work. (Brown 1995) Due to professional training supervisor become more aware of different reactions of their clients, they study to understand better the clients and the ways of interacting with them. What is more important they look at how they intervened and the consequences of their interventions. (Brown 1995) So educational supervision pays attention instrumental needs, but supportive supervision focuses on the expressive ones. It is a matter of fact that the role of supervisor is really important in professional training programs, because they provide informal education for many students.
Professional supervisor should be aware of his authority ad responsibility. In educational sphere he may act on behalf of the profession or community of practice. (Cogan 1973) Supervisor have to make students realize their duties and become qualified enough to join professional activity. Professional training programs are very popular nowadays in the whole world. Due to such programs an ordinary supervisor has the possibility to become leader. The type of leadership depends mostly on the character of supervisor, his abilities and his managerial style. It is necessary to admit such leaders as facilitator, evaluator, counselor and curriculum advisor.
All these types belong to instructional type of leader. (Ford 1987) Instructional leadership is rather different from manager or administrator. In particular instructional leadership are those actions that a principal takes, or delegates to others, to promote growth in student learning. (Cogan 1973) The priority of such leader is proper quality and he tries to realize his ideas and visions. Instructional leader leads learning and teaching communities. Supervisor, who wants to become instructional leader, must develop four main professional skills. (Cogan 1973) Firstly he has to be resource provider, because it is too little for leader to know only strong and weak points of faculty. He must provide proper work conditions for the teaching staff. Secondly, he has to be instructional resource.
It means that teaching staff should consult and ask for information about new trends and practices. Leader should be skilled in curriculum, strategies and evaluation. These points will be also discussed. (Cogan 1973) Thirdly, supervisor has to become a good communicator in order to be able to communicate about learning and current problems. Leader should think that all students can be taught and no student will be left without attention. Fourthly, instructional leader has to work out visible presence. (Ford 1987) One of the instructional leaders roles is facilitator. Such role means a definite set of functions.
Such leader before work tries to predict or to perceive the end point of his work. He authorizes the staff and tells them clearly what they should do, but he also asks where they want to go. He always put a finish to all his beginnings, but he often uses time pressures for influence. Facilitator is patient to other workers and tries to develop personal set of tools. It was mentioned that facilitator tries to listen for what is not said. (Cogan 1973) Evaluator as leader always evaluates the situation and tries to choose the best way of problem solving. He tries to evaluate people on their actions, not by their appearances.
Such leader is also patient and calm. He never hurries up with his tasks. Curriculum advisor has to give advice and to assists students. His main function is to plan the teaching program in such a way, that it will achieve academic goals. He has to solve students problems which influence study course.
He also checks students degree of studying. Finally, counselor leaders task is to advise and to assist the performance of teaching program. (Brown 1995) In conclusion it is necessary to point out several counsels how to become more professional in supervision sphere. Firstly, try to believe in all values of the service. Secondly, supervisor has to treat people honestly, fairly and respectfully. Thirdly, aim high, and get it done. But the most significant for professional development is always to deliver tasks in time.
It means that every professional supervisor has to be responsible and industrious. (Cogan 1987) Works cited Cogan, M. L. Clinical Supervision, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1973. Ford, K. and Jones, A. Student Supervision, London: Macmillan, 1987.
Brown, A. Consultation: An aid to successful social work, London: Heinemann, 1984 Brown, A. and Bourne, I. The Social Work Supervisor. Supervision in community, day care and residential settings, Buckingham: Open University Press, 1995.
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Research essay sample on Professional Development Teaching Staff
