When considering the various characteristics that comprise elements of an effective school, there are plenty of pieces within a school and ایران آموزشگاه بانک اطلاعات مراکز آموزشی system to pull such inspiration from.
One could consider the administrative level of a school, faculty/staff (involvement, professionalism, relationships with students), assessment, student involvement, parents, community members, extra-curricular programming, the physical layout of a school, resources available, volunteers, finances, or location – the list goes on, depending on your perspective.
Not one of these characteristics is any more or less important than the others; however many may vary in prevalence across the spectrum, depending on the school being considered. One characteristic that I think is apparent in an effective school is when staff (teachers, admin, and support staff) are team-oriented;
By this I mean staff enthusiastically participate in PLCs, volunteer their time to the school and students, involve parents and community members, and support each other and the school environment via various interest committees.
By teachers, admin, and support staff participating in committees with each other, they are building their collegial relationships and act as resources for each other through the exchange of ideas and planning processes that happen as they work towards a common goal.
This is also important for communication between staff; the more information made aware to staff, the more knowledgably they can inform parents and students and in turn, receive respect as professionals from the community surrounding the school.
By having staff who are able to share ideas and plan together effectively (always with the students’ best interests in mind!), it is my impression that students would be able to enjoy school more as an academically and socially fulfilling place. School becomes a place where they can learn in a positive, supportive academic environment, and build relationships as they grow socially.
Another characteristic of an effective school is a school that is student-centred. It is extremely important that teachers, admin, and support staff are aware as their role(s) in the school systems as more than a job; we are mentors, caregivers, and are present to support children as we give them the tools they need for success throughout their academic years, and tools that they carry throughout their entire lives.
This is evident in classrooms where teachers practice more than the “stand and deliver” teaching methods; instead they switch up activities and materials each day to address the various learning styles and abilities present in their classroom. This is also evident as administration addresses the importance of these, providing staff with resources in approaching these practices when teaching and interacting with students.
Teachers who take personal inventory of students (interest in them outside of their grades and in-class time) by getting to know their students through informal conversations at school are also important in establishing relationships with students that enable trust and approachability.
Whether a school has an abundance of money or very limited funds, the effectiveness of a school can be greater than any monetary value that a school can hold on its resources; this is by having staff who is innovative and creative with what resources they do have, knowing how to use these within the dynamics of their classroom.
Schools can have reputable and highly priced learning programs, but if staff cannot adapt their materials to each of their individual students in a way that works for the entire class, such programs aren’t very effective. An ability to reach each of your students – no matter the fancy resources or limited amount of them – shows that a staff has taken the time to innovatively plan to work the curriculum around each students’ needs to meet objectives and to develop student confidence in learning.
Assessment can be another characteristic of effective schools; staff can use assessment not only to see how students are scoring in comparison with other schools (or provinces, etc.), but also to self-reflect on themselves. Assessments on students show teachers what objectives they could be spending more time on while teaching; this could show admin more about the various learning needs in their schools and how to assist teachers in attaining the resources needed to address these.
Using assessments as cues for improved teaching methods are effective for students (academically – grades and learning confidence), teachers (learning to teach more effectively), and for parents (having confidence in their child’s teacher as self-reflecting and striving to improve to meet the learning needs in the classroom).