Bio
Antwuan Stinson is an the assistant principals at Monroe County High School. I bring expertise in Secondary Education as well as working with assistive technologies with teachers. In addition to working with participants, Antwuan has also increased the amount of content in teaching with technology with Dallas County School District. I presented at the various conferences and workshops concerning teacher effectiveness, teacher leadership, and instructional strategies. Bringing over 20 years of education experience, most recently served as the Coordinator of the Teacher Leadership Program at Alabama State University in Montgomery, AL. During my tenure at Alabama State University, I implemented professional development programs to encourage faculty members to integrate technology into their university curricula, designed interdisciplinary, technology-rich projects, and taught students in grades 7-12. I have 18 years of experience as a middle school and high school teacher. I completed a B.S. in chemistry from Alabama A&M University, Ma.Ed in chemistry education from University of Alabama in Birmingham, Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Policy, and Law, and Ma Ed. in Instructional Leadership/Administration from Alabama State University, Montgomery, AL; I conducted workshops as a technology integration specialists in Dallas County Public School, presented at national and local conferences such as the AAPEL Conference and the National Association for the Advancement of Minority Professors.
My research interests are effective instructional strategies in secondary schools, incorporating 21st century skills in the classroom, and improving student learning outcomes in urban and rural Alabama schools. A leader leads by example, thus, providing avenues for collaboration among teachers, across subject areas, and grade levels. This will create learning community for listening to the needs of others, identifying vital components within the curriculum, identifying differentiation for similar student characteristics, and exploring exemplary teaching strategies for all teachers. As the new common core standards become part of every school Alabama and American schools, instructional leaders will need to align fiscal resources to support needs of instruction, ensure each teacher adopts college and career-ready aligned standards in all subject areas, use school data to close education gap, prepare each student to have the knowledge and skills needed to enroll and succeed in higher education without remediation, and apply core academic skills to real-world situations through collaboration with peers.
It is important to understand and discuss the paradigm shift in education within the professional community. Restructuring a culture within school starts from recruitment to selection to induction to support and evaluation; they all need to be viewed as the core work of the principal. Teacher selection is one of the most important decisions administrators will make. The interview is only part of the selection process. Determine what will make up the other criteria for selecting the best candidate. Some ideas include asking the teacher to teach a lesson or submit a video of a lesson and determining how this lesson will be evaluated. If a portfolio is used, how will it be evaluated?
Identifying well-prepared teachers and providing mentoring and support will result in a much greater likelihood that student achievement will increase significantly. An administrator who is an educational leader knows that teacher recruitment and selection are crucial ingredients for an effective school. However, if the structure and culture of the school remains the same, bringing new individuals into that environment is more likely to change the people that the environment.
Peer mentoring and coaching are key strategies that can ensure the success of beginning teachers. Evaluating teachers and measuring their performance and how been to do so is a controversial issue throughout the nation. It must be approached legally, systematically, and collaboratively in order to be effective. It should exist to create structures and cultures by which current educators continuously improve both their individual and collective professional practice.
The future of the world has always rested on the shoulders of the next generation as future leaders, and each community must invest in successive planning in the young people. It is the educators within schools who are ultimately reshaping the society of the future by providing our children with the academic, social and emotional tools to become citizens of the global world. Sadly, if school leaders are indifferent to the problems of the world today, how can anyone expect the younger generations that follow to make a positive change? In order to share the passion, one has to be accessible and personally participate in the culture of learning established within the school. If the perception is that you're concerned about the growth and development of each student, school culture changes instantly; the teachers and more importantly the students will figure out your leadership style rather quickly. A leader needs management skills, but sees beyond the school building and mandated requirements to achieve the big picture in education – developing a life-long love of education in his/her students, parents and teachers.
My philosophy of teaching evolved from years of teaching experience. As I reflect on my beliefs regarding teaching and learning, student preparation and readiness is just as important as teacher preparation and readiness. I believe the person who engages in the most work and activity will sustain the most learning. Creating a classroom climate where students can share ideas will increase learning and retention. Students should receive responsibilities that match their cognitive level regardless of age. This connection personalizes learning, embeds class assignments, and increases opportunities for ownership.
My personal experiences contribute to my philosophy today in that the most meaningful learning takes place when students are motivated and interested. It is my belief that the way to achieve this is by giving students a voice in the learning process, and by assisting them in finding connections in the curriculum with their own life and interests. I believe that by allowing students to bring their own stories, experiences, and ideas into the classroom, this provides the students with opportunities to work together, to learn from each other, and respect each others’ differences.
Moving any organization forward requires that all involved performs individual roles. I believe in a student-centered approach which incorporates ideas found within progressivism. Classroom organization allows the evolution of student-centered ideas to remain the focus each day. I incorporate activities that encourage participation while gradually moving away from teacher lectures. This method works with my teaching style to bridge the gap between home and school which it is vital to the learning process in all students. It is my goal to find the level of cognition and motivation of each student because I use this as a tool to reach their optimal performance on various topics. The overall goal is lesson mastery where it is reflected in student achievement. To this end, I have developed a firm foundation in assessment basics, from alternative types of assessment (rubrics, checklists, projects, portfolios, performance/diagnostic checks, presentations, etc.) to traditional exams/test construction.
Teachers are facilitators of the learning process but are also responsible for developing the overall learner. In any teaching journey, I seek to promote student accountability for learning by asking each individual to contribute to the class what is relevant and closely related. Creating a learning environment varies with individual experiences and how each person can participate in creating an engaging classroom environment will determine if the material is understood. Interactive strategies that incorporate novelty will engage student attention. In order to aid students in reaching their desired learning goals, I establish a clear set of objectives to progress though the lesson topic. I set short-term goals with the learning objective in mind. As a part of this, intellectual development of each student should continue over time, allowing students to use what was previously learned. Mastery of information has always been the goal for teachers, and should continue to be one of the essentials. In addition, long term goals for students should be set, allowing students to work towards goals over time. It is also the hope of all teachers that students will develop an interest in the subject area being taught. Although this does not occur in all cases, students should at the very least develop an appreciation for the subject and the material being taught in the classroom.