Educators and administrators from various schools in the country converged in Angeles City, Pampanga to review modules designed to improve the competencies of instructional leaders in the public schools.
The project, spearheaded by the Department of Education through the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP)-Professional Development Division, involves Schools Division Superintendents, Assistant Schools Division Superintendents, supervisors, principals, Department Heads, Master Teachers and newly-hired teachers.
Dubbed Instructional Leadership and Management Program (ILMP), the activity was held from November 18-22 at the Lohas Hotel in Clark, Angeles City, Pampanga.
According to Program lead Ana-Sol Reyes, the NEAP Transformation-related activities were conducted “to develop and enhance the policy guidelines, curriculum designs, and learning resource packages necessary to improve the competencies of instructional leaders in the divisions, districts, and schools.”
“Through this, the DepEd can provide technical assistance to teachers, to improve instruction and eventually their impact on students’ learning outcomes,” explained Reyes, Senior Education Program Specialist.
The ILMP activities are significant for a number of reasons. First, it helped facilitate the validation and finalization of the amendments for the Teacher Improvement Plan (TIP) policy guidelines implemented throughout the Philippines.
Second, it aligned the proposed SHDP and ILMP policy guidelines with framework, objectives, and implementing guidelines. Third, the curriculum designs for the three programs support the Philippine Professional Standards for Teachers (for TIP and ILMP for Master Teachers and Department Heads); the Philippine Professional Standards for Scholl Heads (for the School Head Development Program); and the Philippine Professional Standards for Supervisors (for Public Schools District Supervisors and Curriculum Implementation Division Supervisors).
John Arnold S. Siena, Director-IV of the NEAP, raised challenges for the participants in his message.
“Transformational leadership is connected with a person’s authenticity. We are all lifelong learners, as learning is a continuing process,” Siena pointed out as he encouraged the audience to return to their roots as persons and “be conscious about others” when dealing with people.
Siena suggested that teachers today have to deal with more thought-provoking realities in society and in the public schools, including “teaching the seemingly unteachable.”
“That is why leadership is more complicated today, and that is the journey Instructional Leaders should realize,” he said. Siena also noted the sustainability of the program lies in the heart of the person.
“Leaders need to be able to extract their drive from their concern for the community, the students, the teachers,” he noted. — Rex Arcadio R. San Diego II