When properly utilized, faculty meetings are the most effective means of in-service training and teachers’ growth. Well-planned faculty meetings provide for the all-over development of the teachers: as facilitator of learning, as counselors, as classroom managers, as link to the community, and as staff members. Faculty meetings give teachers the chance to share in planning and opportunity to work together on situations or problems of mutual interest. Particularly with teachers who show interest and competence, faculty meetings, develop leadership and skill in-group interaction. But, we may as well admit that faculty meetings are not loved by teachers. Judged by teachers’ reactions ―faculty meetings don’t accomplish much. At best, faculty meetings are just tolerated in most schools. In case of doubt , we may solicit the honest opinions of our staff, or of other teachers whom we know well. We will see that teachers often resent and resist faculty meetings. But this will set us on the right path. , Teachers don’t think the same things important that we rate top priority. Just think back to the time when you weren’t principal. Did you just love to attend faculty meetings? Did you volunteer enthusiastically for every new job? Did you welcome the chance to have your work criticized? Ask yourself a few penetrating questions, and you will see that your staff is not so very different from us after all. Our vision has changed; theirs has not. In order to provide the kind of meetings our staff wants and needs, we must realize that faculty meetings can stand improvement. It is the principal’s job as educational leader to arrange for better staff meetings and this requires effort and planning, too. The planning is meticulous ―each individual’s strong points are put into focus, teamwork is built, obstacles are foreseen, and morale is kept high. To be sure, the situations are different, but planning is indispensable in school especially in holding faculty meetings. Always remember ”Perfect schools are not so much the result of good methods or techniques as of good teachers and the essence of a school is a faculty. And these good teachers may become the better or best teachers as we continue to hold well-planned faculty meetings that will enhance or improve their skills and performance.
By: Anabelle C. Bagtas | Principal II | Panilao Elementary School | Pilar, Bataan
