 Quality instruction is actually me stepping out of the teacher role and being more a facilitator and allowing the students to kind of present the information. I kind of introduce them to what it is that they need to know and then give them opportunity to explore and then they're able to then demonstrate okay. This is how I was able to get to the answer to that particular problem. I have established a great rapport with a lot of my parents. There's some that still you know try to get them into you know just be that support for their students because there's so much I can do during a day. They have to go home and have that support so when the parents do come in I always talk about you know I'm team filling the student's name. We're all a part of the same team so trying to get them to you know be a part of making certain that what's happening at home and at school that they're connected. Great instruction is definitely making sure that you plan you know your students and that you have a lot of differentiated instruction because you really don't want to teach kids across the board the same exact way you may have to meet the students needs where they are and scaffold them up to where you want them to be. Also great teaching is looking at data making sure that you know where your students stand in the classroom and making sure that you're making a plan according to where the students are and also communicating with parents keeping them informed on their child's progress in the classroom and just really making sure that you have a plan for the students and for your whole classroom and setting high expectations for them and just making sure that you are building those relationships because I think I want to emphasize that because it's so important because you can be the best teacher you can have the best plans lesson plans but if you don't have a relationship with those students they're not going to hear you they're not going to respond the way that you want them to respond so when a child knows that you care and knows that you're there to make sure that they're successful they're going to perform for you so to me those are the elements you need to be an effective teacher and making sure that you have great classroom management and great control of your students. I notice for me when I teach I definitely look at body language I look at their facial expression and having questions informal questions where I'll just post to a student I can kind of see if they grasp the concept but if they haven't I know that I need to pull them maybe one-on-one or in a small group setting to reinforce that skill and I'll use a different activity or I'll use a different approach a different method to see if I can reach them in a different way because it is sometimes kids need to see it in a variety of ways before they can master that skill. Being in an urban setting is the most rewarding feeling that I've had and I know sometimes people like to overlook it and some teachers may not want to be a part of this movement but it's so rewarding to be here and I love it and I appreciate being here at West Jacksonville I really it's been a great experience and it always has been. The principal really plays a pivotal role in recruiting and retaining the best teachers for the students because that is what's going to make or break your school. Visiting the teachers in their classrooms looking at the data although the expectation is that the teachers review their data in conference with the students the administration has to do that as well we have to look at the data and we have to conference with the students as an administrator. I have to pull a small group because I have just as involved and as accountable as the teacher so for teachers it's a very stressful job so as much as we can do to lighten their load that's what we want to do I also have to allow teachers to think for themselves I mean it's very easy as administrator to be top down and to direct and tell them what I want but sometimes teachers have very good ideas so I have to be open as a person to listen to their ideas to see if their ideas may be better than mine and we sit down and talk about it together. For me it's most important to have an open door policy that my teachers have to be comfortable to come and talk to me and not you know be afraid to walk through the door whether I agree or disagree they know that I'm going to be honest with them let them know if I agree or disagree and we'll move forward but most importantly we have to work hand in hand to move the kids. For a school like this this is a tough environment it's a tough situation to be in but when you have positive people positive minded people who want to be here and who want the kids to succeed just as much as I do I think that is just key to whether it's West Jax or any school in the city the teachers have to want it just as bad as the students because as one of the teachers said the students know when you care about them and for West Jacksonville that's the whole key our kids have to know that you care about them and when they know that they will work their hearts and fingers to the bone to be successful so I think for me as a principal I'm so appreciative to have the staff that I have because I have very very hardworking teachers and I have some fantastic interns this semester that will be very hardworking teachers next year.