A Study On Problems In The Development Of The Head Teachers’ Professionalism In Middle Schools

The objective of the new curriculum reform today is the implement ofessential-qualities-oriented education. Head teachers’ work has an over-alland complicated effect on the development of students, which requires headteachers to be professionals. Only with required professional qualities, headteachers can promote the development of students’ personalities. With thedevelopment of teachers’ professionalism, head teachers’ professionalism isput forward on the schedule, which is an inevitable outcome of teacher’sprofessionalism. The implement of head teachers’ professionalism depends onthe group of head teachers who should be qualified with professionalknowledge and qualities. However, in reality, it is common for teachersincluding some excellent teachers to refuse to take up head teachers’ job. It isuniversally acknowledged that the work of head teachers is of greatsignificant while head teachers are not equally regarded as important figures.For examples, income is low, work is tiring with little chance to achieve asense of success, and head teachers can see no career prospects. All the abovefactors contribute to the fact that few teachers are willing to be head teachers.Besides, there are those who are enthusiastic about head teachers’ career butthey believe they are incapable of the management of a class. It is a pity thatnormal college or university graduates are not given courses on the basicknowledge of classroom management and they are not trained to manage aclass both theoretically and practically. They are graduates majored ineducation management, but most of them are school leaders and few of thembecome head teachers after graduation. Thus, head teachers have to be chosenfrom those teachers who have not been trained to manage a class. Bycomparing teachers’ professional qualities and head teachers’ professionalqualities, we get to know that managerial knowledge and competence is oneof the core professional qualifications for head teachers. Without theknowledge of management, head teachers are not equal to their work. Excellent head teachers must be expert in management. However, it is auniversal phenomenon that head teachers are poor in managerial knowledgeand competence and head teachers are working without the scientificguidance of proper management theories. Head teachers carry out their workonly on the base of their experience. As a consequence, it is not surprising thatthe effectiveness of classroom management is low and many problems arise.The contradictions between head teachers’ low professional effectiveness andhead teachers’ professionalism demand head teachers enforce the study ofmanagement theories. Here the author proposes three approaches to solve thecontradictions. First, the head teacher qualification certification system shouldbe built up and management should be a must competence for head teachersto get the certification. Secondly, management training should be given beforeand after people take up classroom management as head teachers. Thirdly,incentive mechanism should be set up to sustain the development of headteachers’ career. To get the head teacher qualification certification, one mustmaster the art of management as well as general qualities of teachers. Besides,normal universities and institutions should open education managementcourse to get their students prepared for head teachers’ career. Moreover,schools and society should provide a platform for head teachers to exchangetheir experiences and to improve their managerial art. Finally, to enhancehead teachers’ sustainable development in management, different ways ofincentive mechanism are explored.