Role of the Principal and the Social Studies

The Principal needs to provide leadership in developing quality objectives for pupil attainment. Interesting and meaningful learning opportunities need to be chosen so that pupils are actively engaged in achieving desired ends. Evaluation procedures need to be valid and reliable to ascertain learning progress Leadership needs to be provided to keep the social studies updated and current. Social studies as a curriculum area is vital for pupils in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Individuals live in society and interact with others in informal and formal situations. When interacting with others, it is important to be interested in and conversant about happenings on the local, state, national, and international levels. Then too, in the work place, there are many and numerous types of interactions which emphasize the world of happenings, jobs, vocations, and professions. It is a truism that the social studies is very salient as a curriculum area for learners to achieve, accomplish, and grow in. Being a good citizen in society is important. What might principals and teachers do to guide more optimal learner progress in the social studies? Implementing Thematic Unit Teaching To assist pupils to learn as much as possible, there are selected criteria emphasizing principles of learning that need to be stressed. One important area for the teacher to follow is to secure and maintain pupil interest in ongoing lessons and units of study. If pupils do not attend to the lesson, they perhaps learn little, if anything, dealing with vital happenings in the social studies. Introducing new thematic units involves having a strategy of instruction that obtains the attention of pupils. Each pupil needs to achieve as much as possible. What might be done to help obtain learner attention to a new unit of study? a. an appealing bulletin board with a caption might have appeal to learners. The bulletin board may be used in direct instruction or incidentally. A series of illustrations with accompanying abstract print explaining each might well obtain pupil interests. The illustrations should follow a sequence which guides pupils to attach understanding to each illustration. Orientation of the learner to the new unit is being emphasized here. Background information is also being presented. Readiness factors are being emphasized so that pupils understand the new subject matter to be encountered. b. a video tape, properly introduced, may be presented to the class. The video tape should have content which assists each pupil to attain selected structural ideas necessary for maintaining interest and understanding key ideas in the ongoing lessons and unit of study. Pupils need selected main ideas to relate to the new subject matter and skills to be engaged with. Trivia and the unimportant need to be minimized/eliminated so that the significant and the salient can be in the offing. A followup needs to stress discussing of content in the video tape and/or use made of the subject matter so that pupils remember, retain, and rehearse its major tenets. c. objects may be shown on an interest center and discussed with pupils that relate directly to the unit being initiated. These objects have appeal/interest and assist pupils in wishing to learn more about the new thematic unit of study. Questions will arise and need to be discussed at the object center. d. a diorama might well capture learner attention that the teacher made and inherently contains relevant concepts for pupils to discuss. The diorama is neatly made and has vital related subject matter that pupils need to learn. The diorama can be a fascinating way to launch a unit. Later within the unit, pupils individually or within a committee may wish to construct several dioramas that guide learners to extend and enrich experiences (Ediger, 1993, 40-43). Once the unit has been favorably introduced and captures pupil attention, the teacher may stress depth teaching and learning in developmental activities. …