Professora e diretora de turma

Abstract

This report, produced as a final work to obtain a Master’s degree in School Administration and Organization, is the result of the reflection and analysis of my professional career, started in the school year 1983/84, as a teacher of English and German, both in regular and professional courses as well as the performance of several tasks of leadership and intermediate leadership. Revisiting past memories and simultaneously remembering experiences, thoughts and moments of a path was a challenge and at the same time a way of understanding how relevant they were and how they influenced the professional I have become. Teaching in several schools in different regions made me aware of the influence their contexts had upon the way teachers teach and develop their careers. On the other hand teachers' performances were also determined by the implementation of a democratic regime in Portugal in the mid seventies, which changed the social and political backgrounds and established a democratic school management. Consequently, not only the teacher's role has changed from a mere instructor to a co- educator, but also headteachers had to assume different responsibilities. Even though headteachers haven't always been valued, all the educational system is centered on them due to the privileged position they are in by interacting directly with students, teachers and parents. Nevertheless, the lack of training in areas such as flexible curriculum management, the reduced number of hours available to perform some tasks and the huge amount of administrative and bureaucratic work prevent their effective action as intermediate pedagogic managers. Likewise the headteachers' coordinator sees his/her action conditioned by legal demands and by school leaders' decisions as well.

Date of Award	21 Jan 2014
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Joaquim Machado (Supervisor)