Instructional Coordinator Job Description
Instructional coordinator is a professional who is engaged in ensuring the fact that educational programs are compliant with the federal and local government regulations. The instructional coordinator responsibilities comprise evaluating the educational curriculum, monitoring its introduction in the schools, ensuring effective ways of using technology for better student learning, and assisting the teachers in designing plans to make effective use of the curriculum. Thus, an instructional coordinator plays a vital role for any educational institute.
Key Responsibilities of an Instructional Coordinator
The instructional coordinator helps the teachers and other related staff members to translate the curriculum goals and objectives into meaningful and substantial learning experiences for all the students.
He/she is responsible for providing professional leadership in the designing of the educational curriculum and its instructional delivery. He/she is also responsible for supporting and enhancing the development of assessments of the students and making the best utilization of the technology to improve the instructional methods.
He/she needs to carry out a wide variety of responsibilities which have been described in detail in the points given below:
- To analyze the needs of the students, to research the teaching methods and techniques and help in development of procedures that would assist in achieving the educational goals and objectives
- To interact with the teachers to understand the requirements of the students and to assist them in the evaluation methods and to oversee the development and implementation of the curriculum materials
- To plan and conduct workshops, training sessions, or conferences that will help the teachers to get trained on the new instructional methods and procedures and how to use the newly introduced teaching aids, materials, and any other relevant equipment
- To recommend, purchase and order the instructional materials and equipment that would assist in increasing the standard and quality of education imparted
- To monitor the teaching styles of teachers, to evaluate their performance, and to recommend changes that would help in strengthening their instructing skills and abilities
- To assist in the development of questionnaires, tests, and procedures that would help in determining the effectiveness of the educational curriculum
- The instructional coordinator is also involved in preparation of grant proposals, program policies, goals, determining the budgets, etc.
- He/she reviews the educational curriculum and researches for improving the curriculum content that would be current and updated with the latest technology.
- He/she supervises the work of the employees engaged in maintaining the material in libraries and laboratories and promptly carries out the repair work if any educational equipment is damaged.
- He/she reviews the reports, analyzes the relevant records and confers with the staff personnel to ensure that the alloted work is being carried out effectively without causing any delay.
- He/she is responsible for training the newly appointed staff and training the existing teachers regarding the use of the latest technology and other related material or equipment.
- Thus, in short, he/she is engaged in raising the level instructional methods, quality and standards that would eventually lead to achieving the educational goals and objectives.
Essential Skills
- The instructional coordinator should be able to teach others and should have the ability to select and use the right instructional or training material that would enhance the learning abilities.
- He/she should be a good decision maker with excellent organization and time management skills.
- He/she should be able to plan strategies, programs and work in coordination with others to meet the targeted goals.
- He/she should be an excellent leader and should be able to supervise the subordinate staff.
- He/she should be able to resolve individual differences and motivate them to deliver quality work.
- Excellent communication skills are a must to be able to communicate the ideas effectively.
Educational Background
To make a career as an instructional coordinator, an individual must have completed at least a master's degree in curriculum and instruction. A relevant teaching license combined with experience would prove to be an edge. Those with updated knowledge on the latest development in computers will also have an advantage.
Work Schedule
The instructional coordinator should be ready and flexible to work for long hours as the work assigned is stressful most of the times. His/her work includes a lot of burden and mostly needs to function under deadlines. Occasional traveling may be required. He/she is mostly employed in schools, colleges, universities, educational support services, etc.
Salary Details
The average annual salary earned by an instructional coordinator is $59,000. The lowest salary offered for inexperienced candidates is 34,000, while the experienced candidates backed with relevant education and skills can get a salary close in the range of $94,000.
Career Prospects
The demand for instructional coordinators is definitely expected to rise in the recent years by about twenty percent. Most of the schools today are interested in improving the instructional methods, so as to ensure that quality education is imparted to the students. Thus, there is definitely a huge scope for development and growth in this profession.
Therefore, before you step into this field, make sure that you will be able to handle the instructional coordinator responsibilities well and take your career to new heights.