The Principal, The Leader, The Teacher

I’ve been thinking a lot about teachers, leaders, principals and their specific roles in the context of growing accountability and the pressure to extend their impact beyond the growth of their students to the success of an entire education system. Today we are asking way too much of all those in the career of educating students. How can society expect individual teachers to effectively perform in already highly demanding positions? It is a complex system of curriculum, pastoral, technological, socio-cultural, economic and political demands. All these demands of the present in order to meet the possible requirements of the future. Then to be questioned why the education of our students isn’t ranked as ‘best-performing’ in the world. I have concerns about ranking countries, schools and students as each context is unique. It is vital to identify, acknowledge and accept the importance of 'context'. Schools are ever-changing and continuously challenging, with mastery of all demands of the present in order to meet the possible requirements of the future, being an illusion.

The Principal 
I personally do not know many educators who aspire to be Principals. I wonder if it is because in the Australia of 2018 they need to masters of so many areas. Knowledgeable and experience in various areas, such as-

• curriculum
• instruction
• assessment
• data
• student wellbeing
• teacher wellbeing
• legal obligations
• policies & procedures
• technology
• community relations and consultation
• effective and ethical governance structures

These are represented professionally and to great depth in the Professional Standards for Principals. The expectations and the qualities of a principal in a rural school would need to be aligned with the needs of that school. I question how contextualised experiences can prepare a leader in one school to become a principal in another. I’m not saying it isn’t possible but providing better support for those who want to become a principal appears to be lacking. This should become a priority when reviewing our education system. In the ideal situation, all aspiring leaders would be given opportunities to explore these ‘generic’ leadership skills whilst also developing a mindset that allows them to lead in a significantly different cultural context. Or should people only ever aspire to teach in similar schools throughout their career?

The Leader
I have blogged about 'Looking for Leadership', and in my role as professional learning coach, many people have asked for advice. After several years of classroom practise (or perhaps sooner), educators often ask should they-

1. Complete a Master in Educational Leadership
2. Become accredited as a Highly Accomplished Teacher or LEAD Teacher
3. Move schools in the hope that someone may leave or that a leadership position may open up
4. Apply to non-school based education organisations

New roles are being created each year in schools and in my opinion, these roles are being created because teachers need more support. They can't be experts in all areas. A Master in Education postgraduate degree will cost approximately $26 000. With the aim of increasing knowledge, most teachers take 3-4 years to complete their Masters. The cost and the time could create additional stress for full-time classroom teachers. There are some key aspects of modern school leadership that these credentials address (e.g. organisational psychology and relevant legal frameworks/expectations) but, as with all credentials, simply completing the course does not a leader make.

Regarding Highly Accomplished Teacher accreditation, I have learnt from others that the average educator takes between 2-5 years to complete and the success rate is around 50%. Apparently, currently there are about 470 HAT & Lead teachers in Australia. The remuneration for becoming accredited varies between sectors. In my opinion, many of the descriptors for HAT & Lead require you to have a leadership opportunity to collect evidence. By creating specific projects, I know of one school that provides opportunities for their staff to do this. I wonder if every school is in a position to accomplish this? Some may hope that becoming accredited at this level will open more leadership opportunities. Although, my understanding of the Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher accreditation is to keep high quality teachers in the classroom. For these HATs and Leads to be fully utilised in a school context (and to maintain their accreditation) they’d need a role that allows them to affect the practice of other educators either at their school (HAT) or beyond their school (Lead) in a wide variety of areas. Will this mean a splitting of pedagogical and administrative roles between HATs/Leads (pedagogical) and Heads of Department (administrative) within the same Stage or subject area? What is the most effective approach for educators to develop as leaders? 

The Teacher
In my role, I support teachers completing accreditation and at times, I question if the process is taking valuable time away from their teaching for the sake of a administrative process. As accreditation is linked to a band/salary increase, teachers and their supervisors experience an increased workload and additional pressure. With higher expectations, many schools are electing to have an accreditation supervisory role. In the NESA system, the accreditation levels are Proficient and Highly Accomplished/Lead but in the Association of Independent Schools (AIS), there is an Experienced Teacher level that sits in-between. All 37 Experienced Teacher standards need to be demonstrated with documented evidence, annotations, reports, references and mandatory observations. I have blogged about my 'Global Accreditation' processes of ‘jumping through hoops’ in different countries and sectors. Ideally, accreditation should reflect the authentic teaching and the learning moments that happen in the classroom. The process should be centred on teacher growth. Does the outcome of the process for the individual, their supervisor, the school and the system justify the time and effort the process requires? How can we support teacher growth most effectively? 

I recently read an article about how teachers suffer from 'unsustainable' administrative demands. I’m not surprised, as I have asked various teachers why left the classroom. Some left education entirely, while some left the classroom for leadership roles. According to many, the constant demands were never ending. If we want teachers to stay in education and the classroom, we need to provide more support (eg. coaching and mentoring) and remove ineffective processes or design more effective processes that support teacher improvement. 

I have read and commented on Gonski 2.0 Report, which made some recommendations. I personally focused on Chapter 3: Creating, supporting and valuing a profession of expert educators, as it pertains more to my role. My three key takeaways from this chapter were -

1. Be innovative in ways to find more time for teachers to develop their capacity and work more collaboratively.

2. An online progress report is be developed and formative assessment needs to be valued and implemented more within the classroom.

3. Embedding professional collaboration in everyday teaching practice-peer observation, feedback, coaching, mentoring, team-teaching, and joint research projects.

With the Gonski Report and NSW reviewing the curriculum, a complete overhaul of Australia’s education system appears highly likely. For this to be successful, it is vital to include the voices of all those in the education system. Principals, leaders and teachers need to be heard as they are at the forefront. Often, they are not consulted in depth or included in many of the educational decisions made. We need to work together as one with a collective purpose. 

Always asking questions..

@stringer_andrea

Know the past to create the future.

After coordinating Renaissance Women Leaders' Network for the last couple of years, a few weeks ago I was invited to be part of the panel. Our theme for the evening was ‘Uplifting Leaders’, with Ms Lila Mularczyk @LilaMularczyk, Dr Jane Comensoli and Dr Briony Scott @BrionyScott. The audience appreciated their amazing stories, wisdom and experiences, as the feedback from the evening was very positive. I shared my personal narrative of having various careers and the winding path that led me to education. I spoke of my university experience as a mature age student and how I believe passion is just as important as grades or results when it comes to university entrance requirements.

I continue to wonder about some questions that arose...

Why do women believe they need to have all the criteria to apply for the role? 

Why don't we acknowledge that people can grow into their role?

I have recently started a new role and while I’m feeling out of my comfort zone, it is exciting! I am focused on learning about the school culture, the teachers and the students. I am hoping to develop a better understanding of the educational history, which includes facts but also the beliefs, opinions and experiences that belong to the teachers and students.

With the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes, teacher agency and student voice will be encouraged and collective efficacy developed. To build the capacity of the teachers, a professional learning framework and growth cycle is being reviewed and designed collaboratively to incorporate current research, such as the spiral of inquiry. Influenced by my previous experiences and the knowledge of others in my professional learning network, my approach is to work collaboratively with my colleagues while being strategic and practical. Reflecting over the past few weeks, I have listed what has resonated with me professionally and personally.

• Practise what you preach - telling or expecting colleagues and students to step out of their comfort zone and into the courage or stretch zone is more difficult than it sounds.
• Never assume anything and don’t be afraid to ask questions. 'Remain a fool for 5 minutes'... not forever   ➜  ➜
• Relationships take time to build and trust takes even longer. Make the effort and time to get to know your colleagues and students.
• Be clear in your purpose. Be transparent whenever possible.
• Talk with your friends and family because change can affect not only you, but those around you.
• Be vulnerable as it shows that you are willing to learn and value others’ input.

The learning continues...
@stringer_andrea

2018: Lean in, Step up, Reach out.

I know it's already February. I wrote this post at the beginning of January knowing I wouldn't release it until now. I saw many tweets from people sharing their 2017 achievements. As my 2017 word was marinate, I suppose I achieved my goal. But to be honest, this word failed me. I feel like I haven’t achieved anything of significance. Marinating does not reflect me or my personality. I thought I needed to slow down but I enjoy being challenged, designing new learning experiences and/or working on projects. It feeds my soul or edumojo. This time I’ve thought about a theme that resonates more with me. With each passing year, I get to know myself better. This year I’m turning 50 and I intend to make the most of every moment, opportunity and event. 

Recently I shared a professional opportunity with a friend and their response; “You’ve got this!”  Three simple words that meant so much. Someone believes that I have the ability and skills to achieve this, and that I am qualified and experienced to be successful. 

I said it out loud, ‘You’ve got this!’ Then the self talk came into play. You know what?....I have.

"I’ve got this!"

So my choice theme for this year is simple. I’m going to tell myself, 'I’ve got this!'

I will be braver, stronger, more courageous. 

I will Lean in, Step up, Reach out. 

• I won’t feel guilty about saying no, as it’s sometime just as important as saying yes.
• I won’t hold back because I’m worried what others think or fear judgement. 
• I will acknowledge my strengths more and not compare myself to others. 

2018

Thank you to my critical friends for your constant encouragement and support  - Matt, JJ & Chris. 

Being observed in the classroom is a professional expectation but it can also be instrumental in a coaching conversation.

If we want to create a coaching culture where we build the capacity of our colleagues, we need to approach classroom observations with no judgment. Peer observations have been used in education for many years but it can push some educators out of their comfort zone. Therefore, it is imperative to have a partnership approach based on trust and respect. Classroom observations can also be onerous, costly and time consuming. This blogpost will provide some suggestions and options when conducting classroom observations. It is important to identify that these classroom observations are not implemented for performance management but with the intention of teacher professional growth.

When I began my teaching career in California, I asked my daughter to record my lessons, my students and my classroom. Our children did not attend my school, so when our school holidays varied, it was an opportunity for my children to help out in my classroom.  My Grade One students enjoyed having older children in the classroom and it was great for them to meet my children. 

Flip Camera used in 2007.

Back then, we used a Flip Camera, as it was simple and affordable. On one occasion, my daughter recorded an English lesson that consisted of me reading a mentor text to my students. While reading, I implemented ‘think aloud’ to demonstrate various comprehension strategies. The purpose of recording the lesson was for me to look at myself from the student’s perspective and take ownership of my dialogue and actions. From the review of my recording, I noticed it was more of a monologue, than a dialogue.

As an early career teacher I acknowledged I had a lot to learn. Knowing this was liberating, as I had nothing to lose and everything to gain from learning from others. It is accepted that new teachers should absorb all they can from observations, other educators and resources. With the goal of improving, I originally made the videos for personal use. After viewing myself on numerous recordings, I believe I was more comfortable being observed by my supervisor. This was a requirement of Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment when seeking accreditation in California. 

'The greatest effects on student learning occur when the teachers become learners of their own teaching’ (Hattie, 2009, p.12).

A great way to become familiar with using video for reflection, is to record yourself. If you don’t have access to various independent recording devices,  ask a colleague or student to record a section of your lesson. Asking others to record or observe a one hour lesson is quite onerous, but recording small components makes observing less demanding. I have found recording segments of lessons aligns very well with incremental coaching.

As a professional learning coach, I really value the use of recording teaching lessons. It provides me with the opportunity to sit alongside the teacher to observe their lesson. Recording a lesson has many benefits-

     * Provides the coachee with the option to approve the viewing of the lesson prior.
      * Provides the coachee ownership
      * Provides a point of reference for a collaborative discussion
      * Allows one to pause the recording to discuss various aspects of the lessons
      * Provides a more objective approach to the observation
      * Can easily rewind if anything is missed or needs reviewing
      *A snapshot of one’s teaching to determine growth and improvement
      * Students see the teacher as a learner

I have recorded teachers’ lessons using an iPad and I have also used Swivl. A coaching session may happen before or after the coachee’s lesson is recorded. This decision is determined by the coachee and their goal. Using our school observation proforma, a coachee can determine an area of focus before the observation. At times, it has been sufficient and effective to record only a 10-minute segment. Watching the video together, using the observation proforma creates rich discussion and opportunities for further coaching conversations.

Coaching generally is defined as a process where the coach facilitates self-directed learning to enhance teacher development, by questioning, active listening and creating a supportive environment (van Nieuwerburgh, 2012).

Being observed can be viewed by some as a ‘tick the box’ process. However, if provided with the opportunity to own the process, observations can generate rich conversations between a coach and a coachee. If a teacher records their own lessons consistently and at incremental periods, self-reflection and self-awareness is likely to increase. Utilised prior or after an observation coaching is not about telling teachers they need to improve or how to improve. A coach, through questioning, actively listening and challenging the coachee in a supportive and encouraging environment, facilitates self directed learning of the teacher (van Nieuwerburgh, 2012). Coaching allows teachers to take responsibility for their choices and provides teachers with agency or autonomy in their educational context.

References

Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning. London: Routledge.

van Nieuwerburgh, C. (2012). An Introduction to Coaching Skills: A Practical Guide. London: Sage.