As part of my Endeavour Teacher fellowship, in 2013 I had an opportunity to enrol in a Leadership course and take up The Leadership Challenge at Executive Education, Otago University, Dunedin. I was able to explore my understanding of the leadership skills and how I intended to use these to foster improved student outcomes. “The Best Evidence Synthesis finding iterates tangible links between school leadership and improved student outcomes” (Notman, R. 2010) I chose to explore “creating educationally powerful connections” for teaching and learning focus in my classes. This dimension is about creating connections- between individuals, organizations and cultures with a focus on student learning. This also tied in well with my goal to “Inspire a shared vision” (One of the five practices demonstrated by exemplary leaders in The Leadership Challenge Model -James Kouzes and Barry Posner)
The LPI (Leadership Practices Inventory) and MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) interpretive reports enabled me to reflect on my observable leadership behaviours, my particular style, how the different facets could help me be more effective and make a positive difference in the classroom and community by understanding others, gaining perspective and using my skills to plan intended outcomes for student learning.
I intended to use my leadership skills by-
Understanding the culture of my school/organization
Showing respect for all
Building and inspiring the community, not just individuals
Communicating
Integrating students from diverse socio-economic or cultural backgrounds
What I set out to achieve in 2014?
Improve interaction and joint responsibility
A range of teaching strategies-incorporating purposeful contexts, discussions, engagement with the wider community,
A supportive classroom environment; understanding and recognising differences
Concentrate on programme planning and evaluating pathways into, through and beyond the course.
Make research based decisions
Undertake deliberate acts of teaching that tie in with the NZC principles, values, key competencies, language and literacy.
Enable akonga to make connections between prior experiences and current learning activities and apply this new learning to different contexts
Analyse information gained from assessment to check progress and ongoing needs, give regular constructive feedback to guide and support further learning, and
Foster involvement of whanau
Reflect and refine own practice,
Engaging in constructive problem talk
Develop continuities and coherence across teaching programmes- look across all matrixes- cross curricular links as positive effects are associated with curriculum units that access relevant community and cultural expertise resources.
Have visiting experts in the classroom
open door policy, active input and feedback from parents,
Access to new skills and to specialist equipment e.g. coffee machine, ingredient samples.
Form cross curricular links,
Initiate blogs, guide books, relevant web links, videos etc.
Use open days and option evening to promote Technology and form links with the community.
Emphasize on technology vocabulary, generic assessment schedules across all areas of technology (product, food, fabric). Track components of NZC, literacy and numeracy skills.
Identify what knowledge and skills employers are looking for in food technology-R&D team and use teaching strategies to enhance the knowledge and skills needed. Assess pathways into, through and beyond the course.
The barriers I faced were time, learning support for successful implementation of teaching and learning, availability of resources, finding common ground, a course that is driven by assessment and not curriculum, limited PD opportunities. However, midyear I stumbled upon Twitter; the connections and professional learning, growth were significant in bringing about a marked change in my mindset
Things that I partially achieved but would like to do better in 2015 are as follows:
Meet with staff for mentoring, provide training programmes, resources, workshops for staff professional development, creation of groups and links with other institutions, field trips, newsletters, unit of work specific survey forms for feedback from students, parents and staff, forum with parents, staff and other Independent Schools.
Communicate with everyone (staff, student, parents, and mentors) at the beginning of the year, ongoing and at the end to review to adapt/modify programmes to meet diffrentiated needs
