Leaders were in pairs and discussed the barrier and enablers they noted in their schools. Across the 10 schools represented there was a range of situations, teacher understanding and uptake of the LCS pedagogy. Some schools have joined the cluster only this year, some had a large number of staff changes and others have syndicates in the school who have not yet bought into the LCS pedagogy.
As the barriers and enablers were discussed in the pair they were added to a shared google sheet. This allowed everyone in the room access to what others were identifying. From here the Deliberate Leader Actions were pinpointed and recorded in the same sheet.
Deliberate Leadership Actions
Here are some examples of the Deliberate Leadership Actions that were noted:"Using snippets from the online toolkits to share in staff meetings. Sharing out examples of visible learning at your own school."
"Check that parents emails are on the receive notification of new posts on blogs."
"Provide platform for teachers to share LCS examples anyway so they can see link to good pedagogy - not just 'Manaiakalani'."
I like the way these actions are specific and measurable - it will be very clear when these are implemented.
Share
The Deliberate Leadership Actions embody 'Share'.
As I focus on one action identified: sharing of visible learning in staff meetings, I recognise the reach of this action. It sends simple and powerful messages. Messages such as; you are doing good work and we value what you do. Also, it says we share what we do around here. It gives teachers examples of what is good practice, are in the local context and therefore easy to relate to. As well as that, the author is on-hand for other teachers. All this makes it easier for teachers to replicate or improve on as part of their own practice.
As I focus on one action identified: sharing of visible learning in staff meetings, I recognise the reach of this action. It sends simple and powerful messages. Messages such as; you are doing good work and we value what you do. Also, it says we share what we do around here. It gives teachers examples of what is good practice, are in the local context and therefore easy to relate to. As well as that, the author is on-hand for other teachers. All this makes it easier for teachers to replicate or improve on as part of their own practice.
The 'Share' being embodied in identified Deliberate Leadership Actions is exciting as it shows the LCS pedagogy is accessible at so many levels. For learners, leaders, big or small people. It reminds me of the simplicity and power of the Learn, Create, Share pedagogy; anyone can understand and embrace it. LCS still leaves room for schools to have their own curriculum and pedagogy. The LCS pedagogy aligns seamlessly with the school-based curriculum and pedagogy once teachers and leaders look at how they fit together.
Actions Implemented
We did not focus on the actions being time-bound. I am thinking to send out a reminder that we will be reflecting on these in our next get-together.I wonder about the fact that leaders identified these actions for themselves. Will this mean they will be more likely to implement them as they are logical next steps they have picked out for themselves?
Reflections
As leaders reflect together on their identified Deliberate Leadership Actions, they will consider what effect their actions had and what they think they could do better. As part of these reflections, I am hoping people can recognise and celebrate successes. These might be in deeper teacher understanding of LCS, closer whānau partnerships, greater sharing of student and teacher learning and ultimately improved achievement and progress for their learners.
And Then
After a discussion with my mentor, I plan to use the Leadership Capability Matrix for Leaders to map their Deliberate Leadership Actions against. My hope is that the matrix and the process of mapping to it can be used for the specific area of leading LCS in their schools and also for reflecting on their leadership generally. It will help them focus on the next steps of how they might improve their leadership. I hope the matrix will be found to be a useful tool that can be used in an ongoing way. At the very least it will be used once as space is given to focus on leadership in our hui.
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