Teaching Principalship

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Teaching Principalship

• Towards Effective Practices

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Aim

• To investigate the potential of the role of the
  teaching principal
• To identify practices that can lead to
  fulfillment in the role

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Background to Workshop

• 8 years practices as a teaching principal
• 13 years experience of working in small schools
• Research into leading learning in small schools
• 6 years working in leadership development

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Rationale

• Good management and good teaching are uniquely
  combined in the role of the small school head so
  that his or her influence is a more than usually
  important factor in determining the quality of
  the school. (Southworth, 200416)
• Where the head is effective in both the teaching
  and the management roles, a virtuous circle of
  benefits accrues to the school. (Southworth,
  200416)

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LDS Core Principles

• Moral Purpose
• Modelling
• Situational Awareness
• Courage to Act
• Sustainability

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Its about action

• Literature
• Theory
• Knowledge
• Understandings
• Concepts

• Discourse
• Questions
• Engaging
• Empowering
• Sharing
• Modelling

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Knowing Ones Situation

• Collecting and analysing data on school
• Challenging the assumptions that underline school
  culture
• Identifying headroom for the school in the coming
  year

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Asking the Right Questions

• Questions set the agenda
• Questions can lead to fundamental change
• They form a basis for planning and action

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Some of the Big Questions

• Why is there educational underachievement in the
  border counties?
• How do we need to reshape educational services in
  this area over the next 10 years?
• Why do we have too many children in need of
  literacy support?

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More penetrating questions

• How can I communicate properly with you as a
  staff?
• What can science week mean in this school?

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When not asked

• Standard of Maths
• Review of posts
• Commitment to projects
• Quality of individual plans ..
• Leads to frustration and disappointment

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Focusing on the Right Issues

• What are the priority areas for your school right
  now
• Diamond 9 activity
• Will tackling these priorities result in
  improvements in learning

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Clearing the Rubble of Administration

• Administration is essential and supports all
  priorities
• Do I have adequate support from board and from
  ancilliary staff
• Have I optimised use of release time, technology
  and other supports

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Modeling Practice

• Openness to positive change
• Accountability and cooperation
• Commitment to excellence
• Attention to school goals and aims
• Sharing resources and ideas
• Securing effective learning in the classroom

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Modelling Commitment

• Belief in the potential of the school
• Attitude to pupils and staff
• Highlights school aims
• Respect and commitment to the community
• Support for others
• Openness to improvement

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Setting Expectations

• Asking the questions
• Macra and micro expectations
• Celebrating success
• Dialogue with and among individual teachers

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Encouraging Teacher Leadership

• Perhaps the single most important challenge
• Expertise, relationships, positions, tasks,
  personal

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Confronting Issues

• Deal with zones of influence
• Keep issues as issues not personalities
• Plan for action
• Record and celebrate success

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Power in organisations
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Avoid Solo Activity

• Networking with other schools purposeful
• Use the community purposefully
• Ancillary staff can take responsibility
• Professional development, links and networks
• Exchanges, links, projects

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Sustaining Oneself

• Challenge assumed constraints
• Celebrate your points of power
• Collaborate for success
• Plan for personal goals and milestones

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Concern
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Influence
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Proactivity
COVEY
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Conclusion

• Knowing what is needed
• Modelling
• Empowering
• Sustaining
• Courage to act
• Sense of purpose

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Challenges

• How can I continue to be professionally rewarded
  in my current role?
• What is required of me to continue to improve
  learning in the school in which I am a leader?
• How do I plan for personal renewal and sustinence
  in a challenging role?
• How do I support others in the learning challenge?

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Three core messages

• It is about you as a leader
• It is about your team
• It is about learning
• (It is not all about context)