Schools, despite being the most wonderful places to work, can also be frustrating and painful places to be at times. School leaders are charged with the responsibility of instilling the highest level of professionalism in their colleagues. Unfortunately, it is a undeniable fact that some teachers do a better job than others. The differences that... Continue Reading →
I like tapping into posts from Leadership Freak, Dan Rockwell, who puts together some excellent posts about leadership for us to consider. A post titled - 'Tapping the power of "For you"' caught my attention and got me thinking further about how we, as leaders, use the word, 'You', in our schools. Considering my previous... Continue Reading →
Schools can be stressful places, they can lead to tension and conflict between staff members that can negatively impact on the culture of the school and the morale of those committed to supporting its students. High expectations are placed upon us and we also have high expectations of ourselves. Most of us are committed to... Continue Reading →
To run effectively, schools require policies, guidelines and procedures. They are important to give schools points of reference from which to operate and ensure that everyone in the organisation is on the same page. Every school that I know has some form of staff handbook; a manual for staff that usually provides details of the... Continue Reading →
Many schools do a great job in giving teachers access to professional development. Some school have the teacher professional development calendar all planned out prior to the commencement of the school year and align teacher growth with the needs of the school and teacher goals. In other schools teachers are asked about what they... Continue Reading →
One of the greatest aspects of teaching is that there is a fair bit of freedom for teachers to choose their avenues for professional growth. With the increased availability of information there is greater opportunity for teachers to engage in their own DIY professional development in addition to attending online and offline workshops and conferences.... Continue Reading →
Goal setting is an activity that many teachers undertake with their students and through my own experience often results in mixed success. One of the problems is that the goals are too vague and the steps to achieve them are not planned out. Even following the SMART Goal formula, results vary. Some teachers that I... Continue Reading →
Every school has students that we are concerned about. Good schools have care and concern for student well-being at the top of its educational priorities. The best teachers are no different in this regard either, they will go to extraordinary lengths to ensure that they help students make the most from their opportunity to... Continue Reading →
While taking my summer holiday visiting my parents back in the UK, an article in the local paper got my attention. The school where I studied as a teenager had just been selected to become a hub for the Shanghai Masterclass. Looking into this a bit further, the UK are planning to bring a large... Continue Reading →
