Leading the Charge

This last chapter developed some very sound points on the topic Leading the Change.
I agree with the focus on problems and them becoming distractors to progress and vision. I also understand the frustration of feeling like  you are stuck because of a particular area. the 'Yeah But' voice in ones head needs to be acknowledged but controlled.eg budget or govt compliance. I believe that generally at St Pats there is a solution based mentality amongst the teachers who are very capable of solving complex situations together. Sometimes it takes some time and some breathing space but as the text said if it is worth it it will happen.

I took particular note of the suggestion for moving from talk - rhetoric - action. When a leadership team works well together we can hold each other to account in this so that it is not just all talk. This is particularly challenging for leaders in the classroom. It is not expected that all practice is perfect as we are all on our own journey however a willingness to learn, to embrace challenges and to seek assistance allows others to do the same. The question posed in the text is very helpful here, "Do we hold ourselves accountable for implementing ideas and strategies learned through professional learning. Again it may not be in all aspects however this is expressed and made transparent. eg my focus is to learn to use data better to inform decisions I make. I recognise that I am not confident as yet in ....."

The questions on page 230 I think that there are still some practices that because of 'tradition' are still presented/ designed, eg homework. It is hoped that we are moving away from the 'old' format such as mental arithmetic, spelling lists, projects using cardboard project like supports etc. It is when the teachers understanding of learning begins to grow and change that they themselves start to question the effectiveness of what they are doing and why. This is wonderful to see. Parent education is key in this area.

One of the aspects of leadership I am continually mindful of is not to get caught in what is referred to in the text (pg234) as the alphabet soup of initiatives. It is so easy to become allured by what sound like wonderful ideas however the suggestion to keep a 'laser like focus on what evidence indicates  is required. One key question needs to be, "How does a particular policy[/strategy, focus] affect student learning? If it doesn't , then why is precious time spent developing it and enforcing it? and "Do our policies reflect our desired learning outcomes.

 A good chapter!