Dimensions Of An Effective Leader

Viviane Robinson: An Effective Leader

Key Points:

• Make a difference to the learning, well being of their students

5 Dimensions of Student- Centered Leadership 

• Setting and communicating clear goals- gain commitment of all those involved 
• Clear goals align staff capabilities to achieve goals and prevent staff burn out 
• To align goals with strategic resourcing, allows staff to see goals with initiatives being implemented with money spent.    
• Strategic Thinking, asking questions and challenging assumptions
• Quality of teaching, where leaders are involved in this students do better. This does not mean more classroom visits but shared theory of teaching quality = collective responsibility. 
• Develop the capacity of teachers, be open minded about what that is and how to achieve this. What has been taught and what students have or have not learnt. This should be collaborative (expertise is not on one person). Judge the effectiveness of teacher professional learning  on the impact on the students. 
• Safe and secure environment for both staff and students. 
• Teachers feel respected
• Students feel their teachers care about them and their learning
• School and classroom routines protect students learning 

Three interrelated capabilities: 

• Using deep knowledge of teaching and learning to 
• Solve complex school-based problems
• Building relational trust with staff, parents, and student

Student centered leadership needs the skillful direction with the 3 capabilities with the work of the 5 dimensions.  

An exercise that could be done s a discussion with the senior leadership team around the emphasis of the 5 dimensions. 

Reflection: 

• Relational Trust?? I am thinking more and more about this element of leadership. 
• Do I have it as a leader? How can I develop it? Why is it important to me? 

Dimensions Of An Effective Leader

Viviane Robinson: An Effective Leader

Key Points:

• Make a difference to the learning, well being of their students

5 Dimensions of Student- Centered Leadership 

• Setting and communicating clear goals- gain commitment of all those involved 
• Clear goals align staff capabilities to achieve goals and prevent staff burn out 
• To align goals with strategic resourcing, allows staff to see goals with initiatives being implemented with money spent.    
• Strategic Thinking, asking questions and challenging assumptions
• Quality of teaching, where leaders are involved in this students do better. This does not mean more classroom visits but shared theory of teaching quality = collective responsibility. 
• Develop the capacity of teachers, be open minded about what that is and how to achieve this. What has been taught and what students have or have not learnt. This should be collaborative (expertise is not on one person). Judge the effectiveness of teacher professional learning  on the impact on the students. 
• Safe and secure environment for both staff and students. 
• Teachers feel respected
• Students feel their teachers care about them and their learning
• School and classroom routines protect students learning 

Three interrelated capabilities: 

• Using deep knowledge of teaching and learning to 
• Solve complex school-based problems
• Building relational trust with staff, parents, and student

Student centered leadership needs the skillful direction with the 3 capabilities with the work of the 5 dimensions.  

An exercise that could be done s a discussion with the senior leadership team around the emphasis of the 5 dimensions. 

Reflection: 

• Relational Trust?? I am thinking more and more about this element of leadership. 
• Do I have it as a leader? How can I develop it? Why is it important to me? 

Relational Trust

Reading by: Anthony S. Bryk and Barbara Schneider
Educational Leadership

Key Points
What is Relational Trust? 

• Agreement of each role(personal obligations/expectations)
• All participates remain dependent on each others to achieve desired outcomes and feel empowered by their hard work. 
• Need for social respect, without this social exchanges will discontinue
• Personal regard: doing above the formal requirements of the job. This is an interesting point, and team members have discussed this point as part of judgement against teacher performance. 
• Competence 
• Personal Integrity 
• Strong relational trust supports reform, people feel safe to experiment 
• Relational trust allows for improvement, they can assume risk, handle organisational conflict and take on extra work. 
• Build relational Trust day to day social exchanges 
• Trust grows where actions validate those expectations 
• The consistency between words and actions affirms personal integrity. 

Reflection: 

• I know I hold strong personal integrity along with competence. I think staff know my knowledge and expertise within teaching and value that input. 
• Feedback from staff  I know I don't have enough daily interactions as I am always in the office working. I need to spend more times in the classroom with students and teachers. I also need to make sure I am in the staff room talking with staff during break times. 
• When setting up a date and time to do something, stick with it at all times to Validate actions. School life is busy for everyone so stick to the plan. 

Relationships are Key

Main points from Leading from the Middle:

• Have multiple relationships within the school and community 
• All relationships require trust

Ways you can build trust: 

• Showing an interest in the careers and aspirations, encouragement to take on new roles
• Provide PD
• Provide supporting environment with appropriate resources 
• Open and transparent through the appraisal system 
• Observations and being observed 
• Participating in PD
• Encouraging innovations that improve students learning
• Encourage discussion within teams 
• Developing collective ownership, shared decision making 
• Reflect critically as a team on their progress 
• Taking on new challenges/including changes in relationships

Reflection: 

The areas that I feel I have strength in are:

• The knowledge and the practice and being transparent 
• Trying to encourage discussion within the team 
• I am developing mechanisms that lead to strong discussion or discussion of current practice  

Development: 

• Reflecting together as a team, How well are we doing? Where are we heading? 
• Instead of my passionate opinions driving the team to make a shared decision
• I questions how transparent feedback and support is 

Quote

I came across this (can't remember where I found it or seen it, just in my notes):

Openly disclose own views without closing or restraining other views.

I think it is something I need to take into consideration more when I have strong viewpoints about pedagogy. I can shut team members down. It is a fine balance with excellent practice with knowledge and taken into account other peoples view points.

Quote

I came across this (can't remember where I found it or seen it, just in my notes):

Openly disclose own views without closing or restraining other views.

I think it is something I need to take into consideration more when I have strong viewpoints about pedagogy. I can shut team members down. It is a fine balance with excellent practice with knowledge and taken into account other peoples view points.

Teaching as Inquiry

Main points of importance:

• Improve student outcomes
• Help to learn from your own practice
• Identify outcomes through doing
• Evidence based strategies Change/Evaluate/impact
• Monitoring Students Progress (Learning, focusing and teaching) 
• Questions to consider: What do I need to change? What has happened as a result? Do I need to change anything else? What are my needs as a learner? What are my students needs as learners? What are the teachers needs as learners? 
• I will always bring TEACHERS back to how did the impact on the student learning? How does that help raise student achievement?  

Teaching as Inquiry

Main points of importance:

• Improve student outcomes
• Help to learn from your own practice
• Identify outcomes through doing
• Evidence based strategies Change/Evaluate/impact
• Monitoring Students Progress (Learning, focusing and teaching) 
• Questions to consider: What do I need to change? What has happened as a result? Do I need to change anything else? What are my needs as a learner? What are my students needs as learners? What are the teachers needs as learners? 
• I will always bring TEACHERS back to how did the impact on the student learning? How does that help raise student achievement?