Middle Leaders Programme 2023
Somerfield School
Day One:
The day started with a welcome from the Year 6 rōpū. All students do Kapa Haka as part of their performing arts programme. (Two birds...well-played). We then went through the characteristics of what middle leaders need to have and show.
We then met our facilitator, Kellie who went through
Self-Reflection on Your Leadership
Reflecting on your own practice helps develop you as a leader.
What do you believe leadership is?
I think it is a role that facilitates a team in order to grow in a variety of ways.
Who has influenced you as a leader? How?
In my first years of teaching, Greer Doidge.
What aspects of educational leadership do you think are the most important.
Self-awareness and emotional intelligence. Relationships. Vision.
Qualities of leadership I do well:
Passion for learning and learning -
Inclusive -
Express high expectations -
Qualities I want to develop:
Willing to ask hard questions - When things aren't quite going to plan, I need to get better at questioning in order to help the situation move forward.
Not be afraid of robust discussion - Not so much being afraid but more of being able to remain neutral and unaffected by responses if they are negative.
Subject expertise - My main focus this year and into the future is to become more knowledgeable about all things Te Ao Māori.
Consult widely - I feel like I need to have more consultation with whānau and other leaders within a range of different schools.
Key points: When looking at my own leadership, think also about my circle of influence.
School Leadership and Student Outcomes
Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES)
Question: What does it mean to be Māori?
In groups, we used some SOLO templates to discuss what 'giving effect' to Te Tiriti looks like and what going beyond honouring looks like.
My thoughts: As a Māori, I was interested to hear the thinking of those around me so kept pretty quiet.
Poutama Reo - New resource to look at.
Video of Brigham Riwai-Couch.
A young man shares his kōrero with a message for teachers. His 10 'commandments' for teachers are:
Tātaiako
In groups, we tried to match indicators to the competencies. The list we had was from the Certified Teacher list. This means all teachers should be doing these things.
How will you build the mana for this student? Our scenario was an overenthusiastic student disrupting Kapa Haka. We filled in a table showing what we could do under wānanga, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, tangata whenua, ako.
Tātaiako / Culturally Responsive Practice
What are you personally going to do about this?
Sharing this on Day Four of the course.
Current State: Currently in Level 3 of Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori course. Some uncertainty around who has Māori heritage.
Actions to take: Daily revision of new learning. Apply learning in class at school. Survey whānau and create a database of who our Māori students actually are. (Are we allowed to change the order of their ethnicities on Hero?)
Desired State - Goal to Achieve: To have school-wide knowledge of all our Māori students and the iwi they connect to.
Leading from the Middle
In groups, we had a look at this document at the parts of the Leadership Model. This helped us reflect on what is happening in our situation and what we could do. We then used the indicators to plot ourselves along a continuum.
Day Two:
- What is Quality Teaching?
- Educational Leaders Framework
- Leading Change
- Leadership Capability Action Plan
Talked about our Why...why did we get into teaching.
Activity - Sheets up on the wall with statements from BES Summary of evidence about quality teaching.
As a school, we looked at each list of evidence and noted down what we do.
UNDERSTAND. KNOW. DO.
1. Quality teaching is focused on achieving high levels for heterogeneous groups of students on a range of valued student outcomes.
Learning pathways allow students to know what they are learning and what to learn next. Tracking sheets.
2. Pedagogical practices enable classes and other learning groupings to work as caring, inclusive, and cohesive learning communities.
Values are taught every week and weaved throughout all that we do. We also consider individual student needs around friends and people who will be supportive of them.
3. Links that facilitate learning are created between school and other cultural contexts in which students are socialised.
Learning pathways are shared with whānau and link to specific learning steps.
4. Quality teaching promotes student engagement with the instructional focus.
School-wide Inquiry initiative and structured literacy provide scaffolded learning.
5. Quality teaching provides students with sufficient, high-quality opportunities to engage with instruction.
Rewindable learning, Setting up for Success document is inclusive of routines and the classroom environment being a space to be set up for learning. Expectation is to have an introduction lesson and a follow-up.
6. Quality teaching supports learning through a variety of instructional approaches.
Literacy and Numeracy programme expectations.
7. Quality teaching aligns curriculum goas, resources (including ICT), task design, and instructional strategies at both classroom and whole-school level.
Setting up for success document, tracking pathways, curriculum document expectations.
8. Pedagogy promotes learning orientation, student self-regualtion, metacognitive strategies, and thoughtful student disclosure.
Learning pathways.
9. Feedback and formative assessment processes further student engagement and success.
SMART goals are created and reviewed each term. Learning pathways are shared.
For our next steps: Choose an area that is linked to our annual plan so it aligns.
Feedback and formative assessment processes promote further student engagement and success.
This involves teachers:
- Having sufficient knowledge about curriculum content, pedagogy, and learners to be able to proc=vide constructive formative assessment;
- Providing students with regular, task-related, constructive feedback;
- Particioating with students of clear learning goals;
- Scaffolding students' learning so that they have a high probability of success;
- Using feedback gained from student assessment as a basis for adapting their own teaching.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITY FRAMEWORK
Alignment with the Capabilities Chart: The task was to start working on a table to identify what I currently do, not do or find challenging and what I want to develop. Had to use the Framework when looking at this.
Group Task Looked at 8 Dimensions
LEADING CHANGE
Change is about creating the new normal
Managing change is about using tools, systems and processes to control the effort and impact and impact on change
Leading change is about creating the motivation and momentum to see the change through
Create energy and use it effectively.
Book Visible Learning for Teachers 
Activity: Using the capabilities document, we used a table that focused on four of the capabilities, 1, 2 , 3 and 5. This was actually quite a daunting task.
One part of being a good leader is being organised.
My area of influence is my team to influence student outcomes.
Once a change has been embedded, it moves into the 'business as usual' folder. Creating a new normal. Middle leaders bring the power and momentum for the change. Is it going effectively in the right direction. If on tangents, guide gently back.
Notes from Video clip Randy Pennington
Study from 20 years ago 70% of change efforts often fail. Same stats now as then. Change requires leaders to connect with people. Change in leadership is essential if we want to see change.
We change lightbulbs when they run out...which is when things go wrong. Change can come from when we see opportunities to become better. Crisis or vision? Connect with people where they are 80% of what leaders talk about, doesn't matter to 80% of the people they are talking to.
Use resistance as your friend. Are they legitamletly concerned or afraid. In leading change, you go first. If people don't see you change, they have no motivation to follow and you have no credibility to make them want to follow.
Have to learn how to change quickly.
Some change is mandated, such as the curriculum refresh.
Conditions for an Effective Change
 |
Conditions for Change
- Develop PLD
- Clear roles
- Update policies and procedures
- Support transition to change
- Remove or smooth barriers
- Testing / trial / sandpit
- Champions / role models
- Resources and ways of doing it around here.
Reinforcement
- Monitor the change and measure outcomes and impact of the change
- Celebrate success
- Build in short term wins
- Reflect on the opportunities
People don't resist change. The resist being changed.
Add second slide here
FOUR AREAS OF CAPABILITY FOCUS
Developing your Leadership Capability Acton Plan:
About shifting leadership practice. Current and desired reality.
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