Leadership

Photo by Arthur Krijgsman “You can’t stop a teacher when they want to do something. They just do it.”  J.D. Salinger I am continually amazed by the work of teachers. I would be stumped if I was asked what makes the best school, the best teacher or school leader. Schools are busy places and the…

‘Practice design, not decoration: Don’t just make pretty talking points. Instead display information in a way that makes complex information clear.” Nancy Durate There has been an undeniable erosion of the value and status of the teaching profession. Teacher accreditation that is based on evidence, and a continuous program of improvement and professional learning is…

“Everything changes and nothing remains still…and you cannot step twice into the same stream.” Heraclitus Education is changing. It is more than new curriculum and policies, longer days and little thanks, the work of teachers and school leaders continue to play the most significant role in the growth and development of our society. It is…

“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails” John Maxwell I can only imagine school leadership being something like sailing. It could almost be so as the constant stream of new policies, curriculum updates and compliance deadlines throwing you around a bubbling sea. Some days you…

Hewlett-Packard was one of the pioneers of portable computers, releasing a laptop in 1987. Soon after Apple introduced the first-ever battery-powered laptop in 1989. The convenience of a laptop computer drove productivity and opened a portal toward working on the road. Excel spreadsheets became the fashion with financial managers and then mobile phones and later,…

It is almost unimaginable that the school year once spread across 2 and then 3 terms. Up until 1987, this was the school year that teachers and school leaders had to manage. Term three was often 13 weeks, the seasons moved from autumn and into winter. In a three-term year, mid-term three was tough. Tidiness,…

Colin Thompson tells the story about the Puzzle duck who was once asked by a puzzled frog where the sun goes every night. It is a bit like the question of how teacher accreditation intersects with compliance of mandatory training in teaching. The Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 (NSW) determined all teachers must attain the status of…

Schools are dynamic and ever-changing. Just when you think you are on top of one element of the workload, another task demands attention. Teachers and school leaders face waves of administration, data collection, and student needs that are increasing as well as constant demand on time in school and out. The recent industrial action of…

Last month I had a phone call from a friend wanting my advice as they had just found out their position within the organisation had been made redundant. Termination can be a shock for anyone, even when we are aware that organisations or roles are under review. In this case, it was even more surprising,…