When observing classes in high schools, it is possible to see two extremes of teacher support. Firstly, there is complete hand-holding or, as some teachers would like to say, spoon…
Read More Supporting students with learning core transferable academic skills
With a wide variety of professional learning opportunities and a certain limit to the funds that schools can spend on teacher learning and professional growth, it is important that school…
Read More 3 things to consider when designing professional learning in schools
When I reflect on the positives of working in my current school and share my thoughts with colleagues from other schools, they are often amazed when I tell them that…
Read More A downside of setting student academic results targets in schools
Teacher and school leader workload issues very much stem from the fact that there is not enough time to do the job properly. Some time back I commented on two…
Read More The battle to find time in schools – we need to consider teacher efficacy
Trust and trust-building qualities frequently top polls and surveys that attempt to show the most important qualities of a leader. A 2016 McQuaig Global Talent Recruitment Survey places trust as…
Creating a genuine collaborative school culture in schools takes a significant amount of time, commitment and effort. If school leaders were to truly reflect on how collaborative our teachers are,…
Read More Where to start with creating a strong collaborative teacher culture in schools
School leaders, regardless of the position held, take on a number of tasks at the same time, so many in fact that the ‘To Do’ list never ends. Leaders are…
Read More We must make time for clarifying questions and responses
There is overwhelming evidence in support of developing professional learning communities (PLCs) in schools to improve teacher collaboration that has a positive impact on student learning. Yet, for a number…
Read More 5 necessities to successfully begin building professional learning communities in schools
Schools will change their structures from time to time. Reporting lines may change, or a new position can be added, which is intended to support the school’s overall improvement. When…
Read More The ‘too many cooks’ and ‘many hands’ dilemma for our schools
There are some traits that I believe stand out above all in great educators and school leaders. These traits typify the ideal of having educators that are lifelong learners striving…
At a very young age, I held close the saying “treat others in the same way that you would like to be treated.” It was not until recently that I…
Read More Make sure we treat teachers as they wish to be treated
Many important conversations in our schools are avoided at the expense of preserving what we may think are harmonious relationships. It is quite amazing how both teachers and leaders will…
Read More Being nice will not necessarily address the elephant in the schoolhouse
With schools being complex organisations, it can feel like school leaders are trying to herd cats at times. As leaders, we seek to exert a degree of control in our…
Read More What things should we keep loose or tight in our schools?
In another post, I presented a case why teachers should seek feedback from their students. In deciding to seek feedback from students, it is important that it is worthwhile for…
Read More 4 pieces of feedback that teachers should collect from their students
Teachers are given a great deal of trust in giving feedback to students. Feedback is crucial to supporting students grow and develop in becoming lifelong learners able to take on…
Read More Why teachers should seek feedback from their students
Working productively in teaching teams can be so rewarding yet so frustrating. When we all get on the same page, we can begin to really enjoy what we do and…
Like it or not, school do need policies and guidelines, whether it be for how we go about assessment, giving homework, dealing with academic dishonesty, or matters pertaining to the…
Read More Struggling with school policy implementation? Some scenarios may help
As many schools in the northern hemisphere come towards the end of a long school year, frustrations and tiredness can mask all of the good things that may have…
Much is said in the media about schools being stressful places and, perhaps, education is nearing crisis point in terms of what is being asked of teachers. Workload is an…
Read More How school leaders can address teacher workload issues
It happens. Frustration regarding a particular issue in a school or between colleagues spills over into open criticism in an online environment. This can lead to significant distress to members…
Read More Teachers criticizing colleagues in online environments – how should we respond?
