It’s time to get s**t done!
Back in August I wrote a post where I lamented the narrative from our system leaders, including our Minister, which seemed to be advocating a one-approach, a one-size-fits-all approach, to teaching and learning. It seemed that learning had to be Structured (with a capital S), that the curriculum had to be knowledge-rich, rather than skills-based, and that our approaches would be driven by this body of study called THE Science of Learning.
The belief that this approach would be the only way for schools to be successful was so strong that it would, in fact, be mandated. The silver bullet had been found and we all simply had to fire it and all will be right.
In a very short period of time curricula have been re-written, resources aligned to the ‘new’ approach produced (so fast, in fact, that normal procurement processes seem to have been sidelined - with a small group of providers becoming beneficiaries of this lucrative work) and all Ministry funded professional learning refocused entirely on it.
School leaders, despite being important and knowledgeable stakeholders in this space, have been powerless to influence the decisions that have been made. With things happening at pace we reel from reaction to reaction, attempting to feed into the ‘consultation’ within the very speedy timeframes.
Thank God for those networks that are attempting to assist school leaders to try to rise above the onslaught, to critique the decision-making and the decisions made, to participate in the consultation and, most importantly, to explore different narratives about what is best for teaching and learning in Aotearoa New Zealand in the second quarter of the 21st Century.
Two of the most influential networks, I believe, are Disrupted and Aotearoa Education Collective (AEC). Both groups are doing important work in critiquing policy, supporting leaders and teachers and influencing the narrative. I highly recommend everyone involved in education connect with these 2 networks.
Just last week AEC organised a webinar hosted by Guy Claxton and MCed by Derek Wenmoth titled The Corruption of Science and The Practice of Teaching which was attended by over 250 educators from Aotearoa New Zealand. The full recording can be accessed here.
I highly recommend you taking the time to view the full presentation as Guy carefully outlines the folly of a narrow, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching and learning driven by the so-called Science of Learning. His view is that there are Sciences of Learning and that an effective system draws on all of them to ensure the right approach is applied at the right time to the right child.
Highlights from the presentation for me were:
Feelings and relationships are not nice-to-haves, but are at the heart of teaching and learning.
The brain is not just a cognitive organ, it is an emotional organ as well.
The motive force for learning is curiosity.
We’re not teaching [a subject], we’re training minds.
There is no such thing as best practice as it depends on the desired outcome of education.
And one of my favourites:
You cannot draw a straight line from science of learning to the practice of teaching.
I also liked how he flipped the Knowledge, Skills, Attitude (KSA) framework on its head to Attitude, Skills Knowledge (ASK) pointing to research that showed attitudes are better predictors of real life outcomes than practices.
So, how do we as participants in the education sector ensure we can thrive and support our people to flourish in the current environment in which we find ourselves?
We could rally around an inspiring vision
I’d love to have a Minister, supported by a Ministry, which sets about to determine, in consultation with a diverse range of stakeholders, an impelling vision for an effective curriculum and pedagogical model which recognises the body of specialist knowledge necessary for every young person to flourish now and in the future and promotes a suite of teaching practices that invites students, at appropriate times, into the learning design process.
Teachers who see themselves as learning designers and who invite their students into that design process; that’s something we could rally around.
Unfortunately, I doubt we’re going to experience that type of leadership, but we could still work towards an environment in which teachers see themselves as learning designers and who invite their students into that design process
To do this successfully we have to see ourselves as system leaders and to act as system leaders. This approach is outlined in this and subsequent posts from my collaborator, and mentor, Derek Wenmoth.
He and I piloted a programme we called Refresh, Reconnect, Refocus which supported primary and secondary school principals to see themselves as system leaders and to act as system leaders as they explored a transformation pathway for their schools. A two-day retreat was followed by 20 weeks of on-going mentoring and connection and culminated with a day of celebration.
It was hugely successful as shown in these 2 video testimonials:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6RbRQYNk_M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rDeQTvh6iA
Now that we’ve crafted a successful programme design, Derek and I are offering this opportunity to fresh cohorts in 2025. Next year we’ll be offering a repeat of the programme for principals beginning with a retreat at Hanmer Springs from 13-15 March.
In response to numerous requests from a number of people, we’re also offering a modified version of the programme to specifically address the needs of AP/DPs, beginning with a two-day hui in Wellington on 23-24 January.
In addition, we’re working with the Lutheran Schools Network in Australia to co-construct a variation of the programme for a mixed group of principals and senior leaders in Melbourne, starting in April.
One of the key benefits of these programmes is the level of personal attention you will receive. We have deliberately designed for smaller cohorts of around 20 participants, so that there is a greater degree of intimacy and personal connection in the experience.
If this sounds like you please click on the image below to take you to a page where you can find additional information and links to the registration forms. I encourage you to share this post with anyone in your network that you think may benefit from being a part of a programme to support them in becoming a leader of transformation in their school or context. A fuller explanation of the programme and its development can be found in this post from Derek.
I am convinced of the power of collaboration and connection, of the absolute importance of diversity and of the belief that together is always better.
If we are to immerse ourselves in system thinking and system leadership it is vital that we act and interact in that environment based on a clear set of values and beliefs - values and beliefs about what makes for deep learning, values and beliefs about how we should lead and interact with others, values and beliefs we have about how the whole system should operate and be led.
Our Refresh, Reconnect, Refocus programme will support you to be driven by your core values and beliefs as you navigate through the current environment on your journey to be a systems leader while leading transformation in your school.
Help us lay the foundations for a movement of like-minded school leaders motivated to shape what teaching and learning can and should be.
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