tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41531859015596877402024-03-18T15:58:56.769+13:00Principal PossumThis blog is about my thoughts on schools and learning and how we might lead in those spaces. After 20 years of principalship at Opotiki College and Hobsonville Point Secondary School (Foundation Principal) I now operate a consultancy, HMWLead, to support school leaders. I spend my spare time running ultramarathons, listening to vinyl records and keeping an eye on what my family is up to. They all surprise me.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger512125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-90341274009653044102024-03-02T13:26:00.000+13:002024-03-02T13:26:03.531+13:00How Might We Lead Towards a Qualification That Is Driven By Core Beliefs In Our Own School?<p>Last week I got an email from David Hood and he spoke about the launch of his book <a href="https://www.nbr.co.nz/book-extract-the-rhetoric-and-the-reality/">From Rhetoric to Realit</a>y, and about the work we had done together and the people we had worked with. I attended the book launch in May 2015 and on my return home published the following post:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAN4u8ZgWaU4Q2Z43GxblJLq345u4Y5Y5MDg_eTw5mJ4PNf4ae0S-9ZN8JHGuOBYw2YMDxPQExuVfV7bRJ9X5MU7SCHb-xQ4OkX3r9jHkEVW6DwV3s4tY86B9RDJDRsvtgJH3ygrfDmYuEI23IKj9KWAy2EhJD2pDO17tMHhxuiURRffE7O6e4qaNehTk/s5312/2015-05-20%2018.38.29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="5312" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAN4u8ZgWaU4Q2Z43GxblJLq345u4Y5Y5MDg_eTw5mJ4PNf4ae0S-9ZN8JHGuOBYw2YMDxPQExuVfV7bRJ9X5MU7SCHb-xQ4OkX3r9jHkEVW6DwV3s4tY86B9RDJDRsvtgJH3ygrfDmYuEI23IKj9KWAy2EhJD2pDO17tMHhxuiURRffE7O6e4qaNehTk/s320/2015-05-20%2018.38.29.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><b><u>Principal Possum, May 2015</u></b></p><p><i>I almost didn't go to the launch of David Hood's book, <u style="font-weight: bold;">The Rhetoric and The Reality: New Zealand schools and schooling in the 21st century</u>, last Wednesday night. It would mean a late afternoon drive to Hamilton to attend the function and then not getting home until 11.00pmish. I'd been feeling a bit flat all week and quite fatigued and nearly talked myself out of it.</i></p><i>I am so pleased I made the effort (and even managed to fit in <a href="http://www.radionz.co.nz/national/programmes/thepanel/audio/201755148/pens-and-paper">a roadside-in-Huntly radio interview</a> on the way down. This was supposed to be on an academic's claim that pen and paper should be banned from school but the article was in fact on the need for schools to align, quickly, with the needs of learners and their lives).<br /><br />For 4-5 years I had been part of a network of principals, Coalition of 21st Century Schools, facilitated expertly by David Hood. It was here that I was introduced to the concept of the Paradigm of One and the much needed Paradigm of Many. It was here, under David's mentorship, that I explored what schooling might look like if we put students at the centre and met their needs and then developed the confidence to put some different things in place.<br /><br />He exposed us to hard copy readings back then that now flow daily across my consciousness through Twitter. He took us on a study tour to Australia to explore Rich Tasks. It was powerful stuff (the power of which I did not appreciate at the time).<br /><br />His gentle support (though I always sensed a level of impatience within him - after all he wrote his first book <u style="font-weight: bold;">Our Secondary Schools Don't Work Anymore</u> 17 years ago) encouraged me to introduce 3 Day Wananga, 100 Minute Learning Periods, small group Learning Advisories and High Impact Projects at Opotiki College in 2011/2012.<br /><br />Since that time I have been at HPSS attempting to lead a school that allows a secondary school to work for our students by being relevant for them. The hope has also been that we may influence work in other schools. The Paradigm of One and The Paradigm of Many has become part of my mantra and I had forgotten that it had emerged from the work with David.<br /><br />The launch was appropriately at <a href="http://www.taiwananga.co.nz/">Tai Wananga</a>, a school in Ruakura, Hamilton, that David had assisted in establishing. This is a school that not only allows Maori to achieve as Maori but also puts in place a model of secondary schooling that we at HPSS also aspire to.<br /><br />In David's brief address to the gathering he spoke of the need for schools to place the needs, passions, lives and futures of their students at the centre of curriculum design, pedagogy and decision-making. It was a true tears in my eyes moment and reminded me of the influence he has had.<br /><br />I was invited to stay and share a meal with him before heading home. Arrival at home was looking further away but I jumped at the opportunity. Over dinner we committed to maintaining our connection with David already booking in to visit us with me committing to taking staff to visit Tai Wananga. It was over dinner that his frustration and impatience with the rate of change in thinking about and practice in secondary schools was occurring.<br /><br />It was a late arrival home but that short time with David had been invaluable.</i><div><i><br /></i></div><div>In his latest email there still existed a frustration with what had happened with NCEA, the missed opportunity with the Bali Haque led review of Tomorrow's Schools and some wonderings about where the new Government's policies would take us.</div><div><br /></div><div>Last week I posted <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2024/02/here-i-go-again-ncea-level-1.html">my thoughts and suggestions on NCEA Level 1</a> and I'm sure it was the exchange of communication with David that brought those thoughts to the surface.</div><div><br /></div><div>Yesterday (Friday 1 March) it was pleasing to see a Letter to the Editor in the NZHerald from David Hood, which I have included below:</div><div><br /></div><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bolder;"><i>History of exams</i></span></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>The main problems with NCEA are firstly the decision to create three qualifications in the last three years of secondary school, the only country in the world to do so.</i></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>That is a tremendous load on students and teachers. This is why many schools are abandoning NCEA Level 1, but also because Level 1 has no value in the marketplace. Level 2 is now the base qualification for entry to employment or further education.</i></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Secondly, was the decision to require the achievement of an arbitrary number of credits to be awarded for any one of the three qualifications. This inevitably led to debates on the relative value of different subjects, especially between “academic” and “vocational”.</i></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>Neither of these were recommended by the NZQA board back in 1992. NCEA was intended to be one qualification awarded when students graduated from school, and would record all credits achieved at whatever point in time in their schooling.</i></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i>These recommendations were strongly opposed by a lobby group of mainly “prestigious” state and private boys’ schools. The result is a <a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/is-ncea-still-the-right-way-for-our-students-james-bentley/ONBYSDUXAZHMLM7E5SNHS7JSNM/" style="background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #38a3d7; text-decoration-line: none;">system now being criticised by James Bentley of St Peter’s College</a> (<span style="font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.5rem;">NZ Herald</span>, Feb 27).</i></p></div><div><p class="" style="background-color: white; color: #111617; font-family: "Source Sans Pro", Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 1.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><i style="font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.5rem;">David Hood, NZQA CEO 1990-97.</i></p></div></blockquote><p>Imagine if that vision for qualifications described in his second to last paragraph had come to fruition!</p><p>I'm keen to keep imagining it as a possibility.</p><p>We can go close to this in our own schools under the current and new system simply by:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>dropping NCEA Level 1 (and not replacing it with anything else!)</li><li>moving the focus to students spending their 2 or 3 years in the senior school achieving their quality qualification by the time they graduate. This requires:</li><ul><li>a rejection of the focus on calendar year qualifications and shift to a focus on the qualification at graduation. This will take some courage as such a process is not represented well in league tables</li><li>a change in the mindset of teachers in the senior school to that similar to those in the junior school which has them focusing on deep, engaging learning programmes rather on the assessment event</li><li>reporting in the senior school to be on progress through the Curriculum Levels and to not include Achievement Standard results (these are already accessible in real time on schools' LMS's)</li></ul></ul>All of these are simple to bring about, but they do need to align with your own and your school's core beliefs about teaching, learning, engagement and qualifications.<p></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-22256616212962736882024-02-26T16:02:00.000+13:002024-02-26T16:02:06.814+13:00Here I go again - NCEA Level 1!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38qnTXNhXiSplazA7XtiGZmYzQP0YN6N8L4gGjF_bI2ujsEOJLIR3DshCWD50axoEwepbgNcdSZb6iUrgjuQp2Lwg1G86mmSr7iQL-n1bww9Y9_ur_Nt26ze-x-hbrE9q7_7mvya6PE0oi0tfy8Le9mWehRJkSF6HRNlI9W9MpUBAlPIHXOtduSn44Tk/s744/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="744" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38qnTXNhXiSplazA7XtiGZmYzQP0YN6N8L4gGjF_bI2ujsEOJLIR3DshCWD50axoEwepbgNcdSZb6iUrgjuQp2Lwg1G86mmSr7iQL-n1bww9Y9_ur_Nt26ze-x-hbrE9q7_7mvya6PE0oi0tfy8Le9mWehRJkSF6HRNlI9W9MpUBAlPIHXOtduSn44Tk/s320/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p>For the first time in twenty years I didn't spend the summer break with some concerns about the upcoming school year nagging away at me like a rock under my towel on the beach. </p><p>Every prior summer would have me worried about things like staffing, resourcing, property and also my own sense of my own capability and capacity. Retirement from principalship has brought some advantages (though I still miss the impending excitement for a fresh year with students and staff!).</p><p>I still got riled up about the seasonal issues that rise to the surface such as the cost of school uniform (who needs it?), the growing anxiety that some students would be experiencing as they grappled with the institutional demands of their school (uniform, jewelry, hair styles, fear of not fitting in, lack of connection) - obviously not all students, but apparently an increasing number.</p><p>Last week I came across this post on LinkedIn:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I got the dreaded question very early in my course this year - “When do we start NCEA?” Oh dear. How did we get to this point?</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">We have our young people so focused on outcomes we are in danger of losing the importance of learning for the sake of it. This has been recognised in the NCEA review of course. However, I am unsure whether that will change anything without teachers thinking a little differently.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">To be clear, I was a big supporter of NCEA when it was introduced. I supported standards based assessment and influenced by David Hood’s excellent “Our Secondary Schools don’t work anymore”, was fired up for a major change to our education system for the good. There has been some. The increased flexibility and customisation of NCEA has enabled some innovation in both assessment and curriculum. The shift to internal assessment has created a far more equitable environment.</span> </p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">However, NCEA seems to have become the curriculum. Topics are presented as standards. Teachers when meeting their students for the first time, show the NCEA standards. I generalise of course. It isn’t all like that. And once again, this is something the NCEA review is supposed to solve. We shall see.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">I can think back to teaching Bursary, which for History was 40% internally assessed so it wasn’t all on the exam. The exam still dominated. However, at least none of my students rocked up asking when we start Bursary. It wasn’t like that.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">NCEA is a system of assessment (and accreditation). It is there to assess student understanding. Not to drive learning. Not to become the sole focus. It isn’t that difficult to shunt into the background. It really isn’t. However, I rarely see that. It is ever present.</span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">My question to teachers and schools is, do you feel the NCEA change will solve this?</span></p></blockquote><p> Anyone who's ever read or listened to me about this topic know my view, a view that we brought to life at Hobsonville Point Secondary School and brought about deep learning, quality qualifications and meaningful pathways for all:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>NCEA Level 1 is a qualification with no currency</li><ul><li>It is not needed for any job, further training or pathway</li><li>It is not needed prior to achieving Level 2 or Level 3</li></ul><li>NCEA Level 1 is damaging to learning</li><ul><li>It moves the focus from learning to being assessed</li><li>It creates the credit counting amongst students we are frustrated with</li><li>It creates the culture of asking how many credits something is worth before a student commits to any effort</li><li>It creates stress that impacts learning and engagement because of the continual focus on high-stakes assessment</li></ul><li>NCEA Level 1 is damaging to teaching</li><ul><li>It creates a culture of 'teaching to the test'</li><li>It creates massive teacher workload with it's incessant moderation</li></ul><li>NCEA Level 1 takes time away from learning and teaching</li><ul><li>Mock exams eating into learning time</li><li>Marking eating into teaching time</li></ul></ul><p></p><p>I posted my response to the Linkedin post as follows:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">It doesn't matter whether it's the old or new NCEA it's the school/ teacher mindset that needs to change. We don't introduce learning episodes to students below NCEA by showing them the assessment, we should definitely describe the learning outcomes and then get on with the learning. We need a similar approach in qualification years. Clarify and share the learning outcomes, do the learning, and then collect evidence against the Learning Objectives. </span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A couple of simple things I would do are:</span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">1. Don't offer & assess L1 in Year 11. This only creates the culture of learning for credits a year too early for a qualification not 1 student needs. (see in post above). If your school is not open to this then:</span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">2. Stop using formal reports to parents to report NCEA achievement. They can see the results in the LMS! This only reinforces that the most important outcome is the Achievement Standard when it should in fact be the learning. Report achievement against the Learning Objectives, preferably in relation to the NZC levels (as we do at every other year level).</span></span></p></blockquote><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); font-family: -apple-system, system-ui, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", "Fira Sans", Ubuntu, Oxygen, "Oxygen Sans", Cantarell, "Droid Sans", "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Lucida Grande", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">3. Do not include a list of Achievement Standards on any course outline students get at the start of the course. Concentrate on what they will learn about and master in your course. You could include a generic statement that says students will be prepared to be successful in sufficient ASs to enable them to achieve their Qualification.</span></span></p></blockquote><p> I feel very strongly about the negative impact NCEA Level 1 has on most learners (despite most of them achieving it) and on most teachers (who end up being the most reluctant to look at removing it - until they actually experience it!). I also know I spend a lot of time pushing it uphill when it comes to this issue.</p><p>Anyway, if you want to explore how your school could explore this just reach out. It's simpler than you think.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4lcZi1WJB4pMGsl-Z0_vnbUV8eHFLapLuue344hZipyU3W3NfT7zqEzrUcrerXCfRS8A3KNKaKzBa0GxyWhJc6J9NrzLGD1ZBTc8VVSgymb4ML1k-hjkFY5xwh9uHIKZjc7DuEH6wDHStCg9f2tJA-nT-Wtr5OrD3o7mXPcup5emsG1LuBVHj1mu6EE/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC4lcZi1WJB4pMGsl-Z0_vnbUV8eHFLapLuue344hZipyU3W3NfT7zqEzrUcrerXCfRS8A3KNKaKzBa0GxyWhJc6J9NrzLGD1ZBTc8VVSgymb4ML1k-hjkFY5xwh9uHIKZjc7DuEH6wDHStCg9f2tJA-nT-Wtr5OrD3o7mXPcup5emsG1LuBVHj1mu6EE/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-84506507312775939862024-02-14T12:40:00.004+13:002024-02-14T12:40:33.457+13:00Testing What Might Be Possible: Setting For the Tarawera Ultra Marathon 100 Miler<p>Back on 17 April 2023 I signed up for the Tarawera 100 miler and downloaded a training plan from the online coaching platform that had got me through two 102k trail races and a sub 4 hour marathon at the age of 63 At that time it just seemed like the next thing to step up to. I studied the downloaded plan and made amendments to fit around my life (remaining a school principal until July then moving into self-employment) and to include the Taupo 70k Trail Race in October as part of my build up.</p><p>I contacted Eugene Bingham, whom I knew as a parent of a kid at our school (the kid ended up being one of my head students!) and as a member of the running community, especially through his and Matt's <a href="https://www.dirtchurchradio.com/">Dirt Church Radio podcasts.</a> Eugene also happened to be the 4 hour pacer at the Rotorua Marathon where, with his encouragement and goading, I crept under the 4 hour barrier. </p><p>I texted him to say I was entering the Miler and asked what he thought (Eugene has run at least one Miler himself). His reply stopped me in my tracks: "But the question is .... do you want to? It's a race where you really need to have your why nailed down and be totally on board." This made me think.</p><p>I've raced more than 30 marathons, several multisport races, a dozen 24 hour Adventure Races and a few 50k, 70k, 100k trail races. They were all bloody hard! Why did I want to push this out to 100m miles (162k)?</p><p>I want to see what I'm truly capable of, to test myself with a venture that has a high probability of not being possible for me to achieve. I knew that many set out to complete such an event but fall along the wayside as they succumb to injuries, illness and the demands of making our way through our our lives. I also knew that many made it to the start line and got the dreaded DNF (Did Not Finish). This was either as a result of injury on the day, running out of physical energy, running out of mental energy or simply being too slow to make the 36 hour cut off.</p><p>I've spent my working life challenging myself to see what is truly possible in the schooling space and also challenging others to lift their belief in what is possible. I want to really test myself.</p><p>I'm writing this with 2 and 3/4 days to go before the Saturday 4am start so I'm fairly confident I'm going to make the start line. It's been huge getting to this point - sticking to the training plan, overcoming injuries, experimenting with nutrition, hydration and gear plans, acclimatising for the heat, and dealing with the demons in my head.</p><p>Highlights on the way have included my son pacing me through the last 20k of the Taupo 70k race, most probably getting me there 30 minutes faster than if by myself. My daughter immediately accepted the challenge of pacing me in this Saturday's event for the last 50k. The hours with her in the Riverhead Forest (both day and night) have been special times. I'm already feeling emotional about her joining me after 110k at Okataina.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7I38-puNXxrZnoWBjhaMroOPCSI1OzoyLE0jaoAV8AdsNUniF2A53TpdrShnKlO3RrZ4_su9xXNg6N0kwR_WWIsUMbnaO8YqmaojCPrNWkjCGfoTxW60vMMN3sq596R20a2spO4VlBjxMsLgGrKWfqeUxvwis_nqNdJxJwf8Rxrio-C5Op_zEIc33Co/s3648/2023-10-14%2018.28.13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7I38-puNXxrZnoWBjhaMroOPCSI1OzoyLE0jaoAV8AdsNUniF2A53TpdrShnKlO3RrZ4_su9xXNg6N0kwR_WWIsUMbnaO8YqmaojCPrNWkjCGfoTxW60vMMN3sq596R20a2spO4VlBjxMsLgGrKWfqeUxvwis_nqNdJxJwf8Rxrio-C5Op_zEIc33Co/s320/2023-10-14%2018.28.13.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of Taupo 70k with Thomas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb6v2p_CziBK44lUDLusKmOt8FJLB5KIau_FZsDM84hfcl3GIafAlYy2RbfmCYCqvD8apmyIsiJbt5RSKNCeLAOmhR2V6YVdzkIdRunSnXEB6X7wv2wkC3UZ4YrTfhoXY8F-YWBnYLX-gSh09HiEY6Z4FgX9i1krdoFccEcoDHMVOTlCMMFzEy1j_6oE/s3648/2024-02-06%2013.20.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSb6v2p_CziBK44lUDLusKmOt8FJLB5KIau_FZsDM84hfcl3GIafAlYy2RbfmCYCqvD8apmyIsiJbt5RSKNCeLAOmhR2V6YVdzkIdRunSnXEB6X7wv2wkC3UZ4YrTfhoXY8F-YWBnYLX-gSh09HiEY6Z4FgX9i1krdoFccEcoDHMVOTlCMMFzEy1j_6oE/s320/2024-02-06%2013.20.37.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lucy and I in Riverhead Forest Training for the Miler</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I have a simple plan for the race:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Stage one: from the start walk every uphill and jog every downhill and flat</li><li>Stage two: walk every uphill and most flat bits and jog downhill</li><li>Stage three: walk up, down and flat</li><li>Stage four: whatever it takes</li></ul>I've watched a few video clips about those who've attempted this type of race. While all were successful in some ways not all completed the event. These videos have filled me with both confidence and dread. I worry that I haven't done enough training, enough stretching, enough strength work, but on the Wednesday of race week it is what it is.<p></p><p>When the new course was announced a few weeks ago (because of lake levels and slips) I joined in with others fretting about the "To Hell and Back" section over the Western Okataina because it is the steepest, is largely single track, is the longest between Aid Stations and, for back-of-the-packers like me it'll be dark (I'll be addressing this bit from about 10pm until 6am the following morning).</p><p>I've decided to now look forward to this section, to acknowledge it as a challenge when I get there, to be present in every step through it, to thank Riverhead Forest for being brutal enough to have prepared me for it, to greet and wish well all other runners I meet (it's out and back), to congratulate myself as I eat the elephant one bite at a time and to be re-energised when my daughter joins me halfway through at the turnaround point. I'm going to look forward to it!</p><p>Those who know me know the inspiration my Dad has been for me. He infected me with the love of running, competing and socialising through sport. He's run many marathons and is a member of the Rotorua Marathon Survivors Club (15 Rotorua Marathons). A highlight was running the Auckland Marathon with him (the first over the bridge) when he was in his early 60s in 3hour 47!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fyFaoRpJo-T51GYEfu4Ps1abt-Qe53a_hbGn5QqRGRSl1Shbs_0vkeyZw1286IFsWVnjQ5SJH-dR9HtR4BVoO8YoGNhzlHp5Zi7UarnMzLr2NdZ97koOB6zNZ8kJKSt0idsGB89CaTtTPFRORNNHpvgLtocymbpCJb6YGNO74ertV62XFAqiw0csQc4/s3182/Dad%20Marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3182" data-original-width="2767" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5fyFaoRpJo-T51GYEfu4Ps1abt-Qe53a_hbGn5QqRGRSl1Shbs_0vkeyZw1286IFsWVnjQ5SJH-dR9HtR4BVoO8YoGNhzlHp5Zi7UarnMzLr2NdZ97koOB6zNZ8kJKSt0idsGB89CaTtTPFRORNNHpvgLtocymbpCJb6YGNO74ertV62XFAqiw0csQc4/s320/Dad%20Marathon.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>He passed away in November 2019 but continues to be my inspiration and he'll be with me every step of the way.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ3t4QewiITovTY5Yh9v0MJ-G0cPrPFN3nzH-vqkDTS1Ix2S9SGumTc7FCzrOLJ93uv2ig6kv_uyMDw4VrxeBGwEYiVzzO0vJZ9ZypVftFPw6TS4VtSbC53TZ52P9TOgsozI0u7hlBHzaW_H5gzmTUftIebFDGdkoyF7_E0EjIHiu6n82nXkrpNcoRco/s4000/Dad%20Miler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ3t4QewiITovTY5Yh9v0MJ-G0cPrPFN3nzH-vqkDTS1Ix2S9SGumTc7FCzrOLJ93uv2ig6kv_uyMDw4VrxeBGwEYiVzzO0vJZ9ZypVftFPw6TS4VtSbC53TZ52P9TOgsozI0u7hlBHzaW_H5gzmTUftIebFDGdkoyF7_E0EjIHiu6n82nXkrpNcoRco/s320/Dad%20Miler.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-38577304070640033022024-02-07T12:20:00.001+13:002024-02-09T13:15:33.687+13:00Achieving Wellbeing Through Connection: Refresh, Reconnect, Refocus<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjydRfjeb-bZhiT8URhUianhINNuQBt4T_HCdLNDJzrkegn-diFE4xd5rKlV6Jl65VBpvF9GTPBreJe0HJiPsqC_mLnOAJeSUcxghUJh4OyTJcX2OK7e4mW9g9BOWd6mJLFn7AJUkqJXNOHVOqQPSrpxcdCPBz5OINE-CLh76kuTwus-FqEXG_CRWnpg/s4000/Home%20Page,%20Banner.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZjydRfjeb-bZhiT8URhUianhINNuQBt4T_HCdLNDJzrkegn-diFE4xd5rKlV6Jl65VBpvF9GTPBreJe0HJiPsqC_mLnOAJeSUcxghUJh4OyTJcX2OK7e4mW9g9BOWd6mJLFn7AJUkqJXNOHVOqQPSrpxcdCPBz5OINE-CLh76kuTwus-FqEXG_CRWnpg/s320/Home%20Page,%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Refresh, Reconnect, Refocus</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>Apart from reading/listening to Brene Brown et al (who hasn't?) I haven't done much in the way of research or study about the topic of Wellbeing. My thoughts are based entirely on my 30 years of school leadership, with several of those years dealing with quite demanding situations ranging from angry people, to unmotivated people, to systemic confusion, to pandemics to climate crisis impacts.</p><p>What do I know?</p><p>Firstly, we must take personal responsibility for our own wellbeing. For me this has included 2 important elements: opportunity for personal reflection and 'me' time AND opportunity for connection with others. </p><p>I run. I often run for hours and for many miles, largely by myself. This gives me head space to reflect, process complex work and personal issues, solidify my thinking and make decisions. In these situations I often find myself exploring my 'why' in relation to any issue, thinking about what I'd 'die in the ditch' for, thinking about 'moral purpose'.</p><p>I connect and network with others. I do this through entering sporting events, socialising, attending and/or leading workshops, being part of various 'çritical friends' groups. Testing out my thinking, from my personal reflection time (running) within these networks brings a range of perspectives that will both support and challenge me.</p><p>This approach to wellbeing has contributed to the development of my personal leadership model shown below:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamfKKc-XJckFETCWlkMyDS1kHsmnwBtai04Q0ZhexG39aXPBc1kGOmLJHXgUGMlNb59dle-D_0p42pJkoHPXc0t59s1OKkiudEvXdnojfU-_-qIlDIzhHNqE4udoS6tWzHZ55-100sHg5nZphYaafEGRc6G3Vb0RbU1NhZFI6dDou1Imvf9G5LB63MNk/s1921/Leadership%20Model.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1921" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjamfKKc-XJckFETCWlkMyDS1kHsmnwBtai04Q0ZhexG39aXPBc1kGOmLJHXgUGMlNb59dle-D_0p42pJkoHPXc0t59s1OKkiudEvXdnojfU-_-qIlDIzhHNqE4udoS6tWzHZ55-100sHg5nZphYaafEGRc6G3Vb0RbU1NhZFI6dDou1Imvf9G5LB63MNk/s320/Leadership%20Model.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have been doing a lot of thinking about how this impacts on wellbeing as principals throughout Aotearoa have access to $6000pa to support their wellbeing and I have seen many 'programmes' being offered to principals to spend this on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Several I have seen offer time in a luxury resort, in some cases on a Pacific Island, with a combination of workshops on wellbeing and activities that are intended to contribute to wellbeing eg massage/spa, golf etc. There is no doubt that one's wellbeing, at that time, will be in a good space. The question has to be asked, though, is does such a programme have a longstanding beneficial impact on wellbeing, or will the luxury feeling soon be forgotten when once back in the trenches of leading a school?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My experience tells me that when I am certain of my 'why', when I can clearly enunciate it, when it drives my decision-making and my actions I feel better about myself and my contribution to the work of leading a school. This is the Moral Purpose from the model above.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I then find that I now have the confidence and the courage to act on my moral purpose and to bring it to life in my work. Displaying this courage makes me feel good.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">But it is when I connect with others and share my moral purpose and plans for action with them as 'çritical friends' that some real gold lies. It is this connection that brings the richness to the work. For this to be effective I have to have an Open to Learning mindset and be prepared to discover that I might be wrong about some of my plans.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When these three come together I feel on top of the world in my work - my wellbeing is high. It becomes a way of working which brings a sustainability to my wellbeing development rather than me relying on the odd luxury escape or a few tools to manage my wellbeing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Secondly, as leaders we need to be cognizant of our impacts on the wellbeing of others who are part of our work community but that we need to support them to find ways to develop their own wellbeing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">One of the most important things we can do to have a positive impact on the wellbeing of our people is to create an environment where our school's moral purpose is clear, where guidelines for action resulting from this purpose drive actions and decision-making, where we, everyday, walk the talk and support others to do so and where we show we welcome the voice of others as we might be wrong in some of our assumptions. People feel good, about themselves, their colleagues, their learners, their contribution and their work, when they are part of such an environment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/"><b>Refresh, Reconnect, Refocus</b> programme</a> <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/">Derek Wenmoth</a> and myself have designed and which kicks off with a 2 day retreat at Hanmer Springs (nothing wrong with a bit of luxury!) on the evening of 20 March is driven by the principles described above. At the Retreat leaders will <b>refresh </b>their thinking about what is possible and what their 'moral purpose' is, <b>reconnect</b> with this purpose and with other like-minded leaders, and <b>refocus</b> their work on bringing it to life in their schools.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Because it must be sustainable to have an impact the retreat is followed by a 20 week programme of online connecting with the whole group, with a critical friend and with Derek and myself as we support participants in their work. We will then conclude with a 24 hour celebration time together where we share our progress and discuss our next steps.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We have a mix of primary and secondary leaders signed up but there are <b>2 spaces left</b>. If you think this is the programme for you to support your wellbeing and leadership growth or think it would be great for a colleague there is a brief window to sign up. Information and <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/">registration processes are in this link.</a></div><div><br /></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5So-M3h0ZvAExWP4cfDIfFbGlZW4VEaYG3grxi3jpCX2L1iLqjK0e5Anu32VFINBMmbVpu4O3x9el5OGLxYBDWEovE_pZpx1Loys9GY4a4suKitqKjB1uYtxxQaIUlyweW66wNJs596CqPqVyAwJoh6vYWKPU0bLjm8dfRafMs17vttDDfrRfRNiefw/s744/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="744" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga5So-M3h0ZvAExWP4cfDIfFbGlZW4VEaYG3grxi3jpCX2L1iLqjK0e5Anu32VFINBMmbVpu4O3x9el5OGLxYBDWEovE_pZpx1Loys9GY4a4suKitqKjB1uYtxxQaIUlyweW66wNJs596CqPqVyAwJoh6vYWKPU0bLjm8dfRafMs17vttDDfrRfRNiefw/s320/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><p><br /></p>Best wishes for 2024.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjMf1y-ET10aof0nI7UZOg8ghkIRD6Vqtk0gUOX4xL1MkDBRECnnUL0Gu4zKXcmtsz_8B2ewqEFtMjRKffYHD5UVfInM6ji51tfkn8KdwNg1_PaJVZZIiaiQ3uKvL5V0whvbPtWXUUrsXc0m1cE22qGDko9uaLh7Wh0a09cuY7Ta7I1NdSL3a40k41bE/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjjMf1y-ET10aof0nI7UZOg8ghkIRD6Vqtk0gUOX4xL1MkDBRECnnUL0Gu4zKXcmtsz_8B2ewqEFtMjRKffYHD5UVfInM6ji51tfkn8KdwNg1_PaJVZZIiaiQ3uKvL5V0whvbPtWXUUrsXc0m1cE22qGDko9uaLh7Wh0a09cuY7Ta7I1NdSL3a40k41bE/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><br />Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-49967606018112742902024-01-08T18:38:00.005+13:002024-01-08T18:38:50.991+13:00How might we overcome hurdles on the way<p>Happy New Year to you all.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPHfs3jTHFNzzxcTaIWBe4-dKNBjk608KSiXIE0xofN-S6tTicnPSgRnd_giD7qMfG_ZZOdoJcUKlPzQ51dRK9ZcsaMkABciduQUwjVb9PACqOJjDGBm2TECh38-W95EE0Ihzm0M34z6JGir-V8MwRjGYf4lWlLndo4LcIKRBu08oZGQKpraGT8T_3QM/s3648/2023-12-24%2012.12.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="2736" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGPHfs3jTHFNzzxcTaIWBe4-dKNBjk608KSiXIE0xofN-S6tTicnPSgRnd_giD7qMfG_ZZOdoJcUKlPzQ51dRK9ZcsaMkABciduQUwjVb9PACqOJjDGBm2TECh38-W95EE0Ihzm0M34z6JGir-V8MwRjGYf4lWlLndo4LcIKRBu08oZGQKpraGT8T_3QM/s320/2023-12-24%2012.12.14.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p>If you've read some of my recent posts you may recall how I've used my big, hairy goal of running 100 miles at the Tarawera Ultra Marathon in February as a metaphor for school transformation. I have written about setting a truly aspirational goal, one that has some chance of not being able to be achieved and the importance of sharing it which gives some impetus to really trying to achieve it.</p><p>In settling on the aspirational goal it is vital to be very clear on your 'why' - a step that is often overlooked. This can be focused on by asking yourself, "Why might I [choose to run 100 miles]" - insert own big, hairy goal. In my case my 'why' is to test what I am truly capable of as I make the journey through my 60s.</p><p>I then had to ask myself, "How might I [run 100 miles]?" I had to think about all of the aspects of training for such an event, seek out expert advice, consider how I've responded to similar challenges and adopt an open-to-learning, optimistic and responsive mindset. By combining those guidelines for action I developed a plan which became the answer to "What might I do [to successfully complete a 100 mile race]?</p><p>And, of course, as for all major enterprises things go wrong. Life commitments impact on the plan and injuries come along. In my case, I experienced a niggling and potentially major overuse injury to my foot. At first, I tried to press on through the discomfort, then I "did some research" and tried to manage it myself, and I finally sought expert help. To make sure I could heal I was forced, at the very time in my programme that I should have been at peak mileage, to radically adjust my plan (which involved 2 weeks of walking rather than running).</p><p>Now 6 weeks out from the even I am free of pain and I can feel myself building strength (physical and mental) to give me the best chance of being successful. However, as I get closer to the event, the realisation of what I have set out to achieve often overwhelms me and I am still feeling that completing the event in the required time is still only 50/50.</p><p>I do know, though, that whatever the outcome the journey, the exploring my 'why', determining my guidelines for action, developing a plan and then adapting it as the hurdles appear in front of me will all contribute to my learning for a future "How might I ....?" </p><p>It is a bit similar to a school transformation journey. It involves a big, hairy goal which is shared in the public space. It also involves a deep exploration of the 'why', the 'how' and the 'what' and requires responsiveness, resilience and adaptability when you fall into the Learning Pit as the inevitable hurdles present themselves. There is also a sense of comfort in knowing that if things don't pan out how you expect then there will be still some cool experiences and learning on the way.</p><p>An unexpected cool experience for me is that my daughter has jumped at the chance to be my companion/pacer over the last 50k. This is including training together on the trails (lots of neat bonding and talk) and preparing, together, the equipment and resources we will need. This in itself will be valued by me irrespective of the outcome.</p><p>If you are wanting to set out on a school transformation journey or are on one but have become a bit stuck you should check out <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/">this exciting 20 week programme</a> Derek Wenmouth and I will be facilitating. It starts in March with a 2 day retreat in Hanmer Springs then includes 20 weeks of remote mentoring and a final 1 day of celebration. We'll help you explore your 'why', settle on your 'how' and support you in your 'what'. And you'll do this while being part of a network of other like-minded leaders.</p><p>There are a small number of places left with final sign update being 4th February. <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/">Check it out.</a></p><p>And if you are a DP or HOF with school leadership aspirations get in contact with us as we plan something similar but appropriate for those of you at that stage in your leadership journey.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0RVsH0CE6Ji83K7W5DrOgaBBu1sCkAFfPHW2SVI_Ryjzucri9yzFLZLDsRcK8gR-8Eb3U1MQTwSwBu5qb-sEwAJkSeAoFb9FFqxe-bPTcNBM1pMIxKquPFjNXMEIah-TjrRgnRzF1dJA6qx_FIW9UOkpoVS4ILSVLh9jzj1_MurOIVjsKb7IyI0VDlo/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0RVsH0CE6Ji83K7W5DrOgaBBu1sCkAFfPHW2SVI_Ryjzucri9yzFLZLDsRcK8gR-8Eb3U1MQTwSwBu5qb-sEwAJkSeAoFb9FFqxe-bPTcNBM1pMIxKquPFjNXMEIah-TjrRgnRzF1dJA6qx_FIW9UOkpoVS4ILSVLh9jzj1_MurOIVjsKb7IyI0VDlo/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-40715900161119905602023-12-18T15:36:00.001+13:002023-12-18T15:36:11.680+13:00From Principal Possum to How Might We Lead 2023: A summary and look forward<p> <span style="font-family: inherit;">2023 was a year of uncertainty for me. But sitting here right now 2024 is one of excitement. The thing I'm most excited about is to work with Derek Wenmouth. <span style="background-color: white;">Early next year we are running a a 20-week professional development programme for principals, focusing on wellbeing, innovation and change. I really love the model we have come up with as we support principals to Refresh Reconnect and Refocus through two retreats (kicking off at Hanmer Springs in late March) bookending 20 weeks of remote mentoring and connecting. We still have some places left but confirmations must be received by 4 February to secure a place in the programme. Please help us spread the word to let others know about this exciting opportunity. </span></span></p><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://futuremakers.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u%3Db922214578cf5a20728f5cc40%26id%3D08af148948%26e%3D74551ebbfc&source=gmail&ust=1702933354381000&usg=AOvVaw1nUsC2K-nu5fMd2JjE1394" href="https://futuremakers.us7.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b922214578cf5a20728f5cc40&id=08af148948&e=74551ebbfc" jslog="32272; 1:WyIjdGhyZWFkLWY6MTc4NTU2MTE4NzcwODcwNzI0OSJd; 4:WyIjbXNnLWY6MTc4NTU2MTE4NzcwODcwNzI0OSJd" style="background-color: white; color: #007c89; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px;" target="_blank">Find out more here.</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqUmS93iOQcUTtRZIxDP0DQfRZZf2n1jGCbi9nJ-LzdyIqLAjkOzRIgTnEmW752_PSWtaFoX6_-IzxZEd7wVq9KMe5G9cg6748xiiG8dXV63CESOm6fhpw2jV-y8n8tBBZ0ZP1ovflG810eNMxWrjLiqup4kpc6C4IbWfITnx7qJTyiFQ6nSBLlJb-tc/s744/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="744" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqUmS93iOQcUTtRZIxDP0DQfRZZf2n1jGCbi9nJ-LzdyIqLAjkOzRIgTnEmW752_PSWtaFoX6_-IzxZEd7wVq9KMe5G9cg6748xiiG8dXV63CESOm6fhpw2jV-y8n8tBBZ0ZP1ovflG810eNMxWrjLiqup4kpc6C4IbWfITnx7qJTyiFQ6nSBLlJb-tc/s320/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>I finished up as Foundation Principal of Hobsonville Point Secondary School in July this year. It took 2 years, initially keeping it to myself, to come to the conclusion that that was the right time to leave. Of the many decisions I've had to make in my career this was one of the hardest. I loved my work, I loved the people I was working with, I loved the students and I felt I was still making a difference. But I'm convinced it was time for someone else to lead and take the school further into the future.</p><p><a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/08/how-might-we-lead.html">In this post</a> I wrote about the moving haka I experienced on my final day and also on what my plans were in the future, considering I believed that I could still make a contribution in the education field.</p><p>My plans centred around forming <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">HMWLead (How Might We Lead)</a> and offering opportunities to partner with schools and their leadership teams to explore ways of leading in such a dynamic environment.</p><p>In one of <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/09/how-might-we-lead-why-why-why.html">my first posts</a> with HMWLead I wrote of the importance of having a clear understanding of and strong commitment to your personal 'why' as a leader. Having a clear understanding of your 'why' or moral purpose, in my view, gives a leader the courage to lead. My personal model of leadership captured in this visual shows not only the importance of Moral Purpose and Courage but also accepting the sometimes quite challenging position that you might be wrong (Open to Learning).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAQaVyt1iyskLbYtJ88MRcyTre-tw_9Oa0jRtyF85eUed9mbmpYDm0o99Bs3-CnQmzue4bwzKbidPdG8SEPEGLU9w2Jocwm4LxA7_0yUEWxMmIcE5K37QTC79hTQ02RwdjSy-prMwbfXWmK5DZWFOWXTs7r5JxV3X86Z1kfGVju5YRmv_AAo5ZJ7bFxw/s1921/Leadership%20Model.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1921" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAQaVyt1iyskLbYtJ88MRcyTre-tw_9Oa0jRtyF85eUed9mbmpYDm0o99Bs3-CnQmzue4bwzKbidPdG8SEPEGLU9w2Jocwm4LxA7_0yUEWxMmIcE5K37QTC79hTQ02RwdjSy-prMwbfXWmK5DZWFOWXTs7r5JxV3X86Z1kfGVju5YRmv_AAo5ZJ7bFxw/s320/Leadership%20Model.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In a <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/09/working-with-how-might-we-lead-hmwlead.html">September post</a> I launched the <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">HMWLead website</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56n5YK-2_yBPj5Ju7tuj0C4SRJbS9ZiTXlVxfl2ZC3wdX4aSgDZWW4fFCYU8DPhve3I5ye9be4m0HYvLMRn0174ivOqI3TxkjgIJ_mGjJ3JPt8SCCDZRpKYuSLnYpjtMYWdYrCVqgSrJq8sNesSiryv2YuqzsGmLQogg3WZrBJEf4zHjIpgQ7X1yFGvg/s2706/Screenshot%202023-12-18%2010.42.59.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2706" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56n5YK-2_yBPj5Ju7tuj0C4SRJbS9ZiTXlVxfl2ZC3wdX4aSgDZWW4fFCYU8DPhve3I5ye9be4m0HYvLMRn0174ivOqI3TxkjgIJ_mGjJ3JPt8SCCDZRpKYuSLnYpjtMYWdYrCVqgSrJq8sNesSiryv2YuqzsGmLQogg3WZrBJEf4zHjIpgQ7X1yFGvg/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-18%2010.42.59.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>In my<a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-might-we-lead-what-might-be-possible.html"> October post</a> I used the analogy of my entry into the Tarawera Ultra 100 mile trail run to encourage thinking around <i style="font-weight: bold;">what might be possible</i> when we set out to test what we are truly capable of achieving. I wrote about my experience at Opotiki College going from 40-50 suspensions a year to zero as an example of exploring different approaches to age-old problems.<div><br /></div><div><a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-might-we-lead-trying-to-form-new.html">My next post </a>explored how we might go about the seemingly daunting task of transforming how we do 'schooling'. <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I am more and more convinced that how we do this work is to really focus on what it is that we know that creates the conditions for the best teaching and learning that is required today. We need to start with understanding and agreeing on how students learn best. From there we need to develop a set of core beliefs for which we are ready to "die in the ditch" and design our schools based on those core beliefs.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-might-we-lead-with-set-of-common.html" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">a further post</a> I focused on the view that t<span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">he number one principle for effective schools seems to be that they have clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning </span><b style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>that are lived in every classroom.</i></b></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I then proposed that the clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning that are lived in every classroom need to be driven by a vision and mission which are<i> </i><b style="font-style: italic;">deeply informed by new contexts for learning.</b> In the previous post I stated that, in the end, it doesn't matter what the core beliefs about learning are but that it was vital that they were <i style="font-weight: bold;">lived in every classroom.</i> But, of course, it does matter.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If we start, as we should, with the question:</span></span></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"How do children and adults learn most powerfully and deeply in their lives?" <a href="https://modernlearners.com/" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">(Modern Learners)</a>.</span></span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and we add:</span></span></span><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">"When they leave us, what will our students need to be able to do, and what kind of people will they be?" (Modern Learners)</span></span></li></ul><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">and we take into account the rapidly changing and threatened world in store for our current learners (climate crisis, pandemics, increasing inequity, war, biodiversity threat, AI, world of work), we must explore, embrace and fully incorporate in our design of schools and of learning new ways in which we can learn and become educated.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As 2023 ends I am able to reflect on being satisfied at the timing of my stepping down from principalship and the challenge and excitement I am feeling as a result of my work in schools, most of whom are embracing an ongoing partnership to support them on their journey. Their journeys are all very different, but they are all benefiting from exploring their 'why' - the things they are prepared to die in the ditch for.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm still excited by my upcoming challenge to complete the 100 miler in February despite the setbacks and challenges that have occurred.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm extremely excited by the collaboration with Derek Wenmouth. Our Refrresh, Reconnect, Refocus programme for school leaders is innovative and we are already planning similar for the different levels of leadership within schools.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the meantime, if you're a school leader (primary or secondary) wanting to experience what this programme offers <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/">get amongst it here</a>. If you're a DP or middle leader with aspirations to lead with Moral Purpose and Courage then watch this space.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sing out if you have any questions.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Have a happy and safe summer.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTLs_FsQZ3BqUwTL6yfHhAeWoY-Zw1Qwa1twHfQF_qSzU5wZKEqod7ZE1CTRrJqvciwdiseLVw7piOpkTIqwhbLfeHOVPOUhT-d2TpsWbJ5v_ijNtRNvZW6l_QyM0JBKmpQURkMcHbqI6yDNEuyqNaN_2jvz2i7BW_kK0P8nR2Fr5Hrx220x3wW8KqDw/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTLs_FsQZ3BqUwTL6yfHhAeWoY-Zw1Qwa1twHfQF_qSzU5wZKEqod7ZE1CTRrJqvciwdiseLVw7piOpkTIqwhbLfeHOVPOUhT-d2TpsWbJ5v_ijNtRNvZW6l_QyM0JBKmpQURkMcHbqI6yDNEuyqNaN_2jvz2i7BW_kK0P8nR2Fr5Hrx220x3wW8KqDw/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-46149933279394254472023-12-10T14:22:00.000+13:002023-12-10T14:22:18.618+13:00How Might We Lead and FutureMakers: Sustainable support of principal wellbeing<p> I love the <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">How Might We Lead</a> title of my little venture that is designed to support school leaders and their teams to look at how they might lead differently so they can bring their moral purpose to life in a way that allows teachers and students to thrive.</p><p>The 'How' puts the focus clearly on exploring possibilities and focusing on process. The 'Might' hints at the possibility of not finding the answer straight away but suggests giving some things a go. The 'We' centres on exploration and trying things out as a collective, networked activity.</p><p>I'm hugely excited by a recent and ongoing collaboration with <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/derek-cv/">Derek Wenmouth</a> and his platform <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/">FutureMakers</a>. His platform has a cool title, too, as it points to where our focus should be (Future), with the 'Makers' bit pointing to the agency that needs to be developed in leaders so that they can bring life to their vision for the future.</p><p>Our recent collaboration has resulted in the development of a powerful and sustainable approach to support principal wellbeing which focuses on leaders reconnecting with their personal 'why' and being equipped with tools to bring that to life in their schools, supported by a strong network of like-minded leaders who maintain a strong connection throughout the 20 week programme.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOmfCDTZLPMu0dDdnNe_vM5vcgK91DqFM4m-Qgrl1J-hMq2-xOmLrUFnRcps8aJqzMxVGmrPul9BT7m0ch9OLiZdn1sC8uBOEv4Rv4U-OOJOYrxoeS9KCMPtIMJUqnRi63MJFr4-Wrc-faNF7X6l7hxe1RIfLrIJEv1HLCmiweaKobWDkvZ326PgmcWs/s744/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="744" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOmfCDTZLPMu0dDdnNe_vM5vcgK91DqFM4m-Qgrl1J-hMq2-xOmLrUFnRcps8aJqzMxVGmrPul9BT7m0ch9OLiZdn1sC8uBOEv4Rv4U-OOJOYrxoeS9KCMPtIMJUqnRi63MJFr4-Wrc-faNF7X6l7hxe1RIfLrIJEv1HLCmiweaKobWDkvZ326PgmcWs/s320/Refresh%20Reconnect%20Refocus%20Logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-94d6a98e-7fff-fb55-f07e-00686f0c9c98"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">While there has been a recent and necessary focus on the wellbeing of students and of teachers, the wellbeing of school principals has often been overlooked. When thinking about how best to support/grow the wellbeing of school leaders it is important to concentrate on strategies that are long-lasting and sustainable. A luxury escape with some personal pampering, while attractive, does little more than ease the load/worry at that point in time and is, in itself, not enduring. We believe that leaders who have a clear sense of their ‘why’, are confident in articulating their ‘why’ in ways that rally others around them, who are excited by the future they see in front of them for themselves, their colleagues and their students and who have a set of tools they can use in concert with a community of similarly excited leaders have their wellbeing best supported.</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Detailed information and the registration process can be <a href="https://futuremakers.nz/principals-pl-programme/">found here</a>. We're limiting this programme to 20 principals so we can ensure strong connections are sustained between all participants. Registrations are coming in quickly so you'll need to act quite quickly to take advantage of this innovative opportunity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our programme is structured as follows:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>2 day retreat at the wonderful Hanmer Springs</li><li>20 weeks of remote coaching and mentoring (a mix of whole group and 1-on-1)</li><li>1 day face-to-face celebration and planning of next steps</li></ul>The three elements of the programme are:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Refresh</b> - explore how to address your physical, mental and social wellbeing</li><li><b>Refocus</b> - explore your personal 'why' and be exposed to tools to plan from that point</li><li><b>Reconnect - </b>design a personal and collective view of a future-focused approach supported by a community of like-minded leaders</li></ul>This programme well and truly aligns with FutureMakers' vision to:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>Inspire the next generation of leaders, thinkers and problem-solvers</i></b></li></ul>and HMWLead's vision to:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><i>Empower educational leaders for transformative change</i></b></li></ul>We'd love you to join us on this journey.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xAie-YWtb_bnvp-RMpo0YhmCDjKRf30WssyQ4LJsyRol7LdY2NR58lxU4u2g0VyaofT1qkZ1TdlcFQEz41jb3uwBeUTFboYfdaMZtBfSWaGHanpTUANWl96VBFzqEtYHNovc6R-a5M_cL-2FSPrtDW2H9QqK75Cl3kOlS2bwMzEzzG2xY6L8qtIEymc/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xAie-YWtb_bnvp-RMpo0YhmCDjKRf30WssyQ4LJsyRol7LdY2NR58lxU4u2g0VyaofT1qkZ1TdlcFQEz41jb3uwBeUTFboYfdaMZtBfSWaGHanpTUANWl96VBFzqEtYHNovc6R-a5M_cL-2FSPrtDW2H9QqK75Cl3kOlS2bwMzEzzG2xY6L8qtIEymc/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-70628682858199982152023-11-13T13:32:00.000+13:002023-11-13T13:32:32.413+13:00How Might We Lead? Designing our new narrative<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUYPK3hRZehjjCXRybTOOAiKtcN6iP8v_qk3PoLa2wKJPk3VbVhLpR__Uo3piDs64bDpTzGtGOe7kLHoHmF_0YSzz5vJ9Skn5zgEzFgkBpJm2t0GWxlS0OlEth2Ss8B8KvfpnY939aSDO12gND5uyUkb88obICAXzeZRBgGUA9vSp2GqVtSkvQiw2Rmk/s4000/Home%20Banner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUYPK3hRZehjjCXRybTOOAiKtcN6iP8v_qk3PoLa2wKJPk3VbVhLpR__Uo3piDs64bDpTzGtGOe7kLHoHmF_0YSzz5vJ9Skn5zgEzFgkBpJm2t0GWxlS0OlEth2Ss8B8KvfpnY939aSDO12gND5uyUkb88obICAXzeZRBgGUA9vSp2GqVtSkvQiw2Rmk/s320/Home%20Banner.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-might-we-lead-with-set-of-common.html">my previous post</a> I focused on the view that t<span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; white-space-collapse: preserve;">he number one principle seems to be that effective schools have clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning </span><b style="color: #444444; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><i>that are lived in every classroom.</i></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="color: #444444; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This post proposes that the clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning that are lived in every classroom need to be driven by a vision and mission which are<i> </i><b style="font-style: italic;">deeply informed by new contexts for learning.</b> In the previous post I stated that, in the end, it doesn't matter what the core beliefs about learning are but that it was vital that they were <i style="font-weight: bold;">lived in every classroom.</i> But, of course, it does matter.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span><span style="color: #444444; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If we start, as we should, with the question:</span></span></span></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><span style="font-family: arial;">"How do children and adults learn most powerfully and deeply in their lives?" <a href="https://modernlearners.com/" style="color: #3778cd; text-decoration-line: none;">(Modern Learners)</a>.</span></span></li></ul><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and we add:</span></span><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"When they leave us, what will our students need to be able to do, and what kind of people will they be?" (Modern Learners)</span></span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">and we take into account the rapidly changing and threatened world in store for our current learners (climate crisis, pandemics, increasing inequity, war, biodiversity threat, AI, world of work), we must explore, embrace and fully incorporate in our design of schools and of learning new ways in which we can learn and become educated.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">These new ways of learning which will better prepare our ākonga for the realities of their fast-changing world need to be central and visible in a compelling narrative of what the school stands for and the principles that guide it.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Charles Leadbetter in <i>Learning on Purpose</i> (Centre for Strategic Action) says, " A compelling narrative has to convey both purpose and possibility, it speaks to identity (who you are, where you've come from and what you stand for) and intent (where you are going, what you want to achieve)." He also talks of the importance of being able to tell a coherent story about yourself. "<b>with an arc into the future</b>." </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; white-space-collapse: preserve;">He describes a process to follow to establish the compelling narrative:</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">clearly identify the dominant narrative which you wish to challenge and "how it disables you from making change and what its weaknesses are, how it does not add up."</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">settle on a metaphor to build the narrative around. But make sure this reflects the new narrative (eg rather than competing, getting best scores etc more relevant metaphors might be around a growth in important dispositions that better prepare young people to flourish in the realities of the modern world.)</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">contextualise the narrative and metaphor to your current setting and propose new structures to support the narrative.</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">show what the way ahead looks like and the likely ways of navigating through</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">focus on the narrative being invitational so that it becomes compelling to be part of</span></span></li></ul><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">In thinking about the new contexts for learning that should be driving our vision and mission and be central to our new compelling narrative I'd like to highlight Michael Fullan (quoting Hargreaves and O'Connor) in <i>The Right Drivers For Whole System Success</i> (Centre for Strategic Education) who identifies "collaboration embedded in the culture and life of the school," as a key factor in effective schools.</span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Another useful framework to assist with a new narrative for schools and learning is that described by the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (OECD) with their <i>7 Principles of Learning.</i></span></span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Learners at the centre</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Social nature of learning</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Emotions are integral to learning</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Recognising individual differences</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Stretching all students</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Assessment for learning</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Building horizontal connections</span></span></li></ul><span style="font-family: arial;">As well, in one of their <i>Horizon Reports</i> NMC looking at future trends to develop deeper learning identifies project-based learning and inquiry learning as effective pedagogical approaches for deeper learning.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The <i>Innovation Unit</i> in the UK encourages schools wanting to be more effective to personalise learning, connect learning to the outside world, adopt a version of project-based learning, develop approaches that have students doing the teaching and inviting students into the learning design process.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Developing a compelling new narrative for your school, especially one that is fully informed by new contexts for learning (collaboration, connected, co-constructed), could be demanding work, but it is also rewarding and exciting work.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We know what makes for deep learning. The next step is to capture that in a compelling narrative for our school.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm happy to help.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RtSlH-Z-hfG16TlpNYL-KS_PTO4EZnw45YVmq5gG5T8B23LoXZTlZQsXyh2YySUm06cyQUZSpvdo_8LT6IpdJOkQBmNai8aqnpWzXO9CGfPpkRjS8q6GrbnU528RZfnAtBqsHGATFuR4ccnIlHS78I9wp8Av8IRWhADTSNuelL3GYlctLdlt8CiXrnE/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="144" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0RtSlH-Z-hfG16TlpNYL-KS_PTO4EZnw45YVmq5gG5T8B23LoXZTlZQsXyh2YySUm06cyQUZSpvdo_8LT6IpdJOkQBmNai8aqnpWzXO9CGfPpkRjS8q6GrbnU528RZfnAtBqsHGATFuR4ccnIlHS78I9wp8Av8IRWhADTSNuelL3GYlctLdlt8CiXrnE/w226-h144/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="226" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-67341371999739904702023-11-06T17:30:00.000+13:002023-11-06T17:30:45.186+13:00How Might We Lead With a Set of Common Beliefs (about learning!)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwrurHoI7_ADTe530Y4N6C_RQJQCBJBGt-zKrMfp5NPF8AR1eoQXVXdwUOefTYqZg0FY028dJPmTthYNj-4-N2hFJAu4P9XV9P4OJY1ZKrNtdnziGWUVUrCjzgLfLNxbujOO-9uhcbezR0eOJLS5GNjXEuH-H8bzjDNITGy7a2sPd-QMCdxpu2EbFxxQ/s1868/Offer%20Banner%20-%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="1868" height="125" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnwrurHoI7_ADTe530Y4N6C_RQJQCBJBGt-zKrMfp5NPF8AR1eoQXVXdwUOefTYqZg0FY028dJPmTthYNj-4-N2hFJAu4P9XV9P4OJY1ZKrNtdnziGWUVUrCjzgLfLNxbujOO-9uhcbezR0eOJLS5GNjXEuH-H8bzjDNITGy7a2sPd-QMCdxpu2EbFxxQ/w466-h125/Offer%20Banner%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="466" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">While exploring the Education Leadership group on Linkedin I came across this:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span> "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.9); white-space-collapse: preserve;">A competent curriculum leader is able to clearly articulate their philosophy on 'how students learn best.' They and their team need to lead with a common belief."</span></span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">This jumped out at me as I've been spending some time delving into what seems to be the most important factors/principles that determine whether a school is effective or efficient<a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/11/how-might-we-lead-for-effectiveness.html"> (see previous post).</a> What I have discovered to be one of the most important principles is no surprise as it has driven my work as an educational leader and has been the area where I have been focusing most of my work with schools and organisations with my consultancy <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">HMWLead</a>.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The number one principle seems to be that effective schools have clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning <b><i>that are lived in every classroom</i></b> <a href="https://modernlearners.com/">(Modern Learners)</a>. The simple bit might be determining what the shared beliefs about learning should be. Often, the harder bit is ensuring that they are lived in every classroom. The Education Leadership quote above, in my view, is pointing the way towards this happens - it is, in fact, by everyone leading with these common beliefs. If this happens then the practices to ensure it is happening in every classroom will emerge.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The quote also points to the fact that it is important that the core beliefs that drive a school should be about learning and about how people learn. It is all very well to have a set of core beliefs and values that are largely behavioural (eg respect, honesty, integrity etc) but <b><i>learning </i></b>beliefs and values should be front and centre in a school.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Determining what these shared beliefs about learning are should start with answering the question:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">"How do children and adults learn most powerfully and deeply in their lives?" <a href="https://modernlearners.com/">(Modern Learners)</a>.</span></li></ul><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">The investigation I am carrying out certainly supports the assertion made by Will Richardson and Bruce Dixon from Modern Learners that without a collaboratively created/developed belief system about what makes learning powerful that is lived each day through classroom norms for learning and a common language, schools cannot develop each child to their potential as a learner.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">If we accept that being a self-directed and self-determined learner is the most important skill to develop within our learners then it is vital that we take the time to discuss how we can create the conditions in our schools for these skills to develop. And when we have settled on the principles/beliefs that we believe create these conditions we have to make sure that they are visible everywhere in our school, in the language we use and the classroom practices we adopt.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Based on what we see in the research about what makes for powerful learning for today's students what are examples of some elements that could be the core of our beliefs about learning? Here are a few:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Know your students (Education Leadership, Bishop)</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Learners at the centre (OECD, Innovation Unit)</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Student agency (Education Leadership, Wenmouth)</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Connect learning horizontally and to the real world (Innovation Unit, OECD)</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Inquiry based approaches (OECD, Innovation Unit)</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Experiential learning (</span>Centre for Strategic Education, Innovation Unit)</li><li>Promote collaboration and interaction (Fullan, Education Leadership, OECD)</li><li>Measure what matters/A4L (Innovation Unit, OECD)</li><li>Stretch and support all learners (OECD, Education Leadership)</li></ul>This is by no means an exhaustive list and cleverer people than I will be able to add to it. It is a good starting point for discussion as groups of teachers interrogate their beliefs and the beliefs of others about what makes for deep learning.<p></p><p>The key, of course, is then to discuss and agree what impacts these beliefs would have on our teaching practice. For example:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>truly knowing my students and how they best learn will mean I'd have to adopt a relationship based approach to my pedagogy and implement culturally sustaining practices</li><li>knowing my students would mean I'd be aware of their needs, interests and passions and would incorporate them into my learning design, and my belief in student agency would have me co-constructing learning and assessment programmes with individual learners</li><li>belief in connected learning (across subjects and with the real world), inquiry-based approaches and experiential learning would have me exploring a relevant project-based learning model</li><li>promoting collaboration and interaction would mean incorporating appropriately organised and structured co-operative group work throughout my learning design</li><li>a belief that we should measure what matters will require me to search for ways to track how well my learners are collaborating, showing self-determination, being resilient in their learning etc. I will also need to ensure that all learners know what is expected of them and why that is expected</li><li>if I'm wishing to stretch and support all learners I will need to be designing learning according to the principles of Universal Design for Learning</li></ul>In the end, it doesn't matter too much what the core beliefs about learning are (though I'll cover that in another post). What matters is that the core beliefs about learning are known, understood, shared and drive the learning in all classrooms.<p></p><p>I wonder if all schools can say they have a set of clearly articulated and shared beliefs about learning. If they do, I wonder if they know that they are truly lived in every classroom. I also wonder if all leaders lead with those common beliefs. I know that I couldn't have answered 'yes' to those questions throughout much of my leadership.</p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"></p><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Once again, this looks like demanding work, but it also looks like rewarding and exciting work.</span></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #444444; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpgxcqAn8uEsQQxnmtZWWeWdgiVvdipyORX7-nbNBb4J3AaCN4Jjxt0OW0pjs7PoIMRkrMLn8y8qEQNhty6Rm2o3q_Q6K6Dytq0y5oItyp_sKRTzRYsbKSe2sWLqhVstmzwp75Gd_DbYQ30OqZSWasWKlh1MfsTarL0OoM1p8CT2DQgQVnTKwtXc-PKU/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="124" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpgxcqAn8uEsQQxnmtZWWeWdgiVvdipyORX7-nbNBb4J3AaCN4Jjxt0OW0pjs7PoIMRkrMLn8y8qEQNhty6Rm2o3q_Q6K6Dytq0y5oItyp_sKRTzRYsbKSe2sWLqhVstmzwp75Gd_DbYQ30OqZSWasWKlh1MfsTarL0OoM1p8CT2DQgQVnTKwtXc-PKU/w194-h124/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="194" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-89137569702635230332023-11-02T11:53:00.003+13:002023-11-02T11:53:42.954+13:00How Might We Lead for Effectiveness Rather Than Efficiency?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Uy3NeGy-JhlyUYXzDQE9z6YGqMNMQtER-VfAlvaNugU2F5hVwoNGaB1wV0366VNDwz5-8f0o9OtX4SpPvqTe7kV6mXZGLbxBvIF1qzq7jRi8R3mVKgOJA9qL8X5xnig3ZQR8ZmgcgLNt7NoFnmzn2cOpWv5SQDfmLqdWfZWWeGz150vzqjt3w579DUs/s960/Offer%20Leadership.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Uy3NeGy-JhlyUYXzDQE9z6YGqMNMQtER-VfAlvaNugU2F5hVwoNGaB1wV0366VNDwz5-8f0o9OtX4SpPvqTe7kV6mXZGLbxBvIF1qzq7jRi8R3mVKgOJA9qL8X5xnig3ZQR8ZmgcgLNt7NoFnmzn2cOpWv5SQDfmLqdWfZWWeGz150vzqjt3w579DUs/w172-h229/Offer%20Leadership.jpg" width="172" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I have been delving more deeply into the work of <span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><a href="https://modernlearners.com/" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;">Modern Learners</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, </span><a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;">Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (OECD)</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, </span><a href="https://www.cse.edu.au/" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;">Michael Fullan and Chris Leadbetter and their work with the Centre for Strategic Education</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, </span><a href="https://www.innovationunit.org/people/valeriehannon/" style="background-color: white; color: #3778cd; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-line: none;">Valerie Hannon and her work with the Innovation Unit</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> and Russell Bishop's Teaching/Leading to the North-east which I mentioned in <a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/10/how-might-we-lead-trying-to-form-new.html">my previous post</a>. I am doing this to attempt to distill the key principles relevant for schooling and learning design that are reflected in their work.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">A couple of things have happened.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The first is<a href="https://aurora-institute.org/resource/agency-by-design-an-educators-playbook/"> Agency By Design</a> (Derek Wenmouth et al) has been released and I've taken advantage of the free download. I've skimmed through it once and will soon digest it more thoroughly , but it looks to me as if they have done a great job in distilling those key principles, explaining them clearly and providing a framework for schools and their leaders to use to bring those principles to life. I'm still going to complete my own analysis as described above and take that lens to a deeper dive into their work.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The second is the discovery of a few quotes in the work of those mentioned above which really resonate with me and which capture the lens through which I believe I have operated as a school leader in the past and through which I approach the work I am doing now. Here they are:</span></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">"Modern learners' newfound ability to take full control of their learning is THE educational shift of our times." (Modern Learners)</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">"Cannot separate wellbeing and learning." (Fullan)</span></span></li><li><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">"The power of the relationships will always dwarf all other pedagogical strategies." (From an OECD source I can't find, so any help greatly appreciated!)</span></span></li></ul><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">I also was drawn to the point of difference described in Modern Learners' <a href="https://modernlearners.com/10-principles-schools-modern-learning/">10 Principles For Schools of Modern Learning</a> between Efficient Schools and Effective Schools.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;"><b>Efficient </b>schools are those that prize knowing over the ability to learn while <b>effective </b>schools focus on developing students as learners. Their document references Peter Drucker who reminds us that, "There is a difference between doing things right and doing the right thing." Drucker's colleague, Russell Ackoff goes on to add, "Doing things right is efficiency. Doing the right thing is effectiveness." </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px;">If we accept the quote above, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><i>"Modern learners' newfound ability to take full control of their learning is THE educational shift of our times." </i>(Modern Learners) and think about the difference between <b>efficiency</b> and <b>effectiveness</b> then we must ask ourselves if <i>doing things right </i>in the traditional school environment, while may be being efficient, is the <i>right thing to do.</i> I would argue that many of the practices that keep our schools efficient (streaming, learning in subject silos, paradigm of one - one class, one hour, one subject, one teacher, one set of learning activities, one pace of learning, one assessment) do not recognise this important educational shift.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The likely outcome of sticking to these practices of efficiency is that schools will become less effective. This will result in decreased student engagement (attendance, behaviour, motivation to learn) and decreased teacher engagement as it feels more and more like they're pushing it uphill. </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Another danger is that baby boomer politicians who do not understand this new educational shift and the relentlessness of it will impose policies on schools that may have some populist appeal but are simply focusing on efficiency and not effectiveness.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Both of these outcomes/dangers worry me.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It is vital that we interrogate some of these thoughts, be guided by research and evidence, and decide whether the goal for our school is effectiveness or efficiency and whether we embrace the opportunities afforded us by our students' "newfound ability to take full control of their learning." </span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This looks like demanding work, but it also looks like rewarding and exciting work.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-MwQXH7D_NztnwtaEwReW4EcQl7YmvrZHvTvI11cFWS9HU5LQl0kZ36uCyR_rXH8206GuKWKS3VMvMqMOlrLU6B-P8NMF1lqsuzHWN4faok96AX5rPJVsUi2YpVu9FLRK8teRUO42SIlmCiLIhXg1RfnS_PhspHWud1v3BoVeFOmzdG-BO5ykxAzGks/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-MwQXH7D_NztnwtaEwReW4EcQl7YmvrZHvTvI11cFWS9HU5LQl0kZ36uCyR_rXH8206GuKWKS3VMvMqMOlrLU6B-P8NMF1lqsuzHWN4faok96AX5rPJVsUi2YpVu9FLRK8teRUO42SIlmCiLIhXg1RfnS_PhspHWud1v3BoVeFOmzdG-BO5ykxAzGks/w220-h140/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-82770208413197692132023-10-29T14:42:00.000+13:002023-10-29T14:42:04.302+13:00How Might We Lead: Trying To Form New Habits<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhq6d1Tk8rA47qNXLI_CtJxqPxb6r_GTSSkAoYh0zRci49rFvy3ySVTZlQhTjpx668OwvmaOPL-NwONVXzPbh6YAcZPQGN7Sl-WfvL_JgQuGofCvoVkCIoG_DyRT1SsUo6XkkXnyyDkl7bfsvuDXjawqt9fqo359dFJBxXPjBNZ6L9vMyvYYlLqogrEM/s2048/Running.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1367" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzhq6d1Tk8rA47qNXLI_CtJxqPxb6r_GTSSkAoYh0zRci49rFvy3ySVTZlQhTjpx668OwvmaOPL-NwONVXzPbh6YAcZPQGN7Sl-WfvL_JgQuGofCvoVkCIoG_DyRT1SsUo6XkkXnyyDkl7bfsvuDXjawqt9fqo359dFJBxXPjBNZ6L9vMyvYYlLqogrEM/s320/Running.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>You might not connect with the following metaphor but it works for me.</p><p>I've been running 'competitively' for 50+ years. I don't think a lot about the 'how' of running; I reckon I know how to do it and I just get out and run. If someone asked me to describe how to run I'd have to stop and think because, for me, I just put one foot in front of the other and lean forward. The way I run is habitual and just happens.</p><p>I've recently discovered, though, that how I run has become not fit-for-purpose. As I've aged, my non-running muscles have weakened and I've discovered I've developed, unconsciously, a bent over shuffle type gait. Up until now it hasn't been too much of a problem as I shuffle along the roads and trails and accept the increasing and more-early-arriving pain is just part of the game.</p><p>However, I now want to run a 100 miler which brings a whole different purpose to why I'm running. This means I need to adopt a different 'how' as I won't make the 100 miles doing what I'm currently doing. The pain will be too much.</p><p>So, I've done some research and have adopted a different gait - one that has me running taller and making use of my glutes rather than focusing on my quads and hamstrings. Because this style has not yet become habitual I have to concentrate on my gait almost every single step to prevent myself falling back to old habits.</p><p>The new gait brings different issues. Pain and discomfort is emerging in new areas as I transition to a new way of running. I fully expect that things will get better with this. Also, to maintain the gait and the efficiency I expect, I need to do strength and flexibility exercises, especially to my core and in my hip area. I don't have a high level of motivation for this so it is something I need to really commit to and hold myself accountable.</p><p>While I'm confident that if I stick to my plans I will gain huge benefit I fully expect there to be problems on the way. I'll develop new niggles and new pains and I'll fall back into bad or previous habits. I have developed strategies to support me to stick to the new path.</p><p>I've realised the body was getting a bit creaky. This, along with my new 'why' (100 miler) has meant I need to develop a new 'how' with a new set of principles/guidelines (include strength and flexibility work in my training, be open to changing life-long habits etc), which will result in a different set of practices (the 'what') which I need to work on to become habitual (yoga at home, attend a gym, adopt a particular running technique).</p><p>I think sometimes schools are a bit like that. The institution has become a bit creaky while we persist with our habitual practices. This can lead to pain and niggles in the system. In my view, the 'why' of schooling has also changed as our world is changing dramatically with a range of global existential crises such as climate, pandemics, biodiversity reduction, increasing inequity, mis- and dis-information and conflict and issues in relation to AI etc.</p><p>We need to engage with these issues and understand our new 'why' and think about how we are going to respond and reposition schools and from there adopt new ways of doing 'schooling'.</p><p>The work to reposition schools can seem so daunting that we are tempted to stay with our habitual practices. While it is tough and demanding work it is certainly doable.</p><p>I am more and more convinced that how we do this work is to really focus on what it is that we know that creates the conditions for the best teaching and learning that is required today. We need to start with understanding and agreeing on how students learn best. From there we need to develop a set of core beliefs for which we are ready to "die in the ditch" and design our schools based on those core beliefs.</p><p>As part of my own professional learning I'm drilling into the work carried out by organisations such as <a href="https://modernlearners.com/">Modern Learners</a>, <a href="https://www.oecd.org/education/ceri/">Centre for Educational Research and Innovation (OECD)</a>, <a href="https://www.cse.edu.au/">Michael Fullan and Chris Leadbetter and their work with the Centre for Strategic Education</a>, <a href="https://www.innovationunit.org/people/valeriehannon/">Valerie Hannon and her work with the Innovation Unit</a> and Russell Bishop's Teaching/Leading to the North-east.</p><p>For the sake of my own country-boy mind I want to hone in on what they are all saying and see if I can make sense of the essence of it all. The aim is to settle on a set of core beliefs that could determine some guiding principles that could drive some different and more appropriate practices which we could try to make habitual.</p><p>I hope the outcome could support us when we ponder the questions about how might we lead in our schools. I'll most probably post what I come across.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzsh_wgCpBg3zrg1cvo9d1dktWZpnxsSdUUH82g5v1EQn49-bIoAaagrTOfPcL6vcdp-QGSAebjlrAfp2xs0QTQ6zVhUg0MXWrxQuMNBAyB01lHnEcmi1mepwkkCC3gqwNHY38m74xHZg_HPhEcfzWNBogDkDPqEVG45JR6OcGLa-LJTqKxcP0940KBI/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLzsh_wgCpBg3zrg1cvo9d1dktWZpnxsSdUUH82g5v1EQn49-bIoAaagrTOfPcL6vcdp-QGSAebjlrAfp2xs0QTQ6zVhUg0MXWrxQuMNBAyB01lHnEcmi1mepwkkCC3gqwNHY38m74xHZg_HPhEcfzWNBogDkDPqEVG45JR6OcGLa-LJTqKxcP0940KBI/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-14325955440652505552023-10-24T12:08:00.002+13:002023-10-24T12:08:19.468+13:00How Might We Lead: What Might Be Possible<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-IOP6U8fk0_6_kHvOBX9jjiQ2FGryAnMAlIPQNt92TS3BaKbvMzEbuU98AkyiSav6ytfx5GT0vk2-37cLCzXYFxyhWJV-Pyu-u2wb-kqlBcaZxInKzuiVeaAH6P7Dq_NlOjnXwRshdgoMdlrS41_0lJSVUPbIEEJ7go3eptqJ4RYUVyqmP2A5T8TGS4/s600/home-welcome_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_-IOP6U8fk0_6_kHvOBX9jjiQ2FGryAnMAlIPQNt92TS3BaKbvMzEbuU98AkyiSav6ytfx5GT0vk2-37cLCzXYFxyhWJV-Pyu-u2wb-kqlBcaZxInKzuiVeaAH6P7Dq_NlOjnXwRshdgoMdlrS41_0lJSVUPbIEEJ7go3eptqJ4RYUVyqmP2A5T8TGS4/s320/home-welcome_orig.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2023/09/how-might-we-lead-why-why-why.html">2 posts ago</a> I wrote about the importance of making sure your big hairy goals are put out there for others to see. I think this gives some accountability and impetus when things start to drag or halt. I used the example of my goal to run 100 miles (160k) at the Tarawera Ultramarathon in February. I noted that I had been given advice to really establish my 'why' for doing such a crazy thing.</p><p>I've run more than 30 marathons, entered countless multi-sport races and full-day adventure races, run a 50k ultra, a 70k ultra and two 100k ultras. Every one was tough and after every one I swore, usually briefly, that that would be my last!</p><p>So why 100 miles? I have thought a lot about this and I think it's because I want to really test my limits, to test what I might be truly capable of. The risk of failure is very high (more than 50/50 I'd say): I might get injured by the intensity of the training, I might arrive at the start line carrying some niggles and not be able to finish, I might arrive at the start line feeling 100% and might not be able to finish OR I might arrive at the start line and complete it. All of those are possibilities. </p><p>One thing is certain, between now and then and during the event, I'll be called upon to solve problems that emerge, many expected, some unexpected. And, of course, when you set out to really test what might be possible, it takes time. This will end up being a year-long project. It began with research and planning, some implementation, then some revisiting of the plan as problems emerged, and this will continue. All the time, there will be no guarantee of success. Even failure, though, will have me in a better place than I am today. I would have learned so much about myself which will be useful as I live out my life.</p><p>This is always the case when we think about what might be possible and we set out to find out.</p><p>I think this is how I have approached school leadership.</p><p>At Opotiki College after 10 years of being DP in charge of discipline in which I oversaw 50 suspensions a year (that's 500 over those ten years) and up to 10 exclusions per year (that's 100) I began to wonder what else might be possible. On appointment as principal I stopped all suspensions as we set out on a journey to explore if the principles of restorative practice might offer us a different way.</p><p>Like with the 100 miler, it involved research, planning, implementation and revisiting, overcoming hurdles and solving problems. As it was we were hugely successful with only 1 suspension in the next 10 years. The best outcomes were a creation of a culture of mutual respect, a change in pedagogy to one based on relationships and a massive lift in student achievement (Decile 1 school with achievement levels at NCEA Levels 1 -3 equal to the average of Decile 8-10 schools).</p><p>Instead of being curious about <b>what might be possible</b> we could have not taken the risks and stayed with the status quo. Instead in the following 10 years 500 kids weren't suspended and 100 kids weren't excluded, teaching improved and student engagement and achievement went through the roof. It was worth it.</p><p>At Hobsonville Point Secondary School we wondered <b>what might be possible</b> if we set out to design a schooling experience based on what evidence stated was more appropriate for what young people needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Like with the 100 miler and the work at Opotiki, it involved research, planning, implementation and revisiting, overcoming hurdles and solving problems. All of these also required courage.</p><p>All of this work has led me to this model of leadership based on having a moral purpose that requires you to wonder about <b>what might be possible</b>, to have the courage to set out to explore and implement <b>what might be possible</b>, while always being open to the idea that you might be wrong and will need to amend.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQBhyb3bC9W7X67GoyV7BJE194rK4QdBOhh4g6ALm-pIuVp208ma3trQokP3ZJu2r70nCoa5fSRzrNZQv8INLF-OAXKwG_6gPHaRMGsXhDXtzVPfUbkWGW4XEAsUNPoPZbBq-hs64l_VAsLl0ENbXXZ3TrRlSPJlLRdopWUYmLDGRlmobgbBlONsGmA4/s1921/Leadership%20Model.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1921" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQQBhyb3bC9W7X67GoyV7BJE194rK4QdBOhh4g6ALm-pIuVp208ma3trQokP3ZJu2r70nCoa5fSRzrNZQv8INLF-OAXKwG_6gPHaRMGsXhDXtzVPfUbkWGW4XEAsUNPoPZbBq-hs64l_VAsLl0ENbXXZ3TrRlSPJlLRdopWUYmLDGRlmobgbBlONsGmA4/s320/Leadership%20Model.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This has formed the basis of all of the work I am now doing with <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">HMWLead</a>. Whether it has been working with governance facilitators, boards to support principal development, SLTs to investigate curriculum and pedagogy review or to think about new ways of schooling, or with individual principals to consider what might be possible in relation to how they lead it has always focused on clarifying core beliefs and values that drive us, which in turn gives us the courage to take action and lead.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When schools start thinking about <b>what might be possible</b>, rather than focusing on what they are doing now, that's when we see the beginnings of transformation.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In the wake of the election result all school leaders are going to have to be very clear about their moral purpose and what they are going to die in the ditch for so that they lead in the ways best for their school community.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>What might be possible?</b> Sing out if you think I can help in this space.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZ6Oqv1YQMaKc8eZFxg3FlVG45FKZ4JtEu-dWSnjjiJbAZ0nYD1FmV6v-ANsjpOa4J_WFFqWchBvuWxNkVazu03HGFtN9wVSG7rDOWiFpajB_4xTCqxw2p81tD1ypxg3ueGdpneZ-HhSWY97WZLILmXhlasdU13SS5ViOgUdi2OIn2Bc79yedpXnFfkQ/s1135/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="722" data-original-width="1135" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgZ6Oqv1YQMaKc8eZFxg3FlVG45FKZ4JtEu-dWSnjjiJbAZ0nYD1FmV6v-ANsjpOa4J_WFFqWchBvuWxNkVazu03HGFtN9wVSG7rDOWiFpajB_4xTCqxw2p81tD1ypxg3ueGdpneZ-HhSWY97WZLILmXhlasdU13SS5ViOgUdi2OIn2Bc79yedpXnFfkQ/s320/Businesscard%20Front.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><p></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-23939133604194490102023-09-18T15:46:00.000+12:002023-09-18T15:46:23.501+12:00Working with How Might We Lead (HMWLead)<p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">The <a href="https://www.hmwlead.co.nz/">HMWLead Website</a> is now live. I invite you to go and check it out and give me any feedback.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xgkMJKCS5WiH1XffBPUlODDafDrQQc8ySY95ej8CNPBD2nB1jKHyurdu_j38a7gXQyVIo1iWcDEgpxeCzbXwhI2seGqzX_T-PcczwvQ3fPfabtT6zRjJcJb9Q4YbybJPCfXzMcPdoV8eoyr1cIUNo1QWhwHihVTVELSJF68OPVPr8CZGDAxr0WgLCu8/s2806/WebPageBanner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1408" data-original-width="2806" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xgkMJKCS5WiH1XffBPUlODDafDrQQc8ySY95ej8CNPBD2nB1jKHyurdu_j38a7gXQyVIo1iWcDEgpxeCzbXwhI2seGqzX_T-PcczwvQ3fPfabtT6zRjJcJb9Q4YbybJPCfXzMcPdoV8eoyr1cIUNo1QWhwHihVTVELSJF68OPVPr8CZGDAxr0WgLCu8/w402-h202/WebPageBanner.png" width="402" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">The 'What We Offer' Page on the website gives a good description in general terms on how HMWLead can work with schools on their journey of transformation. This brief post gives a summary of the work we are currently doing with schools to give you an idea of the variety of ways we can work together.</span></span></p><span style="background-color: white;"><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">School 1 (Secondary School in South Island)</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Working with Senior Leadership Team to establish the principles to shape a curriculum review for Year 11 in 2024 before moving to a wider curriculum review for Years 9 and 10. We explored what makes for effective 21st Learning and thought about how these could be brought to life in their context.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">School 2 (Secondary School in South Island)</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">About to begin working with the Senior Leadership Team as they embark on an exciting journey of transforming quite traditional learning and structures into an innovative model from Years 7 to 13.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">School 3 (Secondary School in Upper North Island)</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Providing mentoring of a new Principal as they begin their leadership in an innovative school.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">School 4 (Secondary School in Lower North Island)</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Supporting a new Principal with a new SLT to redesign their curriculum and institutional structures to better reflect the needs of their students and community and which is based on a clearly defined set of core beliefs and values (see previous post).</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">School 5 (Secondary School in Central North Island)</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">About to begin a refresh of the Years 9 - 10 curriculum so that it better meets the needs and interests of their students and community.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Governance Support Organisation</u><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">About to present a series of workshops on the why, what and how of leading schools in a way that is focused on a clear set of core beliefs and values.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><u style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Other Areas Being Explored</u><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;"></span><ul style="display: inline-block; font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style-image: initial !important; list-style-position: outside !important; margin: 5px 0px !important; overflow: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.3em !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: justify;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">supporting a primary school with the principal appointment process</li><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px !important; margin-top: 3px !important; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 5px !important; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">supporting an Intermediate school to revisit its core beliefs and values to establish more clarity and coherence</li></ul><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">These partnerships have a strong focus on curriculum, but all of them involve leaders and teams exploring their core values and beliefs so that there is real coherence and clarity for their practices. Each partnership also provides opportunities to look at different ways of leading so that we grow how we lead and how we can grow others to lead.</span><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><br style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;" /><span style="font-family: Raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: justify;">Sing out if you think there'd be value in us working together. Use the website or email me directly on maurie@hmwlead.co.nz.</span></span>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-40952144263797336222023-09-04T16:27:00.003+12:002023-09-04T16:27:53.477+12:00How Might We Lead - Why, Why, Why<p> "Why, why, why?!" is a common response from my friend and inspirational guru on all things to do with positive relationships and restorative practice, <a href="https://www.thorsborne.com.au/">Marg Thorsborne</a>, when she comments on any of my many posts on the crazy training and/or racing adventures I get up to. Her response does make me pause and think "why?" and this is a good thing.</p><p>I've decided to enter in the <a href="https://www.taraweraultra.co.nz/">Tarawera Ultra Trail Run 100 miler</a> to be held next February. It's what I'd call one of those big, hairy audacious goals which has a reasonably high chance of failure. As is often the case, these sorts of goals need to be made public in some way to increase the level of accountability. If I kept it to myself it could be easier to quietly give up on it when the going gets tough, as it inevitably will.</p><p>That's the nature of big, hairy audacious goals - the going will get tough, and to prepare for that inevitability you need some counters - one of which is putting it out there publicly. My apologies, therefore, to those who follow me on Facebook or Instagram as I will hold myself to account through posting on those platforms!</p><p>When I was thinking of entering I contacted Eugene from <a href="https://www.dirtchurchradio.com/">Dirt Church Radio</a> (Trail running podcast). I'd got to know him through the podcast as well as him being a parent of an ex-student - he also paced me to a sub 4 hour Rotorua Marathon! I asked him because I know he had completed the 100 miler at Tarawera and I reckon he has a good understanding of my ability. His reply really made me sit up and think, "But the question is ... do you want to? It's a race where you really need to have your why nailed down."</p><p>Of course, I should have known all this. Like all education leaders I was familiar with <a href="https://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action?language=en">Simon Sinek's</a> work on the importance of starting with the 'why', and in the very early years of the development of Hobsonville Point Secondary School we were supported by Julia Aitken to explore our core values and beliefs before developing a set of principles to guide the 'what' (our practices) using the following model (which she explores in <a href="https://www.education.sa.gov.au/docs/curriculum/tfel/tfel-resource-library/from_values_and_beliefs_about_learning_to_principles_and_practice.pdf">From Values and Beliefs about Learning to Principles and Practice</a>.)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsuc-gN-Y8S_NRA7JUajOquisNXTUzL_bxSbi75eJxdzTszIovmuaUvpNZb58yWnd3DeRHZOzpLzVxgg-3F6W67l47uhu8yZ-DBKWJxxepKz9JAdKoXZDRsqQQDtD4PNpTMo2IjT394FFZLePMJe0ACbG7IRqMtNCm-JwKHAtpgl_gNcB7TGWPMb7sgA/s1510/Julia's%20Circles.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="972" data-original-width="1510" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjsuc-gN-Y8S_NRA7JUajOquisNXTUzL_bxSbi75eJxdzTszIovmuaUvpNZb58yWnd3DeRHZOzpLzVxgg-3F6W67l47uhu8yZ-DBKWJxxepKz9JAdKoXZDRsqQQDtD4PNpTMo2IjT394FFZLePMJe0ACbG7IRqMtNCm-JwKHAtpgl_gNcB7TGWPMb7sgA/w400-h258/Julia's%20Circles.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>Now it's time to practise what I preach, break out a template of the circles and start in the centre and drill down into my 'why' so that that can sustain me when it gets tough. I'll most probably post on that!<div><br /></div><div>One thing I do know after 20 years of principalship in 2 very different schools is that having a deeply thought-out and clearly identified set of core values and beliefs as an individual teacher leader (moral purpose) and as a school (vision/mission/values) is the only way you have a chance of making sense of the education world and solving the many complex problems that come your way.</div><div><br /></div><div>But of course you have to be conscientious about making sure that the core values and beliefs determine your principles for action and the resulting practices you will put in place. That's the challenging work! As is looking at your current practices (the way we do things around here) and putting them back through the filter, starting at the central circle. What do you do when something you have always done doesn't align with your core values and beliefs?</div><div><br /></div><div>I've been doing a lot of thinking about my personal leadership model that I have developed over the last 2 decades:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGauDR-ZN9TcbqKqaU-bdLNk3b5mwdwawFULHlltO1FjidQ5i2OlaXm6EwFZoDOQMGsUudQb5rvtkj_3EcKw0t_QQ6m45T85gkIaA9TcPk-atW4tof-YA67AyaB90JXUu_yqOJW1DRdSdaLrw4PF-D6FBBGsN3MK1nDe9EK1bOqu1Hi1LJHSBuTxQa69A/s1921/Leadership%20Model.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="1921" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGauDR-ZN9TcbqKqaU-bdLNk3b5mwdwawFULHlltO1FjidQ5i2OlaXm6EwFZoDOQMGsUudQb5rvtkj_3EcKw0t_QQ6m45T85gkIaA9TcPk-atW4tof-YA67AyaB90JXUu_yqOJW1DRdSdaLrw4PF-D6FBBGsN3MK1nDe9EK1bOqu1Hi1LJHSBuTxQa69A/w400-h226/Leadership%20Model.png" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have found it relatively easy to work in the 'Moral Purpose' circle, developing my own set of values and my own 'why', working with others to do the same for a school and also working with individuals to develop their own.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The other 2 circles are a bit more challenging as they are a bit more to do with mindset/dispositions. While you can support people to access professional learning around <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIn2uZXxjzw">Open to Learning Conversations</a> how do you support leaders to be truly comfortable with the fact that they might be wrong! (More to come on that).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I have similarly struggled with the 'Courage' circle. Some people seem more naturally courageous than others, at first look. What does it take to be courageous as a leader? More and more, I'm of the belief that the foundation of courage comes from the centre of the three circles from Julia's model. It is when we are more certain about our/our organisation's core values and beliefs and the principles that emerge from them that we develop the confidence to be courageous, to stand for what we truly believe with a clear sense of our 'why'.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Maybe, the sweet spot where Moral Purpose and Courage overlaps comes from the centre circle of core values and beliefs.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My last post talked about the launching of <b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">HMWLead (How Might We Lead)</b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;">. </span>Thank you to those who have made contact and started working with me. So far, most of that work, while having a range of contexts and foci, requires looking at core values and beliefs as we look to solve problems and support leaders to lead with moral purpose and courage (while being open to learning!).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I'm really looking forward to developing and sharing my thinking about the need to think about different ways of leading. Sing out if you think I can help.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">maurie@hmwlead.co.nz </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-dyUH4pn7QD3Of4L5AGow9mz57KZ4yf1F-FCIS0qRpDe4yfsWggZfwuGoeW_-uh5xHnnKNlMTxWAEhmP0pFLgl9GdK4v4WhZ6CqtiXmPrw_gwqS_xxkcb_hIGmmVN9t56DgglCqf8TsblLXhC6Jvs2LuqU2VM5KhTolY3CQbKNA5WkxM8hMuNFQaS6c/s1721/Letterhead.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1721" height="110" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx-dyUH4pn7QD3Of4L5AGow9mz57KZ4yf1F-FCIS0qRpDe4yfsWggZfwuGoeW_-uh5xHnnKNlMTxWAEhmP0pFLgl9GdK4v4WhZ6CqtiXmPrw_gwqS_xxkcb_hIGmmVN9t56DgglCqf8TsblLXhC6Jvs2LuqU2VM5KhTolY3CQbKNA5WkxM8hMuNFQaS6c/w400-h110/Letterhead.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div><br /><div><br /><p><br /></p></div>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-13419178302367986532023-08-15T16:51:00.004+12:002023-08-15T17:01:09.557+12:00How Might We Lead<p> At the beginning of July this year I finished up as Principal of Hobsonville Point Secondary School after being the Foundation Principal for 10 years. For the 10 years prior to that I was Principal of Opotiki College and its Deputy Principal for 10 years before that. That's a lot of time in senior school leadership in 2 quite different contexts.</p><p>On the last day of the term (my last day at work with students and staff) I experienced a whole school send-off like nothing I had experienced or been part of before. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100002792578050/videos/973436170540075/">This short video clip</a> captures the culmination of that event.</p><p>The school had never performed a whole-school haka before and I discovered that they had spent Term 2 secretly practising it!</p><p>I have not shared this in this post because I think I'm anything special and I know others in similar situations have experienced similar to this. What this event did for me, though, was to make me stop and think, at the end of my school leadership career, what was the impact I did have and how did that come about. These are quite complex questions and will take some time to process and come to some conclusions.</p><p>I have decided that I still have more to contribute in the area of school leadership and am going to see if I can find ways to work alongside school leaders and aspiring school leaders (in secondary and primary schools) to support them to be the very best transformational leaders that they can be. I will be looking to work with those who want to move beyond being great managers of the status quo to being transformational, to lead with student and staff wellbeing at the centre, to address inequity, and to empower staff and students to be active engagers in the teaching and learning process so that they thrive in a rapidly changing and disrupted world.</p><p>To support this aspiration I will be launching my company <b>HMWLead (How Might We Lead)</b> in a couple of weeks, including a website with information which may help leaders decide if it would be of value to work together. While we could co-construct support for any aspect of school leadership, a summary of the areas where we could work together is as follows:</p><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Leadership</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> - </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">How might we develop a personal model of leadership that gives us the confidence </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;">to lead others on a journey of transformation?</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-46f36937-7fff-9ffa-67e7-b043d5e3ddf2"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Reflective Practice </span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we support leaders to explore and implement a critical </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">reflective culture within </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">their school?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-f3dde85d-7fff-08ff-2903-97d8df79a744"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">Growth </span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">- How might we support leaders to implement a powerful 'growth cycle' in their school?</span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4ad6e91f-7fff-6fbc-d2fb-c4897b24b0a8"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Visioning and Strategic Action</span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">- </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we support leaders to support the why and how of designing a powerful learning </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">vision for their </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">school?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4b9353f8-7fff-d6cc-2af2-06c0779ab171"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Team Development</span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we support leaders to understand the thinking preferences of their staff/teams and </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">grow capacity </span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">o that distributed leadership can effectively support the drive for transformation?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-52d4d9d3-7fff-cc05-1ab7-6adabe3020b9"><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline;">Restorative Practice</span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"> - </span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we support leaders to support the implementation of behaviour </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span>management </span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">processes that are driven by the principles of restorative practice?</span> </span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span><span style="font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-63c09f1c-7fff-1c6c-be07-d14a6cec1831"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Connected Curriculum</span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> - </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we help leaders to support the why and how of designing a connected curriculum </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">model for their </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">school?</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4f13c8f2-7fff-814d-c4ff-9c1f37f496f3"></span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Dispositional Curriculum</span><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"> - </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre;">How might we support leaders to explore the opportunities to develop a dispositional curriculum </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">and related </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">graduate profile?</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">Any way, there'll be more to come. Reach out to me on maurie@hmwlead.co.nz</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial,sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">if you can't wait for the launch and want to start talking!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi19V4H8zGs302MdK0ostPaI_prVf6LJ-oPVViQSwbWYaXP23ZIXxWgWck8GKELUF6_ulFtw2esb04UkKQKlxcCiHq_6eaJiE36ImkGRLnx6XyqlGmy4cFeqBczwq6UGaK5IP-jL21EI3S4eKYxBggMFWwnXMzqUcLHc2bqO4r57KStc60NYU4U3c3j-P0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4500" data-original-width="4500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi19V4H8zGs302MdK0ostPaI_prVf6LJ-oPVViQSwbWYaXP23ZIXxWgWck8GKELUF6_ulFtw2esb04UkKQKlxcCiHq_6eaJiE36ImkGRLnx6XyqlGmy4cFeqBczwq6UGaK5IP-jL21EI3S4eKYxBggMFWwnXMzqUcLHc2bqO4r57KStc60NYU4U3c3j-P0" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Maurie Abrahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15720457939201875282noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-52351425687779024622022-10-03T11:10:00.001+13:002022-10-03T11:10:43.212+13:00Dispositional Curriculum: Supporting Young People to Cope/Thrive in a Disrupted World.<p> When myself and my 3 DPs first met up to begin work at the start of 2013 we were presented with the following vision from the Establishment Board:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoH0AEv3_RYNG8WkkwfwrPoUBn_S1O-4ai3vOvz8Svn-Di5n8LdhIF2uEqUN1M5OrV64_Uosk1HjMncbEqWh8HwsdH9czX6UZWwZJeX2-zU3QL3kAAis458MV3D2COk-he812-Z8J7MRVkPQmBjfb77pHC1Ak1fkdZJf2CIVzZjBu2THxzNvpvsrW/s2880/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.31.00.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkoH0AEv3_RYNG8WkkwfwrPoUBn_S1O-4ai3vOvz8Svn-Di5n8LdhIF2uEqUN1M5OrV64_Uosk1HjMncbEqWh8HwsdH9czX6UZWwZJeX2-zU3QL3kAAis458MV3D2COk-he812-Z8J7MRVkPQmBjfb77pHC1Ak1fkdZJf2CIVzZjBu2THxzNvpvsrW/s320/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.31.00.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We picked apart every word as we were determined to bring life to it. All of us quickly identified that the last half of the Vision was describing our aspiration for our graduates; that they want to and know how to make the very rapidly changing world better.</p><p>This set us off on the pathway of settling on two pathways to Excellence:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMtHnZsEbbutE-IfMy8BIPdpAtO4mT4KNwnioPNqWFPGZhgtz5KdpMsMczDfshuHUyfhUKcUKvdJX83mpu0FQbAdvHGCn8n82WVngyTA3QpRuW1cG_WjDs_GRyVxr8RXhcvuxIZkcMdUMPHKHDemFWC52vkhPmG_cDmdvC6YV933mHVM4ne6NtHp2/s2880/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.32.25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwMtHnZsEbbutE-IfMy8BIPdpAtO4mT4KNwnioPNqWFPGZhgtz5KdpMsMczDfshuHUyfhUKcUKvdJX83mpu0FQbAdvHGCn8n82WVngyTA3QpRuW1cG_WjDs_GRyVxr8RXhcvuxIZkcMdUMPHKHDemFWC52vkhPmG_cDmdvC6YV933mHVM4ne6NtHp2/s320/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.32.25.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>We knew that we wouldn't be achieving our vision if our students were 'only' excellent in the field of academics. This did not necessarily mean that these students would be able to thrive in a changing world with a determination to make it better. We needed to ensure we had a curriculum that allowed us to promote the growth of certain dispositions.</p><p>This resulted in us settling on a curriculum model that included both academic and dispositional elements:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9f8zYnfARktXji33ee0oKgCjyO8GwBIRieX8jE9S-n0Y8p9OGTi0_qS-WLFDnDZ5KbjKvQsrf8_e7TOv5oOJE4jNb1-4hEUdLIB1cmW35_XdOsi6n6NE1Zj1QQfqjxe8RlO3dIaLDoA1njDnvrj9htCcLY5oxxGrGPXKcDGaNd7uSeGqbW00Jvmv/s2880/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.23.24.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9f8zYnfARktXji33ee0oKgCjyO8GwBIRieX8jE9S-n0Y8p9OGTi0_qS-WLFDnDZ5KbjKvQsrf8_e7TOv5oOJE4jNb1-4hEUdLIB1cmW35_XdOsi6n6NE1Zj1QQfqjxe8RlO3dIaLDoA1njDnvrj9htCcLY5oxxGrGPXKcDGaNd7uSeGqbW00Jvmv/s320/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.23.24.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>While we aspire to have the dispositions, listed on the right side of this visual and known as Hobsonville Habits, present throughout all 3 elements of our curriculum model we do locate them, purposefully, within the Learning Hub element.</p><p>Each child belongs to a Learning Hub of 16-17 students of mixed year levels and are mentored by a teacher, known as their Learning Coach, to achieve to their potential in both the Academic and Personal Excellence areas. Apart from a daily 10 minute Kitchen Table session at the start of each day which connects and build relationships, Learning Hubs have two 80 minute blocks a week where there is a focus on building the dispositions.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAKc90Iwh-M27SoUXznX-EoRu2KyXSHlr1-fqQ4KKgz7R9eTO6Jq0HjeybkdDTCHc3CIpMs4srhgXoZAgMk3eB1qsH8S1LiLr2aTAJ9r4jhTfH-fralRcCDfZawP95YMTuRSzqZFQeb790QxkCTtz3dGtUHbQa-AqLHiZHqL_F4CxwBIe0ws0Reqx/s2880/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.23.33.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqAKc90Iwh-M27SoUXznX-EoRu2KyXSHlr1-fqQ4KKgz7R9eTO6Jq0HjeybkdDTCHc3CIpMs4srhgXoZAgMk3eB1qsH8S1LiLr2aTAJ9r4jhTfH-fralRcCDfZawP95YMTuRSzqZFQeb790QxkCTtz3dGtUHbQa-AqLHiZHqL_F4CxwBIe0ws0Reqx/s320/Screenshot%202022-10-03%2010.23.33.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>While focusing on a different Strand each term (Whanaungatanga, Huarahi Ako, Manaakitanga, Rangatiratanga), Learning Coaches focus on particular Hobsonville Habits to support the growth of each of their Hublings in these important dispositions.</p><p>More recently, once a term all teachers give time for students to make a reflection on their learning from all classes (modules and SPINs, Projects and Hub) and to tag them to the Hobsonville Habits. In this way students are collating a portfolio of evidence of development in the Habits and are able to share this growth when hosting their parents at their Individual Education Meeting. In this way our learners can see that the dispositions are part of everything they do at school.</p><p>Right from the beginning of our school's journey we were determined that Personal Excellence be as important as Academic Excellence. As a result, at our prizegiving we only acknowledge our Habits and Values. I've <a href="http://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2020/01/coherence-and-cohesion-driving.html">blogged about this earlier</a>.</p><p>One of the things that the last almost 3 years of disruption has shown us is that those students who are strong in important dispositions (resilient, creative, adventurous, compassionate etc) were best able to cope and keep progressing. This experience now makes us believe that Personal Excellence is more important than Academic Excellence.</p><p>With disruption almost certainly continuing with further pandemics and climate disruption I suggest it is vital that all schools explore ways to bring a focus on such dispositions closer to "what we do around here".</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-57132200000752699662022-10-01T17:23:00.000+13:002022-10-01T17:23:40.400+13:00Connected Learning Supporting Specialist Knowledge<h1 style="text-align: center;"> <b>Connected Learning</b></h1><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Promoting Specialist Knowledge</b></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgak2E6ZxkuKs1qFuBC98fE6pFO6SIztZiY8MUefFV6vKDCUBqb3-LrSTpkbY121c-jh9vYEacoedFPcZhT4K0Bss1XZ_srPMm0Y3uMud0kUiybDARRAhIyf9XVTctZI5LCpXUvQcM5OtyFSKuH2Dg4Bp1m7m6MBxK8k_PK0Y-_3XOpE3kt-EQ2dSv3" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgak2E6ZxkuKs1qFuBC98fE6pFO6SIztZiY8MUefFV6vKDCUBqb3-LrSTpkbY121c-jh9vYEacoedFPcZhT4K0Bss1XZ_srPMm0Y3uMud0kUiybDARRAhIyf9XVTctZI5LCpXUvQcM5OtyFSKuH2Dg4Bp1m7m6MBxK8k_PK0Y-_3XOpE3kt-EQ2dSv3" width="135" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">David Hood, in his book <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Rhetoric and The Reality, </i>which I touched on in a <a href="http://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2015/05/i-almost-didnt-go-to-launch-of-david.html">previous post</a>, refers to the paradigm of one.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Paradigm of One (the traditional secondary school structure)</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Students are grouped into <b>one </b>class, based on <b>one</b> age, and for <b>one </b>hour go to <b>one </b>room where <b>one </b>teacher teaches <b>one</b> subject and students, largely, do <b>one </b>set of learning activities and work according to <b>one </b>timeline and at the <b>one</b> same time complete the <b>one </b>assessment activity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then the bell goes and they go down the corridor and for <b>one </b>hour go to <b>one </b>room where <b>one </b>teacher teaches <b>one</b> subject and students, largely, do <b>one </b>set of learning activities and work according to <b>one </b>timeline and at the <b>one</b> same time complete the <b>one </b>assessment activity.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Then the bell goes and etc, etc.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And what they learn in each of those <b>one</b> blocks is completely siloed and there are no connections between them.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I remain to be convinced that this is the best way to learn. I suppose it is OK if your definition of learning is limited to the reception and processing of knowledge in isolation from other knowledge, This is, no doubt, a vehicle for a level of learning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I prefer a model of learning that, without downplaying the importance of specialist subject knowledge, raises the possibility of deeper learning. I believe this deeper learning can come about when we explore the connections between these specialist areas of knowledge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>Connected Learning in Action</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While hosting a group of 35 Australian teachers at our school yesterday we spent a lot of time talking with students while they were engaged in learning (in the last block on the last day in the last week of term!). The majority of classes we visited were our Foundation classes (combined Years 9 and 10).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In one class (combined Visual Arts and English) students spoke confidently about how their exploration and research, involving close reading, comprehension and analysis of visual media (English) of graffitti and research on the topic of the difference between vandalism and art enabled them to produce thoughtful and high quality pieces of graffitti art (Visual Arts) with annotations linking their words and images to what they had learnt from their English.</li><li>Another class (combined Visual Arts and Science) had students who had engaged in microscope use skills to analyse the individual features of a plant so that they could recognise, name and explain their purpose (Science) and were now free-hand sketching the plants to such a level that they would not be out-of-place in a professional botannical sketch publication.</li><li>In another class (Maths and HPE) we came across students who had done some lessons previously on how statistics could be analysed, presented in grapic form, and explained in text. From there they had gone to the gymnasium where they had learned the skills involved in volleyball. At some point they collected data by video and written observation sheets and were now in class using the data to present their findings in graphic form. This class of 40 students were the most engaged I had seen in any Maths lesson</li></ul>The above are only 3 examples of the numerous connected learning modules our students experience. None of them lack the important content, concepts or skills of any of the individual specialist subjects, but their learning and understanding is deepened when they explore the connections between the disciplines.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b>The Structure of Connected Learning</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There is a bit of a view amongst some academics and commentators that when a school focuses on connected learning, or anything that looks like project based learning, and any model that incorporates student voice and co-construction that students are missing out on that all-important subject specialist knowledge. I do get frustrated by the limited lens that such commentators have with their belief that specialist subject knowledge must always be delivered by subject specialsists through a silo model with little co-construction with students.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At our school we absolutely believe in the importance of subject specialist knowledge delivered by absolutely specialist subject teachers ( we have at least one PHD in their subject area with the vast majority of staff with degrees, mainly at Masters level, in their subject area). We just believe that their are better, more engaging ways to deliver this important knowledge in a way that deepens learning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">When we started our school our specialist subject leads unpacked their curriculum area and backward mapped from a quality NCEA Level 2 what were the key foundational knowledge, concepts and skills students need to be strong in by the end of Year 10 to be successful in qualifications.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We then asked those specialist leads to group this key foundational learning into 8 episodes (1 per term over 2 years) and to identify in which term this learning would occur for our Foundation Learners. We did this so that it didn't matter whether a Science student was studying Science with Visual Art, or with Maths, or with Social Science they were all covering the same foundational learning. This is the case for all Learning Areas and it means students are not left with gaps in this key foundational knowledge.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">To give even more coherence to their learning we settled on a big school-wide concept for each of the 8 terms which is addressed that term by each Learning Area.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-84725943-7fff-cc8c-5f76-cce4ca070235"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK-dZTQqbhzlDbOvLZfIWwP9XUIKnMR3vLWXUiGOlBV31Li-BHuipIeMI0UaZat9q3JgN29MvJ-p4mB8U8GLbLTh4UEUgA7xgZtA87T7Pvm527uD4YP136foyyaTMcd0yNU1-sKa885TiorN9UIBMJJ9cqcHqD8N2D7x3PPdTyAUI79sV9LzEmdVs/s2880/Screenshot%202022-10-01%2017.06.37.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2880" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkK-dZTQqbhzlDbOvLZfIWwP9XUIKnMR3vLWXUiGOlBV31Li-BHuipIeMI0UaZat9q3JgN29MvJ-p4mB8U8GLbLTh4UEUgA7xgZtA87T7Pvm527uD4YP136foyyaTMcd0yNU1-sKa885TiorN9UIBMJJ9cqcHqD8N2D7x3PPdTyAUI79sV9LzEmdVs/w447-h298/Screenshot%202022-10-01%2017.06.37.png" width="447" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This means that in the semester that is focusing on <i style="font-weight: bold;">Identity</i> and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Space and Place</i> Social Science students might be focusing on Community/Migration, Science students might be focusing on DNA/Outer Space, English on how cultures and societies express themselves in and through Creative Writing etc, etc., while Maths students will be developing key mathematical competencies using the related learnig area as the context in which to apply their learning and develop their understanding.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our approach certainly does not downplay the importance of specialist knowledge, in fact it increases its importance as we discover important connections with other specialist knowledge. It has the added bonus of having interesting contexts for learning that seem to engage our learners.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Get in touch if you'd like to explore how a focus on connected learning can happen in your school without any other changes to a school's way of structuring learning.</div><br /><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-8151046350762253922021-10-14T13:06:00.005+13:002021-10-14T13:26:23.323+13:00Time to Calm The Farm - Schools are not in chaos<p>These are challenging times as we deal with a very tricky global pandemic and school leaders are being called upon to lead when the conditions and the criteria are changing quite rapidly. I want to paint a different picture than what has been presented in some media headlines over the last few days and which has also been presented in some education-focused Facebook groups.</p><p>I am writing this on Thursday morning, so just short of 3 days since the announcement of testing and vaccination mandates. Facebook groups have included a clamour of agitation, anger and panic from a very small group of teachers and leaders about the lack of detail to support us in our work. The group is small but their clamour has occupied these spaces and can give a distorted view of our profession.</p><p>I'll kick off by saying that I have received the exact same Bulletins from the MOE and I have found them clear and timely. By Monday night I knew that my school in Auckland would not be opening as normal on the following Monday. I knew that before any of my staff could return to school to teach students (whenever that may be) that we would all need to produce a clear Covid test and I knew as a Principal that I would need to operate a confidential register for that. I knew that all staff would need to be fully immunised (2 jabs plus 2 weeks) by January 1 2022 and have first jab by November 15 and that I needed to keep a confidential register of that. I also knew that all staff, after return, would need to provide a clear Covid test weekly until they reached full immunisation status.</p><p>By the end of Tuesday I fine-tuned my current staff register on vaccination status - this was one I created a couple of months ago when I requested my staff share their vaccination status with me and keep me updated as they progressed through the vaccination process. I told them I respected their right not to supply that information. The good news was that all but 2 of my 91 were happy to do so knowing it was confidential to me. Very quickly I modified it to include Covid testing results and a confirmation of vaccination status.</p><p>By the end of Wednesday I was able to confirm all of this with my staff and immediately began to receive the updates and evidence I require from them. That is continuing this morning.</p><p>I am not waiting to hear from MOE about how I have conversations with any staff who are currently not vaccinated. This is because I know how to have these conversations. They have no choice but to be fully vaccinated by 2022 and my conversations with them will be all about supporting them to make the decision that will work for them - all of the time respecting their decision. I'm not panicing about that because I have until November 15th to do my best to support them to become vaccinated.</p><p>This morning I received a very clear outline from my union describing my obligations which supported the steps I had already taken.</p><p>But this is what I'm annoyed about:</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, "Lucida Bright", Lucidabright, "Lucida Serif", Lucida, Georgia, serif; font-weight: 900;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/coronavirus/126652184/school-board-chairman-resigns-abruptly-after-covid-vaccine-made-mandatory-for-teachers">School board chairman resigns abruptly after Covid vaccine made mandatory for teachers</a></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Did everybody who saw this headline read this sentence in it?:</span></p><p><span face="Roboto, "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 18px;">When asked if the decision related to the Covid-19 vaccine, he said “no, not directly”.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #4c585d; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 1.25rem 0px 0.625rem; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">And I read this this morning:</span></div><h1 class="article__heading" data-test-ui="article__heading" style="background-color: white; color: #4c585d; font-family: Stag, Georgia, serif; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.1; margin: 1.25rem 0px 0.625rem;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/northland-educators-slam-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-for-teaching-workforce/XJNIIFTHSBKKBMDQ6EDANGSKW4/">Northland educators slam Covid-19 vaccine mandate for teaching workforce</a></span></h1><div>The article quoted 2 primary principals who had some opposition to the mandate and 1 secondary principal who supported it. Such a headline is an insult to 'Northland educators".</div><div><br /></div><div>Then I read:</div><div><br /></div><div><h1 class="c-ArticleHeading-title" itemprop="headline" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-color: rgb(217, 219, 220); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-image: initial; border-left-color: initial; border-left-style: initial; border-right-color: initial; border-right-style: initial; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: initial; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #414042; font-family: ArimoBold, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.21429; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px 0px 20px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/politics/2021/10/education-sector-in-chaos-behind-the-scenes-after-covid-19-vaccine-mandate.html">Education sector in chaos after COVID-19 vaccine mandate</a></span></h1></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The article produced no evidence to indicate chaos. One primary principal was quoted saying she didn't know how to talk with teachers who were going to resign and a sector leader who stated some principals were concerned but many were very supportive.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Thankfully I came across these 2 tweets from a respected ex school leader:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">NZ schools not in chaos over government decision to mandate vaccination. In an emergency, leaders flourish and managers wither. Schools will soon find out if their principal is a leader - builds strong relationships & who is knowledgeable, calm, inclusive, humble and articulate.</span></i></span></div><div><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>What BS! It’s in times of emergency that leaders flourish and managers wither. Schools will soon be finding out whether or not their principal is a leader possessing strong relational skills, knowledgeable, calm, inclusive, humble and articulate.</i></span></span></div><div><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It's times like this that the true nature of our leadership is revealed. We can't control the spin the media puts on things because they see some loose canons spouting on Facebook, but we can definitely control how we lead in this space. We can oppose decisions or express concerns but, as a leader, we have an obligation to spread calm, hope and optimism.</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll finish with this from Peter Garelja's tweet above:</span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><i style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Schools will soon be finding out whether or not their principal is a leader possessing strong relational skills, knowledgeable, calm, inclusive, humble and articulate.</b></i></div><div><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1419; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><br /></i></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-7777479243742096532021-10-10T12:06:00.002+13:002021-10-10T12:06:17.329+13:00Plan For Opening School for Term 4<p> Like a lot of people, I imagine, I've done some grieving about our Covid situation. However, since the movement from 4 to 3 and the further relaxing of the restrictions I've comforted myself with the view that even if we'd stayed in Level 4 or not relaxed the Level 3 conditions we'd still be in almost exactly the same position.</p><p>What I've been grieving about the most is the return to school. I felt we had done a good job on maintaining learning during lockdown. Our focus on wellbeing and connection first seemed to maintain a good enough level of engagement. I was truly feeling that with a return to school in Term 4, with exams delayed and Learning Recognition Credits, that we would be able to support our students to have qualification success.</p><p>Right now, I don't think schools should be fully opening up on October 18th because too many of our population, especially the most vulnerable, are not vaccinated. I fear schools will become super spreader environments.</p><p>So what can we do? We need a plan that supports graduating students to gain their qualification while maintaining a school environment that is safe for students and teachers.</p><p>I have a plan that I believe would work for our school, and with a little mindshift, it should work elsewhere. It requires a couple of starting points in the way we think about qualifications for 2021.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>we need to focus on only those students who are graduating this year</li><li>we need to temporarily (if you must) suspend the acceptance of calendar year qualifications</li><ul><li>any student in Year 12 who is returning next year does not need to gain Level 2 in 2021. They will pick it up in 2022 as they begin their journey towards Level 3. If a school has NCEA Level 2 credits as a prerequisite for Level 3 they need to throw that out and have teacher judgement on a student's ability to cope with Level 3 as the only prerequisite.</li></ul></ul><b>School Opening Plan Term 4</b><p></p><p>Schools open on October 18th only for students who are graduating at the end of the year (all Year 13s and some Year 12s). We have already surveyed our students in Year 12 as to who will be or may be leaving (very small group).</p><p>Schools create a timetable for those students and the affected staff only.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>I suggest Monday Subject 1 all day, Tuesday Subject 2 all day etc. The advantages of such a timetable are:</li><ul><li>sustained time for students and teachers to identify where learners are at and to create next steps forward</li><li>easier student/teacher bubble management to keep people safer. Teachers coming in for one or two full days, rather than chopping and changing blocks and periods throughout the week seems safer to me.</li></ul></ul>Classes for Years 9 -12 (we don't do NCEA Level 1) would continue on-line as they have been operating for most of Term 3.<p></p><p>Of course, all appropriate health and safety measures which are required for Alert Level 3 (apart from bubble size and composition) would be in place.</p><p>Keen to hear what you think.</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-38267147048485701812021-08-25T15:15:00.006+12:002021-08-25T15:15:41.212+12:00Time to Question Calendar Year Qualifications - relieve stress and workload and deepen learning<p>Last year I published a post entitled <a href="http://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2020/04/how-to-manage-ncea-in-covid-affected.html">How to Manage NCEA in a Covid Affected 2020</a>. At that time (April 2020) there was a lot of uncertainty, but by year's end NZQA had responded with a delayed start to examinations, Recognition of Learning Credits and an amended UE requirement. Also, some universities were open to allowing Principal recommendation for UE. As a result, I know that for our school, achievement levels were strong and that students were not disadvantaged. This is not to say, however, that it wasn't a big struggle for teachers and many students.</p><p>A lightbulb moment for many of my Year 12 students was when I gathered them all together on return from the first long lockdown and asked them to raise their hand if they were returning in 2021. As expected, in excess of 90% raised their hands. That's when I told them that since they were returning they had no need to be anxious about NCEA L2 because they only needed to focus on their graduation qualification and that they had a further year to gain that. I pointed out that if, as a result of their year being affected by Covid, that after doing their best they had achieved only 65 of their 80 credits by year's end, they would simply return the next year, undertake a Level 3 programme and that when they earned their first 15 credits they would be awarded their NCEA L2 and be 15 credits on their way to the 60 they needed for Level 3.</p><p>The advantages from them having this understanding included reducing their levels of anxiety and allowing us to focus on those students who were graduating at the end of 2020 (our Year 13s and a small number of Year 12s). This relieved a lot of workload and stress for my staff. Of course, it was also important to communicate this to our parents.</p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">We have always said at our school that we have no interest in calendar year qualifications, especially a structure that builds them in over a very stressful final 3 years of secondary school. Of course, there is always some sort of 'cost' for this. This year I have already had to wade in and defend our school from an ignorant Linkedin post from an academic who saw that we had close to 100% non-achievement at NCEA L1 which meant that our 'experiment' with a different pedagogical approach was an absolute failure and that myself and the Board needed to be held to account. A quick analysis of our leavers' qualifications and very high levels of Excellence and Merit Endorsed qualifications at Level 2 and 3 would have saved him his embarrassment.</span></p><p>It is our firm view that 3 years of calendar year qualifications do not lead to deep and engaged learning and do not contribute to positive student wellbeing. That is why we have never offered NCEA L1 as a Year 11 qualification. Rather our Year 11 students start out on their first year of a 2 to 3 year journey to get their quality graduation qualification. During 2020 it was a huge relief to not have to drive a whole cohort (Year 11) towards a meaningless qualification while trying to do our best for our graduating cohort. For our Year 11s we just stuck with our existing target of 20 quality credits towards their quality Level 2 qualification.</p><p>I encourage schools once again to revisit how they manage qualifications because our new and once again Covid-affected reality means we should look at things differently.</p><p>Up here in Auckland we don't know when we will be returning to on-site school. We do know that NZQA and MOE will create processes once again to allow for the interruptions to on-site learning such as a delayed start to NCEA, Recognition of Learning credits and amendments to UE requirements. That helps put us at ease. </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At some point we will return to our physical schools and our students and staff will return to our sites affected by a number of issues: </span></span></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">some will be grieving</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">many whānau will be affected by health issues</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">many students' whānau will be facing employment uncertainty</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">most whānau will be faced with financial hardship</span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="font-family: inherit;">all students will be spread across the full range on the continuum of what learning progress they made while off-site. Some may have flourished and soared, many may have managed to just keep up, and many more will have struggled</span></li></ul><b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Areas we will need to focus on</span></b><br style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whakawhanaunga - welcoming our staff and students back into the physical space and re-inducting into how we now work in our kura</span></li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Accommodating the full range of well-being situations all will be in</span></li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Establishing the full range of learning progressions and differentiating so that we can accelerate those who have struggled while maintaining the momentum of all</span></li></ul><ul style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em;"><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Progress towards qualifications </span></li></ul><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><b style="color: #3d85c6; white-space: pre-wrap;">Our approach in any year, Covid-affected or not, results in the following<br /></b><ul style="line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0.5em 0px; padding: 0px 2.5em; text-align: left;"><li><b style="color: #3d85c6; white-space: pre-wrap;">on average, students at the end of Year 11 have 20 Level 1 credits and 10 at Level 2</b></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>during their Year 12 year, after picking up a further 50 credits (usually at Level 2), they are awarded Level 1 and are close to achieving Level 2</b></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>at the end of Year 12 many students may well not have met the requirements for Level 2 (though we ensure those graduating at the end of Year 12 achieve Level 1 or 2 - whatever is appropriate for them). This is not a concern for us because on their return the following year as a Year 13 student they meet the requirements of Level 2 (usually early in the year) and most go on to achieve Level 3.</b></span></span></span></li><li style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0.25em 0px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>very high levels of Excellence and Merit Endorsed qualifications</b></span></span></span></li></ul></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive outcomes are the reduction in teacher workload (setting, marking, moderating, resubmitting), the creation of more time to focus on learning, a reduction (though not complete elimination) of student stress and anxiety in relation to assessment and qualifications, the uncoupling of the assessment 'tail' waving the learning 'dog', and an increase in the quality of qualifications achieved.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit; white-space: pre-wrap;">More and more schools are moving towards not offering NCEA Level 1 as a full year Year 11 qualification and I know for many school leaders that they see this as a step too far for them as they worry about their staff and parent reaction. I'm happy to talk with any leader/teacher about these issues.</span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What I do encourage school leaders to consider is the focus on calendar year qualifications. Simply by moving your focus to graduate qualifications you free up the yoke of assessment overload for students, assessment overload for staff and the pressure of league tables as they are not relevant for schools who do not aim for calendar year qualifications.</b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Such a strategy slows the assessment journey down which allows for learning to go more deeply.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I'm always happy to be contacted to discuss how these ideas work in reality.</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-13707826651119316482021-03-04T15:43:00.000+13:002021-03-04T15:43:56.804+13:00Old Thinking vs New Thinking: NCEA Frustrations and MIssed Opportunities and the Power of Language - a brief gripe<p>We've missed a huge opportunity with the opportunity to review NCEA. Many of the changes have cemented old thinking and old ways of structuring learning in schools when there is a desperate need for new thinking.</p><p>While it's awesome to have Achievement Standards that support Maori Performing Arts and that they qualify for UE why are we insisting on calling Te Ao Haka a new 'subject'? This is old thinking. New thinking acknowledges there is a suite of standards that can be grouped together to create a programme of learning for students and that these programmes are not subjects.</p><p>I'm not even sure why we have Course Endorsements which are, in reality, Subject endorsements. This old thinking reinforces subjects as the main structure for delivering learning programmes. New thinking has schools developing connected learning programmes which still deliver across them important subject specialist skills and knowledge.</p><p>Even if we accept Course Endorsements are a good idea the criteria for them reinforces that external assessment is vital in any learning programme. For some students, a programme almost entirely made up of internal assessments, with very few external assessments, is the best programme for them. But old thinking says that they cannot qualify for this thing called Course Endorsement.</p><p>Why are we still talking about 'subject lists' at each level? This is old thinking. New thinking would provide a suite of Achievement Standards grouped into Learning Areas which are used to assess the learning that emerges from the programmes for qualifications.</p><p>And this 50/50 split of internals and externals for each 'subject' is so arbitrary and old thinking. New thinking, incorporating the principles of UDL, allows for a broad range of methods of collating evidence of understanding.</p><p>I know cleverer people than me will have answers to these, but all of the answers I have seen definitely sit in the old thinking paradigm!</p><p>Gripe over (for now)!</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-67841255585992336892021-03-03T13:45:00.005+13:002021-03-03T13:45:46.671+13:00Wellbeing is Learning!<p>More and more in my leadership growth journey I have come to realise the importance of wellbeing in learning. </p><p>It began with delving into the principles of restorative practice and realising that all behavioural issues harm a relationship so the focus, when there has been misbehaviour, should be on repairing the harm to the relationship rather than on punishing the wrongdoing.</p><p>Then my involvement with the Te Kotahitanga programme exposed me to the thinking that for teachers to be effective, particularly for Maori but therefore all students then they need to demonstrate on a daily basis that they care for their students as culturally located individuals and that they have high expectations of the learning for all students. Such thinking placing the importance of relationships at the centre. And, of course, positive relationships depend on the wellbeing of all involved in the relationship to be nurtured.</p><p>The combination of exploring relationship-based behaviour management with the Te Kotahitanga inspired pedagogical approach got me thinking of what makes an effective relationship-based approach to curriculum and pedagogy.</p><p>I settled on a framework built around the concept of effective teachers being both <b>warm </b>and <b> demanding</b> at the same time. By this I meant that students had to see very clearly that their teachers cared for them as learners and that those teachers not only had high expectations for them as learners but that they also had high expectations of themselves as teachers to support all students to learn. Such a construct requires a clear focus on the wellbeing of both student and teacher.</p><p>I have blogged before on Bishop's book, <b>Teaching to the North East</b>, which captures wonderfully that combination of warm and demanding. He talks of teachers and schools developing a family-like context for learning. And, of course, such a context requires a focus on wellbeing.</p><p>Belief in such principles have played a key role in the development of Hobsonville Point Secondary School. Structures and processes such as our Learning Hub structure and dispositional curriculum, as represented by our Hobsonville Habits, have relationships and wellbeing firmly at the core. This is one reason why when the pandemic struck we didn't have to pivot too far to ensure our approach around learning progress, student engagement and qualification preparation was based on focusing on the wellbeing of students and staff.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lEYqufYmjdc/YD7W2jKsSgI/AAAAAAAAeN4/wCmYcSD_CiIEKS_aNzjgo_c-yjSU8dsBACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Fullan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1399" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lEYqufYmjdc/YD7W2jKsSgI/AAAAAAAAeN4/wCmYcSD_CiIEKS_aNzjgo_c-yjSU8dsBACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Fullan.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>In between the 2 Auckland lockdowns I received a copy of Michael Fullan's <b><a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/19iZ6sLTdoUssz9tPngV3kOWCUwNbYF0r/view">The right drivers for whole school system success</a> </b>(CSE, Feb 2021). In this he talks about 4 "right drivers" to replace 4 "wrong drivers". The right drivers (with the corresponding wrong driver in brackets) are:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Wellbeing and Learning (Academics Obsession)</li><li>Social Intelligence (Machine Intelligence)</li><li>Equality Investments (Austerity)</li><li>Systemness (Fragmentation)</li></ul>So far, I have only read the section on Wellbeing and Learning vs Academic Obsession. It has really resonated with me as I reflect on the first 3 days of our new Alert Level 3 and realise everything I have done since the Saturday night announcement has been focused on ensuring the wellbeing of students (delivering and issuing laptops and other resources) and staff (clear and, hopefully, compassionate communication re doing our best). Here is my summary of the main points:<p></p><p><b>Academic Obsession</b></p><p>He begins by arguing that the focus entirely on academic grades and degrees is damaging for learning and learners. He argues this focus results in narrow learning "that severely distorts what people learn and need in the 21st century." He says that despite the privileged students who succeed to gain the high grades there are no winners. He labels these students as 'wounded winners' and quotes research which concludes:</p><p><i>"In spite of their economic and social advantages, they experience among the highest rates of depression, substance abuse, anxiety disorder, somatic complaints, and unhappiness of any group of children in this country."</i></p><p>He then moves onto his case for arguing why Wellbeing and Learning is a more appropriate driver and starts with:</p><p><i>"In our ever-complex and contentious world we can no longer afford to separate wellbeing and learning. For one thing <b>wellbeing is learning</b>. As complexity in the world has evolved, Wellbeing and Learning represent an integrated concept. You cannot be successful in one without the other."</i></p><p>He also shares a definition of wellbeing:</p><p><i>"People become good at life when they feel safe, valued and have a sense of purpose and meaning. There is a need to be engaged in meaningful activities that contribute to the wellbeing of others. In the face of adversity, being able to navigate to the resources that you need to get out of the situation - known as resilience - is an essential component. To get there one needs to identify values, goals and needs as well as personal strengths. The competencies you need to achieve this, I think are the 6 Cs [Character, Citizenship, Collaboration, Communication, Creativity and Critical Thinking] as long as compassion and empathy are emphasised."</i></p><p>In exploring this driver he concludes that there is a huge gap between how schools are organised and how young people learn so fall well short of ensuring the wellbeing of these young people.</p><p>He proposes a Learning Design Model which combines 4 elements that lead to deep learning and incorporates Wellbeing and Learning as an integrated concept.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBsM8KYFw1o/YD7YUga1IsI/AAAAAAAAeOA/R7XE2gZbTC44TDizok8C4I_-foi3aUUNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Fullan%2BLearning%2BDesign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zBsM8KYFw1o/YD7YUga1IsI/AAAAAAAAeOA/R7XE2gZbTC44TDizok8C4I_-foi3aUUNwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Fullan%2BLearning%2BDesign.jpg" /></a></div><div><br /></div>This model builds on what is known about the neuroscience of learning such as:<div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>student as inquirer and knowledge builder</i></li><li><i>learning connects meaningfully to student interest and voice</i></li><li><i>connects students to the world with authentic problem solving</i></li><li><i>making mistakes and learning from them strengthens learning</i></li><li><i>collaboration and other forms of connecting with other people and ideas</i></li></ul>More detail on how this model operates, particularly in relation to the global competencies, in a way that a model focusing on Academic Obsession cannot is included on pages 17 - 19 of the publication.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Note: no one is arguing that there is no focus at all on academic success.</b> If the main driver is Wellbeing and Learning then academic success which supports young people to thrive in a complex world is more likely to occur.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm looking forward to reading and blogging on Social Intelligence vs Machine Intelligence.</div><div><br /></div><div>Kia kaha. Kia ora.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-63459733794840794792021-02-08T20:11:00.004+13:002021-02-08T20:11:46.754+13:00Tuesdays with Maurie: Warm and Demanding to start the year<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvHAVygHyII/YCC-yEYp9tI/AAAAAAAAeK0/nEHQnC7mgYAGp_CWat7CfNA-sSN0x2WuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s345/tuesdays_with_morrie.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="211" data-original-width="345" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QvHAVygHyII/YCC-yEYp9tI/AAAAAAAAeK0/nEHQnC7mgYAGp_CWat7CfNA-sSN0x2WuQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tuesdays_with_morrie.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Every second Tuesday I get to host a morning Kitchen Table (Staff Hui) for our staff from 8 30 - 9 00am so obviously it's called <i style="font-weight: bold;">Tuesdays with Maurie. </i>Tomorrow is our first day with the whole school and we have a full day of Learning Hub based activities planned focusing on whanaungatanga and building relationships. As well, we have 14 new or returning staff so such a focus is crucial. The last thing they need to hear from me is 30 minutes of "do this, do that" so I've decided to leave them with one message.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I've never believed in the "Don't smile before Easter" advice many of us used to get when setting out on a new year. I am, however, a firm believer in setting the foundations of an effective and positive teacher/student relationship right from the first minute. So, I thought I'd just speak to these two slides to build on my message at our Noho to start the year and what I covered in <a href="http://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2021/02/2021-how-to-thrive-whanaungatanga-and.html">my last post</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Right from the very beginning when we are building relationships and then when we move into delivering our curriculum, both academic and dispositional, and while we interact throughout our kura and building in so many ways we have to ensure we are <b>warm AND demanding.</b> Russel Bishop describes this as teaching to the North-East - high relationships AND high teaching skills. He calls upon us to create a family- like context for learning, interact in that environment in ways that we know promote learning and monitor learners' progress. This is a great model of pedagogy for all schools to adopt.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHjQgrm1IpU/YCC_KZC-eqI/AAAAAAAAeLE/FqQp74ok4iIo6aCzg1M3fcg_64be5gqwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s2007/North%2BEast.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1085" data-original-width="2007" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MHjQgrm1IpU/YCC_KZC-eqI/AAAAAAAAeLE/FqQp74ok4iIo6aCzg1M3fcg_64be5gqwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/North%2BEast.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We don't kick off with academic classes until the end of the week as we concentrate on building relationships. But the advice is the same - be warm AND demanding even as we are focusing on whanaungatanga. The <b style="font-style: italic;">Thorsborne and Blood </b>model below is my go-to and is similar to Bishop's. This model supports the operation of restorative practice principles in a school when dealing with misbehaviour or, more accurately, harmed relationships, but is valid for all interactions in a school.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fK56TbnJKKI/YCC-8dEKv2I/AAAAAAAAeK4/W_s80RgAOqosNOzMAkibpJomqQ15JzjtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Restorative%2BMatrix.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fK56TbnJKKI/YCC-8dEKv2I/AAAAAAAAeK4/W_s80RgAOqosNOzMAkibpJomqQ15JzjtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Restorative%2BMatrix.png" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The optimal place to be, on both models, is the top right corner (the north-east). It's too easy to sit in the bottom right corner and go soft on the high expectations and the demandingness. It is my view that staying there is just as ineffective as being in any of the two left quadrants.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My message is that by starting and staying with being warm and demanding is the best strategy, is fairer on the students, and gives them the best opportunity to engage effectively with you. Starting anywhere else makes it tougher to get to the north-east later.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Have a great start to the year.</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-71431149740268813792021-02-01T21:46:00.003+13:002021-02-01T22:04:46.069+13:002021: How to Thrive: Whanaungatanga and Wellbeing @ HPSS<p> Like all kura we learned a great deal from the heavily COVID affected 2020, and like all kura we're determined to embed that learning as we prepare for a "who knows what 2021 will have in store for us" year.</p><p>While many staff and students struggled at different times during 2020 we are able to begin this year reflecting, with pride, on how well we did. We concentrated on maintaining strong connections and communicating, looking out for each other, and we focussed on wellbeing. We were, though, very fortunate that our Learning Hub Model which has been central to our school since we began is all about connections, communicating, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga and wellbeing.</p><p>In recognition of the tough and demanding year we had experienced, with the knowledge that there was little certainty as to how 'normal' the year ahead would be and aware that 14 staff were either joining us for the first time or returning from leave we decided to hold a 2 day noho for all staff (teaching and non-teaching) at a local marae, <a href="https://te-piringatahi-marae.business.site/">Te Piringatanga o Te Maungaarongo</a>, with a total focus on whanaungatanga. We experienced a very warm pōwhiri in Te Hau Moana followed by 85 staff standing to introduce themselves by way of pepeha as we sat in a circle. All staff were involved in preparing meals and serving their colleagues over the 2 days and all activities that explored aspects of our curriculum or pedagogy involved staff connecting with and sharing with others, adding to the experience of whanaungatanga. In the evening there was a poi-making workshop and others sat in front of Te Hau Moana singing waiata. One of the highlights was beginning the second day shortly after sunrise with a collaborative physical activity involving breathing and movement led by <a href="https://atamiradance.co.nz/choreographer/jack-gray">Jack Gray of Atamira</a>.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxXnexjED36Rm1_NRrARjGKYtDOKo4ysq_0Us3tgzcQST_rCCmebYcvjzGeKrjR4cIb02g3OTH1U6sPqfJD-Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSy0j6kD1KE/YBe8KRchmbI/AAAAAAAAeJw/LOTnXZBCd603K9aFicZWffW0C_pMjIl-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s2543/2021-01-29%2B07.43.16.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="2543" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TSy0j6kD1KE/YBe8KRchmbI/AAAAAAAAeJw/LOTnXZBCd603K9aFicZWffW0C_pMjIl-wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2021-01-29%2B07.43.16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeyuNyZz6FI/YBe-tnlO4KI/AAAAAAAAeKE/oArdwFXa07M218gtTQFhhyUUAPDPzY8twCLcBGAsYHQ/s960/Poi.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xeyuNyZz6FI/YBe-tnlO4KI/AAAAAAAAeKE/oArdwFXa07M218gtTQFhhyUUAPDPzY8twCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Poi.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRd8ue7JkDI/YBe-yICrf3I/AAAAAAAAeKI/MwFodk4BNRw6rwvMQWfxkzwL99TvfgqkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1280/Te%2BHau%2BMoana.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VRd8ue7JkDI/YBe-yICrf3I/AAAAAAAAeKI/MwFodk4BNRw6rwvMQWfxkzwL99TvfgqkwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Te%2BHau%2BMoana.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>In the short session I led exploring the whakapapa of our kura I finished with the 5 key beliefs that I believe staff needed to thrive in our school in these uncertain times which may be of interest to other educators.</p><p><b>Relationships: </b>the belief that strong and positive relationships between all involved is essential. But it has to be a particular type of relationship: Russell Bishop describes it as teaching in the North-east (<a href="http://principalpossum.blogspot.com/2020/01/from-founding-documents-to-guiding_31.html">see an earlier post</a>) and at HPSS we refer to it as <b>warm and demanding:</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asohKso3g0o/YBe1-s0ZBpI/AAAAAAAAeJY/VpZbrz83UF07c3Teb8TjW8zmsXPUA4WcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/warm%2Band%2Bdemanding.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-asohKso3g0o/YBe1-s0ZBpI/AAAAAAAAeJY/VpZbrz83UF07c3Teb8TjW8zmsXPUA4WcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/warm%2Band%2Bdemanding.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><b>Restorative: </b>the belief that hurtful actions or words, or any wrongdoing, harms a relationship so whenever such harm occurs the focus must be on repairing the relationship. Teenagers (and adults) will do wrong and school has to be a safe place to get it wrong, admit harm and then put things right. Young people will need help with this time and time again (hopefully adults less often!):<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqAMqqEJBGI/YBe3UEER0uI/AAAAAAAAeJk/uIHm0x_T-V8CJ-x9vlzT77TC5jsawt-oACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Restorative%2BMatrix.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PqAMqqEJBGI/YBe3UEER0uI/AAAAAAAAeJk/uIHm0x_T-V8CJ-x9vlzT77TC5jsawt-oACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Restorative%2BMatrix.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b>Culturally Sustainable Practice and Pedagogy: </b>the belief that we have a Tiriti obligation to make sure that we meet the aspirations of Maori in our school. We have to get past the mantra that what is good for Maori is good for everyone and deliver what is good for Maori even if it is not good for anyone else.</p><p><b>Growth Mindset: </b>the belief that it is important to give things a go, try your best, learn from getting it wrong and shining the light on the success of others.</p><p><b>Open to Learning: </b> the belief that whatever we believe to be the case, whatever we believe are the motivations of others, whatever we believe to be the best course of action <b>we might be wrong.</b></p><p>So how will we cope and, hopefully thrive, in 2021?</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>being warm and demanding on self and others</li><li>focusing on maintaining and being willing to repair relationships</li><li>making it our mission to truly honour our Tiriti obligation</li><li>learning from our mistakes and celebrating the success of others</li><li>accepting we might be wrong; and above all</li><li>looking out for each other</li></ul><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4153185901559687740.post-27661183579290299712020-04-16T14:15:00.000+12:002020-04-16T14:15:12.369+12:00How to Manage NCEA in Covid-affected 2020<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Rider</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I want to start by saying that I have no ulterior motive for putting forward the following suggested strategy. My focus is entirely on the well-being of students and staff and strongly believe the positive outcomes would easily outweigh any perceived negative outcomes. As well, I can't help but draw on our experience at Hobsonville Point Secondary School over the last 7 years where I have witnessed a deep engagement with learning and high quality qualification achievement by our learners, But, also, I cannot help but draw on my previous 20 years experience as a school leader in a decile 1 school (where, by the way, I would be implementing a strategy similar to that described here).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Covid-affected 2020</span></u></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At some point we will return to our physical schools. At this stage we are not sure whether our students would have missed out on 3, 4 or more weeks of on-site, physical school. It is very important to remember that whatever that time of off-site is, the actual lost time to that important on-site face-to-face learning will be much longer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's why:</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our students (and staff) will return to our sites affected by a number of issues:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">some will be grieving</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">many whānau will be affected by health issues</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">many students' whānau will be facing employment uncertainty</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">most whānau will be faced with financial hardship</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">all students will be spread across the full range on the continuum of what learning progress they made while off-site. Some may have flourished and soared, many may have managed to just keep up, and many more will have struggled</span></li>
</ul>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Areas we will need to focus on</span></b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whakawhanaunga - welcoming our staff and students back into the physical space and re-inducting into how we now work in our kura</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Accommodating the full range of well-being situations all will be in</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Establishing the full range of learning progressions and differentiating so that we can accelerate those who have struggled while maintaining the momentum of all</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Progress towards qualifications</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-size: 16pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>As far as 2020 qualifications are concerned</b> we must have the time and energy to focus on those students who are graduating this year, while ensuring we keep building the foundations for quality qualifications for those students not graduating this year.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In devising our strategies for how we navigate our way through the reality of what impact Covid 19 has had on our schools and learners, and will continue to do so, and which allow us to have the focus described above we may need to be reminded of the following points made in the latest NZQA Update which included a slide show (unfortunately these important points were buried as bullet point 4 on slide 8 under the heading <b>NZQA advises you consider</b>):</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-688ec0bf-7fff-47c7-d6da-26eced143dbc"></span></span><br />
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -10pt; padding-left: 1pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>using the flexibility of the qualification. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<ul style="margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 0;">
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -10pt; padding-left: 1pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Students don't need to complete a lower level qualification before moving to the next level. If students don't manage to achieve sufficient credits, those they subsequently achieve from a higher level can fill any gaps in achievement at a lower level. </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; list-style-type: disc; margin-left: -10pt; padding-left: 1pt; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><div dir="ltr" role="presentation" style="line-height: 1.2; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Students can catch up and be awarded their certificate in 2021 if they are returning to school. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
These points are a reminder that </span><div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">students do not need to achieve Level 1 to gain Level 2 or Level 3 and, in fact, don't need L2 to get L3. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">on the way to achieving their final qualification students do not need to complete each lower level in a calendar year</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">HPSS example of the above in practice</span></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>on average, students at the end of Year 11 have 20 Level 1 credits and 10 at Level 2</b></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>during their Year 12 year, after picking up a further 50 credits (usually at Level 2), they are awarded Level 1 and are close to achieving Level 2</b></span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><b>at the end of Year 12 many students may well not have met the requirements for Level 2 (though we ensure those graduating at the end of Year 12 achieve Level 1 or 2 - whatever is appropriate for them). This is not a concern for us because on their return the following year as a Year 13 student they meet the requirements of Level 2 (usually early in the year) and most go on to achieve Level 3.</b></span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">All such an approach takes is an acceptance of the NZQA advice above, a mindset that rejects calendar year achievement of each qualification level and a lack of concern for league tables. At our school, we believe the most important measure is the quality of qualifications of leavers, not the steps along the way.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Positive outcomes are the reduction in teacher workload (setting, marking, moderating, resubmitting), the creation of more time to focus on learning, a reduction (though not complete elimination) of student stress and anxiety in relation to assessment and qualifications, the uncoupling of the assessment 'tail' waving the learning 'dog', and an increase in the quality of qualifications achieved.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>What about those who only achieve Level 1?</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Once again I can only call on my last 7 years at HPSS and the 20 years in my previous decile 1 school.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The latest statistics I can find are as follows:</span></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">10% of students leave school without at least Level 1</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">10% leave school with Level 1 as their highest qualification</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">At least we know that by doing things differently we can't have a more negative impact on the first group than we are already having. (I do believe, however, that with a much less focus on NCEA in Year 11 eg not exposing struggling learners to a year of 100-120 credits, then we have more chance in engaging them in school and learning and increasing the possibility they might return for a 4th year and have more chance of gaining their Level 1. That is certainly my current experience). However, in the meantime let's accept at least we won't be making their situation worse.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Quite rightly, the focus is on the second group and the actual percentage will differ across schools. I encourage schools to examine the pathways of those students who have left to determine whether Level 1 was necessary for them to be on that pathway. We have students who leave our school with Level 1 as their highest qualification, most of them on appropriate pathways, but none of them actually needed Level 1 to get onto that pathway, so they would not have been disadvantaged without achieving Level 1. As well, it is my experience that many of the students who currently leave with just Level 1, if they are on a slower assessment journey, largely focused on their intended pathway, actually end up achieving Level 2 after the end of 4 years at school.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>A Strategy Worth Considering? - Slow it down and go more deeply</u></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I shudder to think what the reduced 2020 school year will look like for our Year 11 learners if they are still faced with programmes based on assessing them against 120 credits. So I suggest the following as worthy of consideration:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">1. Depending on a school's particular context it considers suspending NCEA Level 1 as a full qualification for its Year 11 learners for 2020.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>But what would their year, and the year of the teacher look like?</b></span></span></div>
<div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Teachers would not have to amend their programmes. They would still teach the full important concepts, skills and knowledge of their specialist subject, laying strong foundations for success in the following year at Level 2</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">The large amount of time usually dedicated to the assessment of NCEA standards would be freed up for more learning</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Schools could decide that each subject can offer a maximum of 2 standards per subject so that students are still progressing the qualification ladder (or whatever maximum suits them best in consultation with each Learning Area).</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Because of more time allowing for deeper learning, schools may find that they can offer some of their Year 11 students assessment pitched at Level 2.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">Feedback and reporting to students and parents could be as it currently is for Years 9 and 10 - against Level 6 of the NZC</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> 2. Ease up on the credit chase for Level 2 for students in Year 12 who you know will be returning in 2021 as they will gain Level 2 during their Year 13 year.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><b><u>Issues</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">There are lots, but the biggest shift is a mindset shift from school leaders, who then lead the mindset shift for their staff, students and parents. Putting a well-being lens over such a strategy is hard to argue against.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">As well, if you are considering such a strategy it's good to know you are not alone. Over the last 10 days I have hosted 2 Zui (Zoom Hui) with 30 secondary school leaders who are seriously exploring suspending NCEA Level 1 as a full qualification this year and I want to thank them for sharpening my thinking and giving more detail to this proposed strategy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It seems to me that the Ministry and NZQA are reluctant to message that a valid strategy for schools to consider, depending on their context, the suspension of Level 1 as a full year qualification in 2020. The closest to that we can get is the NZQA message above.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">If you want to explore this type of strategy further, make contact and I can link a few people together.</span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
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