#edblognz Challenge 2

1. Write a blog post about an education question/ challenge/wondering that you have or are facing. You don’t need to have the answer/solution.

So here's my post, via my question. (This will only work if people respond!)

WHAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING PROGRAMME FOR YOU?

Week 1 challenge #edblognz

Think about your teaching practice. How has it evolved over time? What are you currently working on developing in your practice? What tools have you used during this inquiry time?

I'll talk about an aspect of my leadership, as I move towards 6 1/2 years of being a Principal. What has been the most significant change in my leadership is the areas that I pay attention to. When I first became a Principal it was all about systems and getting things working in a way that made sense to me and for staff. While the systems in our school continue to evolve, my attention is more about how I can meet the learning needs of my staff, so our learners benefit from having "expert learners" as teachers. My role in this varies. Sometimes it's about creating the conditions or the culture. At other times it involves getting deep in the mechanics of a particular aspect of practice.
Like others on our staff, I'm employing surveys more often to inform decisions and gathering more voice.
An example of this has been around our professional learning programme where I have wanted to personalise things more. I'd wondered if this was working for staff, so put together a survey (using google forms) and asked everyone to respond. I've shared the results and we have a meeting in week 1 next term to discuss and make some joint decisions.
Like a classroom teacher, I'm constantly asking myself, if I see evidence of learning. And like a classroom teacher, involving the learners in the process and in the decisions.
I'm looking in particular at a couple of work ons from our last ERO report and asking teachers if these are areas they want to work on more. I'll need to ask our learners too and take that voice to the staff to help guide our decision.
A key question will be, "How might we meet individual learning needs through our professional learning programme?"

Thanks to who ever it was that first shared the "How might we..." questions. The first time I heard of this was from Maurie Abraham http://principalpossum.blogspot.co.nz/ -a leader who I find inspiring and challenging and whose posts I always check out.

Personalising professional learning

The #BFC630nz twitter chat (which I usually browse over as I eat my breakfast, because I don’t function properly at 6.30am) from this morning has really got me thinking about what I hoped would be an effective way to go about professional learning for our staff this year.

I saw a number of tweets from teachers wishing they had input into the content of staff meetings or some choice about them.I can relate.

Previous posts of mine talk about the hit and miss of most staff meetings I have attended or lead. In response to this and wanting to personalise the learning experience for my staff, we have run “Professional Learning Groups” rather than staff meetings each fortnight this year.

Each teacher has been asked to lead something and it was up to them to work out how much time they might need depending on what they wanted to achieve.

My thoughts were that a PLG might run for a term, or for a whole year. The frequency of those meetings would vary too. A PLG might meet 5 times across a term, or 5 times across a year. It would depend entirely on what the goal was.

I wanted all teachers (5 plus me) to experience that leadership role. It didn’t mean they had to be expert in something, but be prepared to facilitate. I left it open as to what staff might choose to lead. ( I need to point out, we’re all experienced teachers and have been together for a few years, so there is already a high level of relational trust)

At the start of the year, it was a bit like an Educamp, for those of you who have been. Staff pitched an idea to everyone else of a PLG they would be prepared to lead. (They also needed a second and third option too, just in case no-one was interested in the first idea or 2).

From memory, each teacher had their first idea generate enough interest to make it worthwhile.

I was away on sabbatical the first term when these new initiative was established, so I wonder if I’d been present that things may have unfolded differently.

I also surveyed the teachers using google forms to collect some initial thoughts about how they like to learn, what they wanted to achieve with their PLG and what potential barriers they foresaw.

So, what have I seen and what has happened so far?

I think there has only been one occasion when a staff member didn’t come to a PLG. Perhaps old habits die hard, or perhaps what’s being offered is meeting people’s needs. Either way, pretty much full attendance. There are 2 time slots. 3.15-4pm and 4-4.30pm. (We finish at 2.50pm, so teachers have 25 minutes before meetings start)Teachers book up on the shared doc in advance. I send out a short email prior to each PLG I lead to give  a heads up on what’s going to be the content, so people come along prepared, or could choose not to come.

Some PLGs have been one offs. This wasn’t my intention, but it met some needs. I think a PLG offered over time would probably have more long lasting effect and would offer better support. I haven’t made up my mind fully one way or the other about one offs.

Teachers do seem more interested and invested. I have no way of measuring that other than observation and from listening to people talk. It’s certainly been way more collaborative than it used to be.

Topics covered so far: Accelerating learning in Literacy, personalising learning, mask making for wearable arts, boys ed, Reading Eggs, Pond, eAsttle, Sign language, RTCs/Appraisal.

These are quite different to what I thought might be offered. My intention was to have PLGs based around identified learning goals from end of year appraisal meetings. When I look at the list above I can see that’s it’s been rather disjointed.

The #BFC630nz chat this morning had @karyngra tweet this - “Personalised Teacher PLD combined with whole staff vision building, definitely effective”.

This has prompted me in to thinking more deeply about the vision aspect and the importance of everyone having input into a collective vision.

I refer to the “Model for Managing Complex Change” adapted from Knoste, T (1991) to work out what piece might be missing if I see something not working when dealing with change:

Vision+Skills+Incentives+Resources+Action Plan = Success.

Some people have added Relationships to that as well. I wonder if our PLGs were just my idea and broadcast rather than investigating if this is the approach that staff actually wanted. (The survey results certainly supported the move however) Perhaps I didn’t do enough around the vision aspect initially. As far as Skills go, this is where coaching comes in. Some have asked for it, others I’ve approached to see if any was needed prior to the PLG. Perhaps action plans have been missing too. I developed one for my own PLG goal as it was part of something bigger across our school. Perhaps there needed to be the expectation that a PLG would have a minimum number of sessions.

Another tweet that caused “a stir” in my brain was this one - “Please don’t refer me to the charter brick I had no input in” - there’s a challenge for leadership! And well put too.

In learning more about taking a personalised approach, I read “Make Learning Personal” by Bray and McClaskey.

Their continuum of the expert learner (and this is what I want for the teachers in my school, to be, expert learners) looks like this:

Voice⇒Choice⇒Engagement⇒Motivation⇒Ownership⇒Purpose⇒Self regulation

“When learners include their voice and have opportunities for choice, this changes how they interact with the content, the teacher, and each other.”

This has significant implications for the way in which traditional approaches to PLD have been taken. Without authentic Voice there really isn’t Choice. I had to allow staff to generate their own ideas for PLGs, because if I’d made up the list based on school priorities and then got people to choose from there, they would potentially be choosing from a list they didn’t really want anyway. (much like my Mum saying I could have broccoli OR brussel sprouts - is that really a choice Mum?)

I promised an honest post. I will lay my cards on the table at this point. Another reason I have taken this approach to professional learning for staff, is that this is the way I see our classes running and I need to illustrate this for staff. I want to show the process I went through - collect voice, allow choice etc. I cannot and will not expect my teachers to implement change without being prepared to change my own ways of doing things.  It needs to be systemic and “unbundle” traditional approaches. (Thanks Rachel Bolstad for that term, I love it).

So, where to from here? What plans and thoughts do I have for next year?

I believe that a personalised approach is the way to go. When I see what is happening for learners in our classrooms I am blown away. Must dos and Can dos are the developing common language across the school. Staff certainly seem more invested and motivated around professional learning.

I should also add that I free up funds for each teacher to use to support their own professional learning and our teachers only day for the past couple of years have seen teachers going out to schools of their own choice to meet their own learning needs.

This has generally been well received and I have been in awe of the learning and action that has occurred after these visits. I think there is benefit in 2 teachers going to a school together, as the talk between people and ongoing support is important, but not at the expense of someone tacking along just to make that happen. Remember, Voice, then Choice, not just Choice.

I think we’ll carry on with this approach but perhaps couple it with some school wide stuff too. (Our school wide focus this year was being Year 2 in ALiL). But the school wide stuff would still need to be personalised. As long as each teacher can identify goals to work on, rather than all working towards one goal, then it can be personalised. A rubric can help with this showing development of skills and goals.

I have 5 staff to lead. I wonder if this approach can/could work in a big school. What would it look like? Is it possible? Would it be wanted?

Enough. I’m exhausted. Thanks for reading. Cannot wait to hear some responses.

What's most important - Teaching or Learning?

Over the past twenty years that I've been in education I think it's fair to say that the focus has been pretty much on the teaching side of things, not so much the learning side of things. Perhaps this is because we can really only truly control the teaching. I believe that learning occurs in the brain and therefore, I am unable to get inside the brains of the learners I work with. What then can I control? Quite a bit really; classroom environment, giving feedback,  using learner voice and giving choice and so on. As teachers we have plenty that we can control and over my time in education we have focused a lot on these things. A lot of money and time and effort, blood, sweat and tears have gone into the teaching of many different learning areas.

I'm wondering if we need to focus on learning, as opposed to teaching. Perhaps rather than teaching strategies it is learning strategies that need attention. I've worked with countless teachers who create wonderful conditions for their learners and despite everything, some learners just don't make (necessary) progress with their learning.
There's a bit of attention being given to how the brain works and we're getting better at talking with learners about how they learn best. I wonder if we need to further our work in understanding what effective learning strategies are, rather than effective teaching strategies.

I welcome your thoughts and ideas.

Our incredible staff

After a  long morning at my PLG  today, I wasn't too sure how I would get on sitting on for another hour and a half while we shared back about our teacher only day experiences. I couldn't have wished for a more engaging session. I couldn't be more proud of each person, the way they had prepared their thoughts and the thoughtful questions following each talk. We are all deep in our own learning pit. It's  fascinating hearing people make sense of their learning and establish their own next steps right in front of us. To date this year, it has been my favourite moment at school.

Two weeks ago we had all gone off in different directions visiting people that would support our professional learning. At this point in my post I must point out that staff had been given freedom and a budget to go wherever their funds could take them. Two of us ended up in the same schools, everyone else went different places. Schools visited were Tamatea Intermediate and Richmond School, in Napier, Parkland  School and Whakarongo School in Palmerston  North, Parkvale School and Mahora School in Hastings, Tokomaru School and Shannon School in Horowhenua and Resource teachers of literacy in Feilding and Palmerston North. I shared about my experiences, thoughts and wonderings after visiting schools in Christchurch - Hallswell, Waitakiri, Pegasus Bay, Clarkville and Breens  Intermediate.

Why not take the whole school staff to the same place? Because I don't believe this would have met each person's learning needs. It also would not have led to the diverse range of experiences, thinking and follow ups. Through having choice, engagement followed. Teachers were highly motivated because they could choose something that was relevant, topical and meaningful to them. They weren't having to tag along because someone had organised the day for them. I won't keep going on - those leaders who are implementing personalized learning in the school, I hope, are extending this pedagogical approach to the adult akonga in their own places of learning. We know that young learners enjoy having choice and adult learning theory supports this approach too.

While the majority of our experiences were supporting our work to implement personalized learning, so many other outcomes have come from these professional learning experiences. Thank you to the schools and people we visited. If we are able to action even some of the many, many ideas that came from our experiences, our school and therefore our learners will benefit greatly.

Thank you to the incredible staff at our school. Today was a highlight.

Measuring what we do.

A question I asked as part of my sabbatical was how schools are measuring the impact of the actions they are taking in personalising learning.
For me, taking a personalised approach supports the development of the KCs - so we needed to establish a starting point on how we might monitor learner progress in relation to becoming more skilled in the KCs.
Our school has a strong and relevant model that brings KCs and values from the NZC together.


We needed to add clarity for our learners so they could see what each of the "flags" really meant and then how to improve in each of these key areas. We've introduced the terms; dependent, assisted, independent and self-guiding to categorise the stages that learners might move between as they become more competent.

Teams have developed rubrics that allow learners to see where they are on the Bridge to Life and learners have used this rubric to self-assess and place themselves in their 'best fit' stage.
It's an exciting development for our school - we have some common language that extends across the school and clearly shows a progression for our learners. It's a great starting point and I know that these will be refined and further developed over time as we use them more. Each class has these displayed and classes have adopted different ways of having learners "show" where they fit best, and therefore what their goal is in becoming "the best me I can be".




The rubrics will be a tool we can use to monitor learner progress and hopefully as evidence that our approach is further developing learner capability in the KCs. By gathering in sheets that learners have assessed themselves on and tracking them over time, we will be able to see if they are progressing or not and also establish if the rubric is learner friendly.

Could we be missing Something?

We're talking about effective practice and how to best meet the needs of our learners. We're looking at how to develop self regulated learners in single cell classes. Evidence available from australia.teachingandlearningtoolkit.net.au/toolkit shows that meta-cognition and self regulation along with feedback as having high impact on learning and achievement.
So we're wondering how to best create the conditions that promotes these outcomes. We're currently pursuing creating self-guided programmes in single cell classes. We are working on having greater learner voice and choice, through having must do and can do activities within various aspects of our programmes. Learners will be involved in the development of some of the learning activities.
Having just come back from a trip to Christchurch that focussed on collaborative teaching approaches, I'm now wondering about the "power of more than one".
We were reviewing our moderation practices today and then I gave a quick report from my trip and the link was made between the two - with more than one teacher about, moderating would be enabled on a more frequent basis, there would be ongoing moderation as learners are discussed between teachers.
I am learning more and more about personalising  learning and collaborative teaching. I am learning about more advantages for both teachers and learners in taking a collaborative approach in an "innovative learning environment". Such ideas as a learner not connecting with one teacher might be avoided in a space that has more than one teacher, learners might gain different perspectives on the curriculum. Teachers worry about not knowing their learners so well. I know this is a real concern in many schools and one parents might have too - who is actually looking out for my child?
We don't feel we know enough yet about this to implement it successfully and there is a high level of angst in my community about taking this approach. So currently we're  looking at how we can ensure our learners are offered all they can be in a single cell setting.
If there's  one thing I hear over and over again, get the pedagogy right, then go from there. We have work to do to ensure that our classes are running how we want, that we all share some understandings of what we are wanting to achieve and how to go about achieving that.
Perhaps some teachers will select to work in a collaboration in the near future. In the meantime, we need to get our pedagogy right about enabling learners to be self guiding and self regulating.

A lasting impression

We all know that schools are called upon to do special things on a daily basis. The staff in many Christchurch schools have been called upon to do the extraordinary. 48 hours, five schools and one outcome. Respect. I went to learn about collaborative practice and certainly came away with way more knowledge and ideas around this, I also came away with something I wasn't expecting and something I wasn't prepared for. Hearing what different schools had done for their community following the quake made me realise even more how vital schools are to their communities, they're more than places of learning. They can be a refuge, solace and a hope.
The leadership that principals must have shown over the past few years is something rather special. Having a new build on top of everything else is something to look forward to but also so much more work in the meantime. Split campuses, shared campuses, no campus at all. The e,optional needs of staff, children and parents,  as well as turmoil in their own lives and it's  a wonder how many kept going. It really is.

So, thank you to Halswell School, Waitakiri School,  Pegasus Bay School, Clarkville School and Breen's Intermediate. Thank you for welcoming us so warmly, for sharing your story so openly and for what you have done. Meeting you all has been a privilege. Learning from you has been an inspiration.

Note- I was one of ten Principals from the Manawatu who visited five schools in Christchurch over two days. Brilliant trip.

Our approach to professional learning at our school.

We're trialling something new at our school to support professional learning. Professional learning networks have been offered, with each staff member leading one. I lead my first session today about personalising learning, sharing back from my sabbatical. Our next session will be in ten weeks with everyone sharing some practice.
The intention behind the PLNs is for learning needs to be better met, for everyone to have a say in the professional learning programme and for everyone to have a leadrship role. We have an experienced team and most of us have been working together for a few years, so the time and the culture is right.
I am hopeful that over time the PLNs will develop into carefully planned for sessions that run for as long as necessary to achieve set outcomes.
The PLNs have generally been attended by everyone, but they are not compulsory to attend. Some staff have been brave enough not to attend Some sessions which I salute and would encourage. This is the type of thing I want happening in our rooms, so support it fully at this level too.
In addition to these networks, staff are each in charge of their own professional learning budget. This can be used for anything to support their own learning - further study, conferences, travel, etc. We also have a teachers only day where school visits are the focus. Teachers select the schools themselves based on their learning needs. We are sending two teachers to ulearn and these two contribute some of their professional learning funds to the cost of this.
I think that everyone's professional learning needs are better met through this approach, as opposed to our previous traditional staff meeting approach.I have been able to decide my own professional learning programme to support the goals that are set in my appraisal and I think the experience is one that everyone should have. That is, being in control of their own learning. This is what I want for everyone in our school; teachers and children.  I am surveying the staff at the start and end of the year to see if this has indeed better met their learning needs.
Tteaching as inquiry is firm embedded. We are also in the second year of  Accelerating learning in literacy. Our interventions are the basis for our TAIs - we're not doubling up work.
There is additional funding in the professional learning budget for things that pop up along the way, so we don't miss any awesome learning opportunities.

Self guided learning and another reason why...

We sometimes double guess ourselves. I'm not sure why. Perhaps we need to ensure we have done our research properly to feel we have an evidenced base to justify our actions. However, something like self-directed or self-guided learning has plenty of research behind it and many schools are heading in the direction of personalising learning. This is more and more common in MLE's and for those of us in single cell schools, it's about MLP. It is possible to transform traditional practice in a single cell class. It's happening already. In lots of places, like our school.
The double guessing comes when we're questioned by parents (or by colleagues) about our approach and when things aren't quite going right, a new approach is quickly identified as being a potential problem.
And what about preparation for high school? How can students having choices and having to manage themselves possibly prepare them for high school? Sound familiar?
My thinking is, school is first and foremost not about preparing learners for a future life. They're living it right now. We should be giving learners what they need for today. It's ridiculous to suggest that everything a learner is doing is preparation for "real life" and that at some stage they'll recall the skills and learning for when it really matters. It matters now! They need to use and apply what they've got now.
I also believe that the skills and experience gained from managing oneself through a self guided approach will actually give a learner the skills they need to be successful at any time. Being able to prioritise tasks, know how much time to give a task and to know one's own strengths are essential. This knowledge and these skills can only be gained through being given opportunities where learners gain experience in applying them. (And when you look at it, these are actually skills that would make a learner successful when they do go to high school.)
There isn't an age when these skills can be acquired, it's no use saying that these are things a learner will be able to do in the senior school. Nonsense! Learners have been making decisions and learning plenty in their first 5 years of life and it should be that this type of learning continues when they first start school - not ignored for 4 or 5 years and then reintroduced sometime later in their schooling.

So, to all those innovators out there, trying new things and wanting to transform their practice - I encourage you to keep going. Kia kaha. The easy thing to do is "pack up" and revert to what has always been done. Is this a lesson we want our learners to learn? I think not.

The leader I want to be

I've been on sabbatical. I have missed a lot of school. I have missed school. I have met with inspiring educators at various schools and enjoyed seeing other schools in action and wondering about the next phase for our school.

I was asked two brilliant questions by learners at two different schools. The first of these was from a five year old. I asked him what he was doing on his ipad and rather than answering me, he asked, " Are you Kevin's Dad?" Thenother great question put to me was from a 12 year old. He asked, "Is this your job?" I replied, "No, but I wish it was!" It would be an incredible job - to visit schools, talk with learners and educators and then write about it. These experiences change you. It's an honour.

So what has really happened while I've had my sabbatical?I feel I've changed. I don't want to go back and be the same old me. I need to be better at some things. I cannot expect our school to continue to evolve while being the same leader I was.

So, what do I want to be?
I want to be more inspirational. What is it that makes a leader inspirational? Different things for different people. I need to personalise my leadership more.
I want to be more relaxed. I wear my job pretty hard. Sometimes it hasn't been fun. I need to be more prepared and use better strategies for amanging some situations.
I want office free days where I am in a class for most of the day. I want to see what's going on more. I want to have far greater "voice" of learners, educators and community. I'll need to listen more.
I want to be an expert learner myself. I need to read even more, connect even more, collaborate more.
I want to take greater risks and innovate more. I need to pursue some personal goals and develop some other interests.

I know I don't have all the answers yet-that's not what this is about, but I do know that I want to be and will be a different leader than I was before.

What exactly is 21st century learning?

I've started reading (professionally) again. Our PLG is reading Key Competencies for the Future (Hipkins, Bolstad, Boyd, McDowall).
I thought I'd try to summarise my thinking or understanding of Chapters 2 and then 3, but I've found myself thinking about the title of this post.

Page 29 - "as with many kinds of change, it is often easier for all of us to see what we're moving away from, than to imagine exactly what it is we are moving towards."
This is challenging stuff and offers me a suggestion of why some are reluctant to move away from their current practice. While very few would try to justify that a one size fits all approach has merits, depending on how they're positioned to make change, they may prefer to continue what they're doing, as the alternative is too unclear. To me, this is about personality types. Risk taker, early adopter, whatever you call them, there are those who are happy to embark on something new, not knowing exactly where they're going, and not having an end in mind at any point. They enjoy the journey, the process.
We're not all wired the same way. This is a good thing. It can also be frustrating when it comes to some matters. Especially change. Some need to know the details and won't start the change process until some or all of these details are known, considered, debated, trialled and evaluated. Others simply cannot wait to start.

When considering the "wicked" question in the title of this post, it's not surprising that many of us are feeling excited, agitated, perplexed, exhausted, etc when contemplating what it is we need to do to have future oriented learning happening in our schools.

So, what is it that you are moving towards? What exactly is your definition or understanding of what 21st century learning is?

Sabbatical visits Day 1

I love hearing from my staff when they've come back from visiting another school. This is something I actively promote. I love hearing all the new ideas and the about the connection they have made with someone else. So, of course, I was always to include school visits as the core business of my sabbatical. 

I've always regarded visiting another school as a privilege. I think we're really lucky that we continue to give up time to support the learning of others. It's a mutual learning experience really isn't it - in visiting I gain some new insights, for the host they have a chance to talk their work which often adds further clarity.
I felt high tech (for me). Doc open on my phone with my key questions and my tablet open with voice recorder going while we spoke. It's been great listening back to the conversation to help me write up the main points from this visit to Whakarongo School.
This is what I hope to do. 10 schools. Write up a summary for each school and then synthesise what I've seen across the schools for different year levels. I hope to create a report that might support a school just beginning its journey into MLP.
If today is any indicator of what I'm in for then I'm up for it! I was given generous time from the Principal Jaco Broodryck and spoke to teachers as I went around the school.
Indeed it was a privilege today. I'm so fortunate to have this sabbatical and time to reflect on the incredible work we're doing at my own school.
Oh, the point of this post -to encourage you to go and visit other schools, or even other classes. How much do you really know about what's going on right newxt door?
I know that I used to think I knew. I've been lucky in my position as a walking DP and then as Principal to visit many classes and wish I'd done this way way more as a classroom teacher. No-one told me to value it, so I didn't do it. There was nothing to stop me from giving up a little CRT time and sitting in any room and just soaking it up. We can sometimes be quick to make judgements about colleagues, but what's this based on? So, go on, get up, go somewhere and see what's going on. What have you got to lose?

What  a great job this would be full time. Visiting schools and sharing with others what's going on. What a privilege it is to connect with other passionate educators who day in day out provide wonderful learning environments for the learners in their care.  

Lessons from 28 days of writing

27 days have passed. What have I learned from the +Tom Barrett challenge of writing each day for 28 days?

1. I do not stick with things. 15 posts. Not 28. It has however doubled my number of posts in total.
2. I like to post.
3. I don't have to worry about being an expert to blog. I am entitled to talk my work and my thoughts.
4. It helps me clarify my thinking when I blog.
5. There are a number of like minded people writing about similar things.
6. It doesn't matter what school you are at. There are incredible things happening almost everywhere it seems.
7. I like the connections I make through blogging. I have made some new contacts via Twitter, such as @GarethGilmour and +BridgeeNZ  thanks to this 28 day challenge and through posting.
8. I still have so much to learn.
9. I will continue to post.

So that's it. I'm not likely to post tomorrow for the final day due to a family gathering. I'm about to visit some schools as part of my sabbatical so there'll be plenty of ideas to post about.
If, like me, you're not a frequent writer, I hope you keep going to. It's a great record for yourself and you never know who might gain inspiration from you.

Preparing for my school visits

As frequent readers of my blog and those who follow me on Twitter know, I am on sabbatical. I mention it frequently. I'm not showing off. I'm using it as an excuse. My day is vastly different to the usual routine. My  mind is still whirring away but it's not worrying about the day to day stuff of running our school. Instead it has been replaced with painting windows!

In the background, I've been organising visits to some schools. I'm wanting to visit schools that are making learning personal at all levels of the school. I'd hoped to get to Myross Bush School - but flights into Invercargill or sporadic and expensive and it just didn't happen - a real shame becaise I know Tim and team are doing some awesome things. I was particularly interested in visiting smaller schools like my own - not necessarily doing the MLE thing, but still MLP in a single cell class.

I've been overwhelmed by people's offers to host me and every school I approached was more than happy to host me. Aren't we lucky in education-people are so happy to share their work. There's nothing in it for them. This is all about me learning. Maybe I'll be able to offer something back - it'll be great to talk with like minded people who are personalising learning.

I'm visiting lots of local schools.Wellington.  Hopefully some in Hawkes Bay and a quick trip to Christchurch too. 10-12 schools and I'll be profiling their approach and then synthesising what I've seen and heard about. Hopefully my report will be a useful doc for those starting out their journey and looking for ideas etc.

I'm really fortunate to have this time. My work is almost ready to start. I'm about to develop guiding questions to ask at each school. I need a wet day soon to get this done so I don't want to paint.

Does a school need a Principal?

Last night I started to write this - there was no way I could articulate what I wanted to express in just 28 minutes, so here's version two.

Initially I'd convinced myself that I might be superfluous - a scary reality. Am I necessary?

I'd managed to reroute admin jobs and saw the BOT taking a larger role in the development of the charter and that type of thing. I even had in independent appraiser working across schools to carry out staff appraisal. Yes it would be a major system change, but it was possible. That's  what I thought.

I looked across the room to the voice of reason, my wife, and told her I'd created a little ripple on Twitter by putting my post idea out there. Her reaction was to ask me who would synthesise everything and provide the direction of the school. That was her immediate reaction. Not - who would parents complain to, not who would run staff meetings or do the bus roster or any of those routine jobs. Synthesising and leading.

And of course, she's right. That's what Principal's do. Through listening to others they're able to bring all the ideas of the students, staff and community together and provide the direction that the school needs.  

So, while there's always a mountain of other tasks to do to keep the school ticking over, there are higher order tasks required. Creating a place that everyone loves being part of is a challenging and rewarding occupation. 

I've convinced myself again. Schools do need Principals. 

Now, what type of Principal does a school need?

Meat and 3 veg in week 4 of the term.

I was raised on meat and three veg. It's what I know. When the daily question arises, "What shall we have tonight?" my mind automatically goes to meat and three veg. I can cook other meals. I prefer to cook other meals. Especially one pot meals. Sometimes I go to cookbooks for inspiration. We have lots of cookbooks. We like the way they look. Some of the recipes are really good and work well. Others have been attempted and failed and not tried again.
I go through phases. I look through the books. Get inspired. Buy fresh new ingredients and go for it. Then it's back to meat and three veg again. Hurumph. What's happened here? I was going well with the new dishes. They were well received and were relatively easy to make. But before I know it, I'm back in the old routine, peeling spuds and carrots. I like spuds. I like carrots. Peas. Meat. No problem, it's just the tediousness of it all. Plus, there's not enough variety. Not to mention you don't have to have meat everyday anyway. But change is hard right. This is what my Dad likes so Mum cooks it. I learned by watching Mum. I cook similarly.  It's engrained in us. What we see we become. How we ate is how we eat. How we were trained to cook is how we cook. And when I run out of ideas, or just can't be bothered, this is what I revert to.

Ooops, just realised that I'm meant to be writing about teaching. Have a great week 4. Avoid the meat and 3 veg ok.

A salute, or a nod, to those who blog

So, we've had 13 days of this 28 days of writing. I've missed some days along the way. I'm sorry that I'm not sorry. Like everything in my life, I do it all in moderation. I've had interruptions, like my parents staying and I've placed that ahead of posting. Are my priorities straight? Yes.
So, fellow bloggers, if you are taking part in the 28 day challenge and you feel like a night off after a rough day at school, or you've prioritised something else, cut yourself some slack. Just be. The sun will come up tomorrow.
I admire so much those of you who have managed to generate worthwhile posts each day. I've loved connecting with new people and being challenged by their thoughts. I've enjoyed reading some beautifully crafted and clever writing. I've even enjoyed writing myself and having others comment or respond to me.
It's the weekend. Enjoy your time off. Enjoy your families and friends. Take a few deep breaths and smile. Do something just for you. You'll be better for it.

Remembering the person in the people.

I attended a funeral today of a lady who I met while teaching at College Street Normal School here in Palmerston North. She had been teaching longer than I'd been alive. She was already partly retired back in 2000. Today we paid tribute and remembered someone who was truly remarkable. My current school library is named after her - a fitting tribute for someone who taught so many the love of reading.
Today made me remember the person in the people.
I've been so fortunate in my career to meet some incredibly inspiring teachers who moulded me into what I am today.
As a beginning teacher I was fortunate to work in an open plan space with my tutor teacher. Every day after school I'd make her a cup of tea and we'd sit and go over that day, the next day and how we would work together each afternoon. This wasn't an MLE. We did our own thing through until lunch and then brought our classes together after lunch for theme work. But being in that open space, I was able to see and hear what was going on and quickly learned a lot about effective literacy teaching and classroom management. Margaret made a lasting impression on me. She taught me about resiliency, fun and collegiality.
When I joined College Street Normal School in 2000 I was in the senior team and my Team Leader was also the DP. A teaching DP in a school of 500. Peter was a workaholic. He knew everything! I was in awe of him. My teaching transformed while working with him. I knew exactly what to do, when to do it and usually how thanks to the meticulous long term plan and unit plans handed to me.
A third person to make an impact on me was a colleague from Riverdale School. We shared an office space. We had the best chats most days and usually solved, not only all the education problems, but pretty much any problem in the world. We talked widely. I would rate Terri as one of the best teachers I've ever worked with. Her relationships with students were like nothing I'd ever seen before. She ran her class in such a different way. Together we trialled our take on self-directed learning. This was in 2007 - my last year teaching in my own class. The first year I did something non-traditional.

What is it about these 3 people that has made me single them out from other colleagues who have impacted on me? They were interested in the person in me. Yes, we were great colleagues and we learned together, but these people were also interested in me and my life.

What lesson can I learn when I think back? In the crazy busy that is school, it's about people. People and relationships. This isn't about becoming besties with everyone. It's about remembering to be human and caring on a personal level.

At the funeral today, Margaret's sister stood to speak about her. That's right! She was a sister, a wife, a Mum, a Nana. And a daughter. She was a child once too.
Let's look at each other and remember in the crazy busy that there are people all about us and in each of them a person.

What's in a name?

Some schools have made the change. It's radical. It's cutting edge. It's hip. Students calling teachers by their first name. How can a relationship based on respect be expected when a student, not only knows your name, but is actually allowed to call you by it? Surely anarchy must follow?
I just don't know. I really don't.
With a name like Bede, which most people assume is a nickname, there could be problems. I for one am big on names. I've had years of people mishearing, mispronouncing and replacing my name. I'm Steve, Pete or Bedee to some over the phone. Because of that I'm big on names. I'm good with names too. I make it a point to know parents by first name. I call colleagues by their name, "Hi Peter, " I would say. I find it interesting that some reply to me without using my name. I'm not asking for a Mr Gilmore, just some recognition that it's me you're talking to you. The power of the name. It can be a weapon, silence someone in one word, or bring personal praise when used in different ways.
I'm Mr Gilmore at the moment. We are all on that formal name basis. There's a big part of me that would like to change. After all, I'm Bede. Mr Gilmore is my father. I like being Bede. My name suits me. Mr Gilmore has a whole other layer to it in my opinion. It's formal. It carries mystique - you may not know my real name. What's the big secret?
I'm not sure what your school does and does it really matter? Would it make a difference to a student's learning if they could call me Bede?
I understand it's a culture thing. It's about breaking down barriers. Respect can and perhaps should be earned other ways. I dunno. I grew up calling my friends' parents Mr and Mrs. Not by their first name. Have times changed? Have they changed enough?

I'd be interested to hear from you about this. What have I missed? Are you going by first name at your school?
If you do reply, please call me Mr Gilmore though. Show some respect, please.

The power of the school trip.

Since becoming a Principal I haven't been on too many trips - something I really miss. I always found it a liberating experience getting out and about. When I worked at a school in town, we were able to walk places - I always found that so exciting and I'd often charge off at the front of the line (I never had patience for the dawdlers at the back) keen to get to where we were going, and explore with my class. I think I had just as much fun looking around at "real people" doing "real stuff" in the "real world" as being on the trip itself.
Sure, they're a tonne of work - paper work, RAMs, parent permission, organising transport groups - the list goes on. Plus it can be stressful. Being responsible for all those children and then making sure the objectives of the trip were met, making sure they got maximum learning opportunities - it was exhausting. Funny how those days were double tiring. But it was always worth it. We know that these days are highlights for our students - why wouldn't they be - they get to learn in a real context. I remember the chatter of excited kids in the car on the way to the place, and again on the way back. It was real. It meant something. It stuck. It was learning.

I was reminded of this when I visited Te Manawa today (our local version of Te Papa) and going through the various sections of local history, NZ history and science part. It was quiet - no school trips today - but it wasn't difficult to imagine excited kids roaming this place, exploring and learning.
I hope that you and your class get "out there" soon. Make it real. The power of the school trip is that it is another place where learning can occur. It may very well present itself as an opportunity to observe your students in regards to key competencies in a real/different context.
Is school just practice for the real world?

Doing a lot of stuff - but is it change?

I've missed a day of writing due to having a friend over for dinner and painting all day. (who thought it was time to change colour of all the windows this summer anyway?)
Our friend is another teacher, of course, and we got talking  education, between the sevens. Along the way she said, "some schools can be doing a lot of stuff, but nothing much changes," and isn't she right on the money there!
I laughed because it's so true. You can be taking part in all manner of pd sessions at school and return to your room and pretty much just carry on in some instances. Of course, effective schools have good appraisal systems to ensure that teachers are implementing school wide approaches etc. But isn't that the problem - sometimes a teacher might only be implementing stuff to be complient. Of course, that's better than the teacher who just carries on regardless, but not a whole lot better. I can think of schools I have worked in previously where we were caught up in a number of different pd programmes and we were all very busy. Did it bring about change or is there an assumption that change will just happen as a result?
I am pretty sure that your school has some schoolwide pd happening right? Who selected this? How was the decision made? Is it something that you personally need? Will it be tailored to your needs? Are you onboard or are you going to be busy doing stuff without bringing change?

If you could choose your own pd, what would it be this year? How would you run it? What would you read, who would you see and what would you do and why? Exciting to think about?

Keep it moving people, please!

I hear a lot of people say, "It was good enough for me" or "we turned out alright" when referring to their school experience. I'm not so sure.
I think back to my time at school, and yes, I will admit it, my aquarian nature did see me day dream my way through at times,but essentially I didn't get it. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was doing it. Don't get me wrong though, I could do it. I enjoyed the SRA box especially at primary school and ruling up my maths book and filling in two or three pages of perfectly layed out equations gave me some sense of satisfaction. Apart from 'process writing' (I was at primary school late 70s and early 80s) I had no choice about my writing. Process writing didn't really work for either by the way. I just wrote rubbish. I've had to teach myself as an adult about such things as verbs and still don't know about pronouns.
I got through secondary school largely unscathed. Missed an A bursary by two or three marks and went straight off to teachers college. All the way through not really thinking about my learning, just doing the work in front of me because it was a means to an end. Becoming a teacher. Getting a job.
My son who is now 21 sailed through school. He was made for the system. Perfect memory. Diligent. He is now in his fouth year at med school. He works hard. It's not difficult though. Things make sense to him. Lucky.
Miss 17 has taken a different course. Equally capable as her older brother, but no interest in academia. She dances. School was boring. The most she enjoyed her learning was doing level two ncea via correspondence last year. She liked working at her own pace. She liked the autonomy. She enjoyed not being at school.
The experience that my older kids got was not too dissimilar to my own. How can that be? We're a generation apart.

I think about little miss 13 months. What will her experience be? I hope things make sense to her. I'm sure school would have to be different for her, to the experience her older siblings got. Wouldn't it? Twenty years down the track, things would have to be different. It would have to be different to my own experience wouldn't it? 40 years later? Surely.

Unbundling

I first came across the term 'unbundling' when reading Supporting future oriented learning and teaching - a New Zealand perspective. For some reason that one term has stuck in my mind more than others from this publication. I wonder if it's because it seems to have so many layers and migt explain why change in some cases is so difficult.
I'll start with myself. To 'unbundle' myself as Principal. Here's my thinking. First of all, I have ideas of what I think a Principal should be and how they should act, what they should do etc. Then there are the ideas and expectations of others - students, parents and colleagues. Where do these expectations ckme from? Usually from our previous experiences right? I've watched and been around several Principals in my time. I guess along the way I've decided that that is what you do and how you behave. I'm not entirely sure that I fit the typical mould, if there is such a thing, but I attempt to be the type of Principal that I believe others would want me to be like. I sometimes ask myself if I'm the type of Principal I would want to work for. Sadly, sometimes the answer is no!
So, unbundling. Where would or should I start? After all, I am the only thing I can change. I can only control myself. What one thing could I attempt to change about myself that might have a positive effect on all those around me? I have no answer, yet. But being aware that to bring about change at all levels of school, to unbundle some of the existing practices that might be holding us/me back, I might need to reflect on what it is I do as Principal, and what I don't do and begin with one idea or behaviour to focus on.
I'm thinking that in order to bring in something new, I will have to let something go. That's the whole idea of unbundling. I want to go back from my sabbatical time, changed slightly, for the better.

What would you wish to unbundle?

The impact of 28 days of writing

This is challenging. 28 days worth of content? I'm not sure. I've normally not written much - largely out of fear - after all - what could I possibly write that could compete with all those who have such an easy way with words and are expert in their field?

It's been an interesting experience already. For me to see myself as a writer again, but also making new connections and gaining insight into other schools and topical issues that each person has.

I've been "forced" into thinking about dress code, uniforms, effective literacy practice, gender balance on staff and transforming my principal's office somehow. What a variety.

I'm trying also to comment on others' blogs. (Annoying when you've typed a comment in and then realised I wasn't logged in, and then the comment is lost when I did log in. Sigh)

I've had a comment or two on my own blog - which has been surprising and is rewarding and will keep me going too. (I wonder if that's how learners at school feel when their teacher responds to content rather than surface features?)

This is what has surprised me. Isn't there always a lot going on and isn't it interesting what's going on in others' minds - what's topical, annoyed them or is a current issue. I've been blown away. 

So keep writing dear colleagues - keep the flow of words coming. Who knows what impact it may have. 

What is learning?

I love this question! I don't have the perfect answer YET. What I do know is that I used to believe that learning occured because of me as the teacher and during times with me. What I'm thinking more about now is that learning isn't linear, despite our long term plans, carefully sequenced unit plans and weekly planning. Learning doesn't just occur near the teacher.
I've been watching our little girl, who is now 13 months, learn. Babies seem quite random at times, but watching closer as she has learned to pull herself up to stand has been quite a testimony to her resilience, ability to self assess and act on feedback. She has systematically tested just about every object in the house to see if it will be stable enough for her to use. Thinking about this for the classroom, we need to allow learners free range on their environment, time to test and freedom to explore.
Next she has self assessed and acted on feedback received. She has given up on going to some objects and favourited others. This was achievable through her willingness to repeat her actions hundreds of times to make sure she was making the correct evaluation. For our classrooms we might need to allow many many opportunities for our learners. Sometimes I was too quick to move on and didn't allow the time that some learners would have wanted. I controlled the pace. Silly mistake.

So, lessons from a baby. Learning occurs when and where she is involved. Sure, we've modelled standing, not deliberately, but she has been watching. She has worked out things on her own. We praise her and clap our hands and tell her how clever she is. Because she is. It's genuine.
I'm thinking what other lessons we can learn from babies.

Day three of 28. I won't bore you with more baby stories. Promise.

Key Competencies for the future

#28daysofwriting entry 2:

This book has been sitting on my desk at work for a while. It's common for me to have 3 or 4 different texts on the go. I prefer to read a bit, put it away, muse and then maybe read some more - as opposed to reading something cover to cover. A colleague borrowed the book when they realised I wasn't actually reading it and now I have it back. The title alone captivates me. Key Competencies are something I truly believe in from our curriculum.
Ideally, I'd like a school curriculum based on the KCs. A teacher identifies a KC that might be lacking in their class and designs an inquiry around it that focuses on learners practising that particular KC. Alternatively
At our school we have 5 values that are linked to the KCs - Respect, Communication, Life Long Learning, Contribution and Self Worth. These brought together make up our "Bridge to Life". (Read more about this here)
I think that the KCs can sometime be a little ignored with our assessment practices focusing on National Standards a lot of the time.
What I'm starting to think and talk about is the link between being competent at the KCs and achieving well in regards to National Standards.
At our school we had awards for students who had achieve well in each of the 5 values on the Bridge to Life. We put their photo on a wall of fame in our library/hall area. When we looked at those photos we realised that every one of them (about 20 students) were all either "above" or "at" standard for their year group. It dawned on us then that perhaps there's a link. Seems obvious now I know.
What it takes though is a "mental flip" from viewing the KCs as something that sits beside or even as an extra element to that of viewing the KCs as something pervasive, central and pivotal for a learner.

I'm wondering now how my views shape up against those of the authors of the book. Time to begin reading.

Also - wanted to mention how much I've enjoyed reading other posts from those who have shared #28daysofwriting via Twitter. I can see already that it's freeing not worrying too much about what I'm saying, and just getting ideas on here.

The Guide vs the Farmer

I read a recent post claiming that "the guide on the side" position currently put forward as good practice needs to be reconsidered as the teacher should be at the centre of things and a new idea was put forward to consider - the teacher as farmer.
I've thought about it. Here's why I think a guide is going to work better than a farmer as an analogy in education.
A farmer controls just about everything that happens on their farm - apart from weather. They buy stock they want, sell stock they don't want, put fences in place to stop stock movement and drench everything. Hmm. I'm not convinced I want to be in their room as a learner. Drench, drench, drench. Weigh, weigh, weigh.
For me, I want a guide. Someone who has expertise and will offer it to me when asked and when they see I might need it.
Here's my analogy. I'm a novice tourist - never been out of NZ. I wish to go somewhere exotic and different to home. My travel guide should inform me of unsafe places that I would want to avoid. They should listen to what I'm telling them and then ask more questions to find out more about a suitable destination. They may make suggestions and offer me brochures. I get to make the final decision though - not them.
A local guide can be handy when in a new and unfamiliar place. This local expert knows people, hidden gems and the language. This local guide may have been suggested by my travel guide. Ideal!
While visiting my destination I might take a guided tour  - headphones on - where I'm able to pause while I ponder, fast forward past the boring part or rewind to hear it again. It suits my pace and my interests.
Now - here's where my guide is useful again. After my travels they find out about my experience  - what worked, what didn't, what I enjoyed etc, so that the next novice tourist is given this information too.
I'm now no longer a novice. I've travelled a bit. I still need a guide, but less so. I've learned from my first experience and want to make some changes- longer here, less time there, learn more local language etc etc/ I need to be guided, but I'm not entirely dependent.
Eventually, I'm able to self-guide my own travels.

I'm excited about the concept of  learners as explorers and teachers as guides.

(I'd be willing to talk to a teacher/farmer who is willing to go free range perhaps)

Will I be able to write something everyday for 28 days?

Exploring in 2015

Our "non-contact" time is almost over and while our thoughts are never far from work, it's now that we're looking to cement priorities, welcome new staff and get the year off to a great start.
I've done teachers only days for the past 20 years - I can still remember my first one in 1994 as a first year teacher. We did first aid and the rest was just confusing. I was NOT ready for big picture stuff. I was consumed with what I was actually going to do on day one with my class. Sitting next to me was my tutor teacher who'd been in the game longer than I'd been breathing, Imagine trying to meet the range of needs. My contention is that they weren't.
So as the new year begins, I'm mindful that my role is to inspire. Staff have identified their own goals from appraisal last year and we're all on the journey of personalising learning at our school.
Phillipa Antipas (@AKeenReader) tweeted about her word for the year. This concept caught my attention and I think it's really powerful. It will keep me focused. My word is EXPLORE. 
I will be exploring while on sabbatical in Term 1. I'm wanting to visit schools that are doing similar things to us - creating Explorers of learning through a self-guiding approach. I want to synthesise the ideas and practise that I see and create something useful for schools to use who might be starting their own exploration of creating self-guided learners. (this might be a wiki or google site)
So, when we gather together as a staff next week, I'll be talking about the concept of Explorers. How we can be explorers as staff and how students can become explorers of their own learning.
To back this up - we're not having traditional staff meetings where all staff get the same PD. We're creating PLNs within the staff that will be self-selected. Each staff member will lead one - they don't have to be an expert - the idea is that those in the PLN will explore together. This new initiative has me excited and nervous at the same time. I view this as a major shift from previous practice in PD. We have a year to explore how this goes.