“He aha te kai a te rangatira? He kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.”
What is the food of the leader? It is knowledge. It is communication.
Leadership is a choice, not a position. Even without a formal title, influence is key. Teachers involved in leadership have a positive impact on student outcomes. (Adapted from John C. Maxwell, Leading from the Middle of the Pack, 2013). Middle leaders play a crucial role, influencing both those they lead and those they report to.
Module Objectives:
- Understand the role of middle leadership.
- Develop strategies for influencing upwards.
- Enhance leadership of learning.
- Reflect on current leadership practice.
Key Areas of Focus:
Influencing Upwards:
- Invest in relational chemistry with your principal and SLT.
- Be prepared for meetings.
- Know when to push and when to back off, using emotional intelligence.
- Be a self-motivated performer who is always learning.
Leading Learning:
- Model effective teaching practice.
- Actively participate in professional learning and development.
- Lead teaching and learning through planning, inquiry, and curriculum development.
Resources:
- Leading from the Middle – Educational Leadership for Middle and Senior Leaders: https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Leadership-development/Key-leadership-documents/Leading-from-the-middle
- John C Maxwell. Leading from the Middle: www.johnmaxwell.com/blog/leading-from-the-middle-of-the-pack/
Task: Due 28th March 9am
Reflect on your current performance as a middle leader, using the provided framework (link below) to consider what you want to start, stop, and continue doing to strengthen your leadership practice. Copy the document and share it with your kaiārahi when complete.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uh3tmPziD1lzpzh83s94dv9QHp6nyGz4Q3eQNbQ7oNA/edit?usp=sharing
Share your biggest ‘takeaway’ from this reflective exercise on the forum, in 150 words or less.
Assessment:
- Completion of the “Start, Stop, Continue” reflection document.
- Participation on the forum.
2 Responses
Your personal wellbeing is so important Jade as so many people are dependent on your being present both at work and at home. This has been a great exercise for you because at the very least it’s enabled you to really focus in on those many demands that you face every day. I sense you found this really worthwhile.
My biggest takeaway from this activity is that for me working in a Specialist School setting, the Start, Stop and Continues don’t have to be massive. Sometimes the smallest thing, the smallest change in doing something or the way you see something can make all the difference. The students and their whanau that I work with come from such complex worlds, the staff are honestly all exhausted and time is an extremely valuable thing. I have always been the helper, the go to person, the yes person. Change for me will be doing something as simple as saying NO or turning the situation around into a learning opportunity rather than me just doing it, because my time is just as valuable as everyone else’s.