Due: 24th March
“He waka eke noa”
We are all in this together.
Module Objectives:
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Articulate their personal leadership philosophy and goals.
- Develop a compelling vision for student success that is inclusive and equitable.
- Align their personal goals and vision with the school’s mission and strategic plan.
- Identify and utilise relevant resources to support their leadership development.
Task 1: Defining Your Leadership Philosophy
Reflect on your values. What are the core values that guide your personal and professional life? How do these values influence your approach to leadership?
Consider your beliefs about learning. What are your beliefs about how students learn best? What are your beliefs about the role of the teacher in the learning process?
Define your leadership aspirations. What impact do you want to have as a leader? What are your long-term goals for your leadership journey?
Explore different leadership styles (e.g., transformational, servant, instructional). See below for resources to explore. Which styles resonate most with you? Why?
Briefly journal your reflections and insights from this activity. You might like to prepare to share your thoughts with your learning partner(s), as a way to introduce yourself at a deeper level than you might do ordinarily. You will meet your learning partner at PLG 1 (21st March).
Task 2: Defining Student Success
Explore diverse perspectives on student success. Consider the following questions:
- What does it mean for students to be successful academically? Socially? Emotionally? Culturally?
- How can we ensure all students, regardless of their background or learning needs, experience success?
Develop an inclusive definition of student success that applies to all learners in your school.
Discuss your definition of student success with colleagues and seek their feedback.
Task 3: Aligning with the School’s Mission
Carefully review the school’s mission statement, values, and strategic goals.
Analyse how your personal leadership goals and vision for student success align with the school’s overall direction.
Identify any areas where your personal leadership goals and vision may need to be adjusted to better support the school’s priorities.
Share your reflections on the forum in 150 words or less.
Resource Bank:
Explore the resources most relevant to you and your personal reflections:
- The New Zealand Curriculum – https://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/
- Tātaiako: Cultural Competencies for Teachers– https://teachingcouncil.nz/assets/Files/Code-and-Standards/Tataiako-cultural-competencies-for-teachers-of-Maori-learners.pdf
- Leading Learning: A Professional Standards for Principals and Senior Leaders– https://teachingcouncil.nz/professional-practice/our-code-our-standards/
- Leadership Styles – https://hbr.org/2024/04/6-common-leadership-styles-and-how-to-decide-which-to-use-when
- Transformational Leadership –https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbescoachescouncil/2024/08/13/transformational-leadership-the-how-and-why/
- Servant Leadership – https://positivepsychology.com/servant-leadership/
- Instructional Leadership – https://schoolreviews.education.qld.gov.au/res/Documents/spotlight-paper-instructional-leadership.pdf
- Seven Strong Claims About Successful School Leadership Revisited – https://www.profdavidhopkins.com/assets/docs/Seven%20strong%20claims%20about%20successful%20school%20leadership%20revisited.pdf
Assessment:
- Self-reflection throughout the module.
- Completion of all activities – journaling for Task 1, conversation with colleague for Task 2 and post on forum for Task 3.
- Peer feedback and discussion within the online forum.
22 Responses
My personal leadership goals for 2025
– to grow leadership within a community of leaders so that they can strengthen literacy practices in their local situations.
These have been developed from the goals set in both my school and the Kahui Ako schools I work with. It is affirming for me that all the schools are looking at developing a team based approach and UDL to support teachers in
– ‘using an increasing range of pedagogical approaches to target student needs’ (drawn from two schools Strategic Plan) and
– to ensure ‘consistent implementation of the English curriculum that includes meaningful learning and develop Scope and Sequence frames teaching and allows teachers to design individualised teaching and learning programmes.’ (from my schools Strat plan).
These align with my personal leadership goals and vision for learning. I believe that students and teachers are most successful when the skills and knowledge they bring to learning are seen as building blocks for success. As our community has high numbers of ELL’s and increasing neuro diversity it is easy to try and gap fill and see deficits, rather than the skills bought to the learning as taonga. Supporting leaders for work with their teams to build a bank of literacy practices and support planning across different settings and year groups will require listening, being responsive and encouraging the trailing of more oral language and frameworks to support all teachers strengthen their literacy practice. I am excited that my role is so much part of the teaching and learning and unpacking the new English curriculum in a way that supports the needs of the students.
My personal leadership goal is to support the development of others as leaders, and this aligns with the school’s vision:
-Our students are thriving and confident, reaching their full potential through rich learning opportunities.
-Our students are critical thinkers and creative problem solvers who courageously take action, positively contributing to the world around them.
-Our community is connected and inclusive; our collaborative relationships strengthen the wellbeing of all.
By nurturing leadership skills, we empower students to thrive, becoming confident and reaching their full potential through enriched learning. This approach cultivates critical thinkers and problem-solvers who courageously contribute to the world.
Fostering leadership creates a more connected and inclusive community. It encourages collaboration and empathy, strengthening relationships and enhancing overall wellbeing. By empowering students to lead, you form a culture where everyone feels valued and capable, ensuring the school’s vision is realised.
Thank you, Melody. I appreciate how you’ve woven the school’s vision into your own leadership goals. It highlights a very focused and aligned approach.
Task 3: Analyse how your personal leadership goals and vision for student success align with the school’s overall direction.
My school’s overarching mission is to lead excellence in intermediate school education, by creating futures in our learning community whereby students are empowered to achieve success. For me, the key take aways are excellence, empowerment and strong futures. This vision resonates deeply with me as my ethos has always been ‘kids first’. How we arrive at that is by providing opportunities for all, continually striving for best practice and giving the students the confidence to use their voice. My personal leadership goals for 2025 align well as a major focus for me is around change management within my team. The key questions are ‘what does an effective lesson look like’, how do we combine content with pedagogy to enhance learning opportunities for all while promoting excellence and thus empowerment by prioritising student led learning with high value feedback i.e. assessment for learning practices? My goal is to lead with purpose, by example and build high trust relationships through this process. Like some of you that have already commented, humility and resilience will be part of my leadership goals. I realise that patience is a key skill to have as a leader and to respect that others may not be at the same point in their educational journey. As a team leader it is critical that I support them during this process and make them feel like they are key valued stakeholders.
It’s fantastic how clearly your ‘kids first’ ethos aligns with your school’s mission, Leanne. Your focus on empowerment, excellence, and strong futures is a really inspirational way to lead.
This year I have taken leave from my team leader role to be a WSL to focus on how we are implementing structured literacy and numeracy across the school to align with Te Mataiaho. Our Junior school – Years 0-3 have been part of BSLA for two years, coming into our third, and our Year 4-6 teachers will start the journey this year. My role aligns with our strategic direction of “Sustaining excellence in learning, teaching and leading” and more specifically Annual Goal 1 Teaching Pedagogy. Both of these documents align with our REACH values and our school vision of how learning makes a difference”. My role is to support teachers with curriculum knowledge and understanding, which in turn leads to improved student outcomes through a collaborative coaching model.
My leadership journey this year is around change and bringing colleagues on the journey of changes to pedagogy and craft. Our school uses a GROWTH coaching structure and I will have opportunities to work alongside teachers in classes modelling and supportive with reflections. I will be working alongside teachers that I have not worked with before and this is where a hope to build a culture of openness to learning and a safe place for reflection and growth. This will be areas of my leadership to enact positive change that I will be focusing on this year. From the PLG, to build this culture, I feel I will need to ensure I build trust, act with humility and focus on communication with high EQ.
Thank you, Aimee. You have such a clear alignment between your role and the school’s direction. Your commitment to supporting teachers through a collaborative coaching model will undoubtedly lead to positive change and improved student outcomes.
Task 3:
My leadership goal for 2025 is to learn how to have more courageous conversations with my team members so that everyone in my team is in alignment with our teams goals and Senior Leadership’s goals for our school and curriculum. Also my secondary goal is to receive ongoing professional development and meet with my Senior Leadership team about my direction forward in terms of what I need to achieve to become a Deputy Principal in the future. My school’s mission statement is ‘Changing Learning for a Changing World’ and this aligns carefully with my goal because in order to achieve my goal I need to: 1) Respectful- Value each team member and welcome diversity in others and provide a caring environment. 2) Resilient- Persist in overcoming challenges that may arise in the communication I have with team members. 3) Responsible- By taking responsibility of the connections I form with those in my team.
It’s excellent that you’re focusing on courageous conversations and your professional development, Monique. Your goals align strongly with the school’s mission of ‘Changing Learning for a Changing World.’
Our school’s strat plan focuses on; safe and inclusive learning, equitable opportunities, tikanga and te reo embedded in the school culture, and development in leadership, learning support and teaching practice. This aligns very closely with my own vision and philosophy as a kaiako, leader, and changemaker. While assessment and data analysis have a presence in the plan, nowhere is academic achievement explicitly mentioned. While personal and life goals, unique to each learner, delivered and assessed appropriatly, drive inclusive and differentiated teaching and learning, preparedness for ongoing education and adulthood must include decent levels of numeracy, literacy, critical thinking skills, probelm solving and the ability build relationships. The tools and their useage I wish to promote and incorporate will help to deliver on the school’s strat plan, and enable akonga to be ready and prepared for their life journey, what ever it might look like.
Thank you, Peter. Your reflection demonstrates a deep understanding of how to navigate the school’s strategic plan while ensuring students are well-prepared for their future. You’re clearly a strong advocate for holistic student development.
My leadership goal for 2025 is around leading change for my kura in our reading practise to align with Te Mātaiaho and our introduction of iDeal in our school.
Our school’s vision is to inspire, challenge and empower our learners and our mission is to foster a safe, nurturing and diverse learning community where ākonga strive for personal growth in an ever changing world.
By strengthening our reading approach, I want to make sure every ākonga has the tools to succeed. This means supporting teachers with practical strategies, making literacy more accessible, and ensuring our practice reflects the needs of our learners. Change takes time and I recognise that along the way, I may need to be prepared to have tricky conversations and reshare our why to keep everyone in on the journey together!
Your proactive approach to supporting teachers with practical strategies and ensuring literacy accessibility is commendable. Your awareness of the need for ‘tricky conversations’ and reinforcing the ‘why’ demonstrates strong leadership too.
My personal leadership goals for 2025 are to support staff with change management without causing overwhelm, to continue the momentum of implementing the new curriculum, and to ensure we remain consistent in our already established practices. Another goal is to communicate clearly, including having those courageous conversations.
I also need to continue developing my purpose in my literacy role (as this is new to me) so that I can clearly communicate the “why” to staff and support them in ways that meet their needs. Understanding the staff, using prompts to support conversations, and knowing their communication styles will help me with this.
My school’s mission statement is “Empower our future.” Leading with clarity, purpose, and clear communication will enable me to empower staff to feel confident, supported, and equipped to implement changes effectively while maintaining best practices in literacy and overall teaching.
My personal goals are closely aligned with my school’s vision at this stage, and through open communication with the executive leadership team, I will continue to adjust and refine them as my purpose for each term develops further.
Thank you, Kara. You have a thoughtful and balanced approach to leadership. Your focus on change management, clear communication, and empowering staff aligns perfectly with your school’s mission too.
Analyse how your personal leadership goals and vision for student success align with the school’s overall direction:
My personal leadership goals for 2025 are around change management (specifically the skills required to keep the momentum going and keeping everyone on the waka) and also having those difficult conversations with the right people at the right time. Clarity with what is being taught and what is expected from students, teachers, staff, and community really help towards students success, and our schools vision of “Empower Our Future” is at the fore front of what we do and how we teach at my kura. I feel like this vision also aligns with my own leadership goals as empowering the members of all of the different teams I am a part of will also lead to greater teachers and student success, as well as developing leadership within others.
Identify any areas where your personal leadership goals and vision may need to be adjusted to better support the school’s priorities:
I think having a solid understanding of change management, understanding the different personality types of people within my teams across my kāhui ako, and being well equipped with what to say, how to phrase and re phrase, and questions to ask when having difficult conversations will help me to progress towards supporting my school and my kāhui ako priorities.
Your reflection demonstrates a strong awareness of the skills needed to navigate change and build effective communication, Nathan. Your focus on understanding personality types and phrasing conversations thoughtfully will be invaluable in supporting your school and kāhui ako priorities.
Task three: I believe my leadership style of empowering others, whether colleagues or students, to be their best truly aligns with our school’s mission statement of “empower our future.” Additionally, understanding my students as whole individuals and how they learn aligns with our core values of citizenship, empathy, attitude, and responsibility. Success is not just about academics but also about well-being and being part of something greater than themselves, setting them up for the future. Through my leadership style of empowerment and working toward a common goal, I can further refine my approach to focus my team on student achievement and how we can collectively work toward this goal.
Hi Ellen, I really resonate with your leadership style of empowering others. I agree with you that it is a key leadership skill and that by doing this you improve student and staff wellbeing, while giving them a voice and the belief that their contributions matter. Empowering others sets them on their way to becoming change makers and effective global citizens.
I appreciate your emphasis on empowering others and understanding students as whole individuals, Elleen. Your approach to leadership, which values both well-being and academic success, is really valuable to your community.
Task one:
Reflect on your values. What are the core values that guide your personal and professional life? How do these values influence your approach to leadership?
My spiritual values are really important to me. I was brought up in a Baptist church, where we were fully involved. This experience helped me understand the importance of serving others, gaining perspective, loving others, and seeing the best in them. Much like a marae, where everyone must get involved to make things happen, I learned the value of community effort.
My mother was also a teacher, so I grew up surrounded by teaching and witnessed her passion for it. I saw her love for helping others and her dedication to helping them reach their full potential. She would go the extra mile to provide opportunities, such as organizing productions. This inspired me to become the kind of teacher I aspired to be.
Teaching has always been part of my life, from teaching dance to leading kids’ church at a young age. I’ve learned to love people, stay organized, and develop a passion for helping others. All these experiences have shaped me into the leader I am today.
Consider your beliefs about learning. What are your beliefs about how students learn best? What are your beliefs about the role of the teacher in the learning process?
Formal learning has always been a bit of a struggle for me, and I’ve been fortunate to have supportive people who never made me feel inadequate. Through these experiences, I strive to create a safe environment for my students, ensuring that each one has the opportunity to learn. This often means experimenting with various strategies until we find what works best.
I’ve also come to understand that learning goes beyond academics; creativity and practical skills are equally important. I believe in seeing the whole person to understand what motivates them. Building strong relationships with both students and teachers is essential. When students know you care about them and that making mistakes is part of the learning process, they feel more confident to grow. Our role as educators is to spark joy in learning, discover how each child learns best, and guide them in acquiring the knowledge they need.
Define your leadership aspirations. What impact do you want to have as a leader? What are your long-term goals for your leadership journey?
As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been fortunate to have many fabulous leaders in my life—from school to church and everything in between. My aspiration is to continue developing and growing my leadership skills and see where that journey takes me. I would love to one day become an Assistant Principal or Deputy Principal, but I also cherish being in the classroom and working directly with students. My goal is to find a way to grow as a leader without losing my passion for teaching.
The more leadership responsibilities I take on, the harder it becomes to balance that with teaching. However, I entered this profession to inspire and give every student the chance to feel they can achieve. I’m excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead. Through my faith, I firmly believe that there is a plan and a place for me. In the meantime, I’ll ‘dance in the hallway’ until the next door opens, striving to be my best and bringing others along on the journey.
Explore different leadership styles (e.g., transformational, servant, instructional). See below for resources to explore. Which styles resonate most with you? Why?
After listening to the Harvard Leadership Review article, I resonate most with the affiliative and authoritative leadership styles. I enjoy building strong bonds within my team and working toward a common goal. I value hearing all voices, but I also like to have a clear plan in place to keep us focused. I believe that celebrating wins makes people feel valued and motivates them to work harder. However, I also recognize the importance of having difficult conversations when necessary to refocus on the vision.
Through leading different teams, I’ve found aspects of the authoritative leadership style particularly helpful. When you involve others and provide clear guidelines, people step up and achieve incredible things. Additionally, I often find myself leaning into servant leadership, as I prioritize helping and supporting others. I empower my team, but when they feel overwhelmed, I tend to take tasks off their shoulders to protect them.
This is an area I need to balance, as I can’t keep taking everything on. It’s about asking, “How much can I handle?” and finding ways to work smarter, not harder.
I love that you’ve shown some vulnerability and courage in discussing your own learning journey. I totally agree with you in that having support and empathy around you assists in finding a way that works for you, and you’ve taken this into your classroom. My concerns around this however are the cognitive load and shortness of time to differentiate for all learners in a classroom cohort. I know at our school, we have trauma/behaviour, ELL learners, a range of Neurodiversities and many different cultures, values and religions, sometimes all in the same akomanga. Each of these akonga deserve to be taught and inspired in a way that is contextually and pedagogicly appropriate. My personal professional goals are to empower teachers, and students, to harness the power of technology, specificly AI, to allow this to happen.