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Module 3

Partnerships and Networks

Due: 28th March

 

Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi engari he toa takitini.

My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

 

 

In Derek Wenmoth’s Networked Leadership paper, he establishes a view of leadership that requires effective operating within the ‘network’ paradigm that schools now operate within. 

Even prior to the events of COVID-19, we have been living in an increasingly networked world. Now, more than ever, leaders as individuals, and leading organisations are working to be connected with each other and responsive to the changes occurring around them. Within our Aspiring NLP forum, we are creating an educational network of schools across New Zealand, where trusting relationships and connections can grow.

 

Provocation:

What approaches can ‘networked leaders’ take when building stronger communities? What area(s) of development can you identify for yourself when working as part of a network or collaborative partnership?

Task: Reflect on the provocation and film a 1-2-minute video introduction of yourself, describing a challenge in relation to your role or context, and an invitation for feedback from other delegates.

This e-module should allow for a broad range of responses to allow delegates to interpret it in a way that is relevant to their context. 

Module Three requires you to record and share your video on the forum, in time for you to respond to each other in Module 4. Our heart is that every Aspiring NLP delegate builds an ever-increasing network of strong and diverse relationships, that can come together through coaching partnerships, shared commonalities and innovative problem-solving solutions to build better and brighter futures in education.

In the past, we have had feedback from delegates that this Module made them feel hesitant/nervous, but afterwards, they thoroughly enjoyed getting to know other delegates through the videos and being able recognise other delegates at the PLGs after completing this. If you feel uncomfortable, try to step into the discomfort. It’s not easy, but you can enter your ‘growth zone’ once you leave your comfort zone.

 

“The network paradigm is not a structural or organizational concept- it is ecological, highly relational and     collaborative. A networked leader must start by changing thinking about networks and schools and demonstrate a growth mindset.”

Derek Wenmoth,  August 2015 for the EDUCANZ Council

 

“I am gaining a deepening understanding of, and appreciation for, ‘the way’ of Coaching Leadership, as a powerful and effective tool for facilitating positive change and self-learning in others, and, simultaneously, in myself. How I wish I had known about and used a coaching approach in my years of principalship, What a difference it might have made!”

Nick Major,  Aspiring Principals’ Coach

 

Module 3 and 4 Resources:

– Working effectively with iwi and hapū, Melanie Taite-Pitama: https://vimeo.com/242861287

– Legacy – 15 Lessons in Leadership, by James Kerr (2013). Chapter 6 pp 74-83

– Open-to-Learning Conversations-Relationships and Trust, Viviane Robinson, 2014: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_l5-HKIR1s

Additional/Optional Readings:

– Connecting with Māori Communities; Whānau, Hapū and Iwi, Mere Berryman and Therese Ford, 2014:

https://kep.org.nz/assets/resources/site/module8-v20a-up-16Apr15-w-image_5Jan16.pdf

– Robertson, J. (2015). Think-piece on leadership education in New Zealand. https://teachingcouncil.nz/assets/Files/Leadership-Strategy/Leadership-for-Communities-of-Learning-Five-Think-Pieces.pdf

 

56 Responses

    1. Hi Hannah. Sounds interesting – we also find that no matter what PLD, support, etc we always have 1 that is less part of the leadership group. We’ve done the same – open conversations, robust performance growth discussions… things are slowly improving but other issues always pop up sometimes being in a school reminds me of a game of ‘whack a mole’ – solve one thing, next thing appears. I definitely think personality plays a part. Will be interesting to hear what others have to say.

    1. Hi Casey – interesting dilemma! I wonder if it could be (as I had to mentor a team leader in a similar way last year) if she has the capability to teach tamariki and knows the curriculum but doesn’t know how to impart how to learn this into a learning focus support for her team? This is quite different to ‘teaching’ – They need to be able to analyse the data, look for patterns etc, then work with their team to work out what strategies, skills etc need to be taught to the akonga, how to identify and support target akonga, etc. The TL I worked with really struggled with breaking down the team data to share with her team and helping them unpacking it and guiding them on what to do with the data. I did find it actually impacts long term on the team as they weren’t expected to do it, weren’t being supported in it so then couldn’t do it themselves. I found I had to break things down into parts until she became more confident (e.g., we just focused on literacy for one term as that was what she was more confident with). Good luck!

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    2. Kia ora Casey,
      What a tricky situation and challenge for you to face. I have been in a similar position when I started my role at my current school – being made Deputy Principal and leading staff who were all much older than me and had many more years experience as me. Navigating length of experience over quality/capability of experience is incredibly tricky as more often than not length of service receives more bearing than the knowledge and expertise of younger, more progressive and visionary leaders.
      It my situation those staff members decided to move on so I guess in a way this was fortunate however for you this may be a challenge that takes some time to work on. Personally I think it is important to talk with this person and build your relationship with them in a way that asserts the boundaries as the leader but allows them to have agency and input into their professional goals and growth. Providing your own examples and stories can be beneficial and allow you both to contact through common experiences as well as ensuring they feel heard and able to share their years of knoweldge and experience with you (whether you decide to take this on or not is not important!).
      I would be really interested to hear how you are progressing with this challenge over the year!

  4. Kia ora Andre. An interesting video – I am DP/SENCo and we also now have a DP/Pastoral Care as I used to do both – there is definitely a distinction between the two roles but also a lot of similarities and cross over and we find we have to work quite closely together. I know from experience that nothing sets up an honest conversation like an offer of a glass of water or a cup of milo and a chance to just sit and calm first. I think building that trust is really important when dealing with akonga/learners who are dysregulated or possibly not in a place where they want a chat. We use Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement as a tool too which is really useful in co-regulating and we are finding tamariki are getting better at talking about their emotions. We also use our school values as a basis for discussion with tamariki too. I’ve learned that keeping whanau up to date is important – they might not always be happy with what they hear, but they do appreciate being told and being involved in discussions and solutions. There is always more to learn and improve so it will be interesting what others who also do this role suggest.

    1. Hi Jacqui
      We have a similar situation here at our kura as our role has grown significantly in the last few years and our staffing allocation has reduced. In the mix of this we have had an increase of students needing additional support to regulate and an influx of ESOL students. AT the end of last year we begun using an ESOL programme called English Planet and this has lifted the load significantly for the staff supporting and teaching our ESOL students as it is all planned and prepared and ready to go for teachers and TAs. Our ESOL lessons are targeted and address specific needs and this has had a huge impact back in the classroom too.
      We have also had staff leave due to well being linked to supporting students who are needing significant support due to previous trauma. We are just exploring providing PLD about Trauma Informed Education that goes beyond an introduction, more around supporting the well-being of our kaiako that support tamariki with Trauma and implementing support systems in our kura. Happy to update youon what we will be providing … might be something that could apply to your dliema?
      We have also had one week a term since last year with no meetings and all staff are encouraged to go home early that week – this has had a huge impact on staff hauora.
      It would be good to catch up on your journey and what you find has the best impact on well being for your staff.

      1. Hi Hannah, thanks for your reply. Yes I think the amount of students who need additional support do impact on kaimahi wellbeing. We’ve just had refresher training in Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement (an indigenous model that we replaced PB4L with7 years ago) and it included an updated session on trauma in tamariki which linked well to a recent PLD I attended with Kathryn Burkett. I’m now looking at an induction for older tamariki (Y4-8) when they are enrolled as we find its the ones transitioning in that seem to struggle the most. We can get 5 – 10 new tamariki a week which can be really unsettling for kaiako. Maybe if we can get these tamariki settled into our kaupapa, this will impact on staff wellbeing and their feeling of being supported.
        We’ve also cut out most staff meetings and added Board funded ‘birthday leave’ and a ‘wellbeing fund’ for teams to do something social twice a year so hopefully this will help too.

    2. Hi Jacqui
      Thank you for your response to my recording.

      Some of the variables at our school (e.g. our ESOL numbers) are more “stable” than those of your school. We have had an increase over the last few years but not as substantial as for you. I think the biggest reason for our change is that we are focusing on literacy in general and working towards getting all our students ready for the co-reqs written in year 10. We have also insisted that even if parents say their child (those who qualify for funding) can speak English, we point out that being able to have a conversation does not mean they have sufficient academic language skills – we know that is what they need to be academically successful.

      I would suggest that one thing to do is to ensure that all your people are on the same page and moving in the same direction. This applies to the slow adopters and the ones who sometimes are on their own mission or who are doing things the way they always have done it. Having a team that is only half committed (part-timers often miss important meetings and are sometimes mentally checked out) makes life so much harder for the rest. The opposite can be true if you have all hands on deck. Succeeding in getting people to sing from the same page will take some strain off the leaders.

      “Where do you go to my lovely?” Peter Sarstedt. Questions to ponder: Do all your people know where they are heading?
      If not, what will it take for them to know? How would things be different if they all knew? Will it benefit your students? Will it benefit your staff? Will it benefit you? All it takes is one small step.

      1. Thanks for your reply Andre. We have a kaupapa ‘Waka Way’ in which we are all on a waka, paddling together (our values are OARs – others, achieve, respect) and its great that it is becoming the way we do things. Just frustrating when people keep jumping off the waka to move to Australia, etc and we have to ‘board’ new staff 😀 Things have steadied, and from talking to staff at other schools I realise that its not just us (as it can sometimes feel like). We’ll keep paddling forward!

    1. Kia ora Andre. An interesting video – I am DP/SENCo and we also now have a DP/Pastoral Care as I used to do both – there is definitely a distinction between the two roles but also a lot of similarities and cross over and we find we have to work quite closely together. I know from experience that nothing sets up an honest conversation like an offer of a glass of water or a cup of milo and a chance to just sit and calm first. I think building that trust is really important when dealing with akonga/learners who are dysregulated or possibly not in a place where they want a chat. We use Te Ara Whakamana: Mana Enhancement as a tool too which is really useful in co-regulating and we are finding tamariki are getting better at talking about their emotions. We also use our school values as a basis for discussion too. There is always more to learn and improve so it will be interesting what others who also do this role suggest.

    2. Hi Andre
      This is certainly a dilemma for many leaders, I know myself I used to battle with imposter syndrome that seemed to hold me back finding my voice around those strong personalities! Have you had any PLD around courages conversations? I found this really empowering as I developed a set of conversation openers and one liners I drop into conversations that allow me the space to be heard.

    1. Hi Craig
      I do not have advice as such, but I do share your desire to impact and make a difference.

      It took me so long to make my recording because I kept stumbling over the words I wrote, can you believe that?
      Making connections with other people is not easy and I think we should arrange a meet and greet early in term 2 – open to all those interested. As a behaviour specialist, I am sure you have a few tricks up your sleeve.

      I live in Patumāhoe so I don’t mind an early morning coffee and a chat somewhere in Pukekohe. That way I can connect and miss some of the traffic when I drive to work.

    1. I connected with your video Jake as I have been in a situation where the team although small in number is significantly large in mana. Navigating a relationship with a more experienced colleague that has significant involvement in the Kura, especially concerning timeliness and meeting deadlines, requires striking a balance. I find a “servant leadership” approach can be most effective. Showing respect and empathy is crucial. Being deliberate about extracting information about the experience that has been had and demonstrating respect for their experience and perspective can encourage a positive and collaborative working relationship. I believe emphasising “we,” especially regarding success—it should always revolve around the success of team members.

      Experienced teachers, despite their wealth of experience, still benefit from guidance, encouragement, and support. Offer growth opportunities – where you can attend together, share readings, ask for advice, this all can foster an environment that encourages continuous learning.
      Involving the team member in the decision-making process is also important. Listening to and incorporating valuable insights and perspectives encourages a sense of ownership and commitment to shared goals, which builds trust. Trust is important …being transparent and honest facilitates effective communication. Being ready to adapt and respond to team members’ needs—since preferences and working styles will differ— this is essential. Being prepared to adapt is a key asset, even though it may be different from your plans.

      My final thought is it is all about trust. Stephen Covey said “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships.”

    2. Kia ora Jake,
      Being one of the younger members of my teaching staff cohort, I connect with what you have discussed in your video. Teaching/ team relationships is so important and I too have had to overcome some of those barriers with older staff, more experienced staff than myself, other members of staff who have many roles and staff members who have stepped down from the positions I am in now but still remain within my team.

      Some of the ways that I have tried to build these relationships and felt success with are:
      – Taking the time to work alongside each of my team members, but also taking the time to get to know them so I can have conversations with them that are not only work based and show I care.
      – Having conversations with them about their roles so it’s not all about me or what I want them to do/ achieve.
      – Being very open about the makeup of the team and what I bring to the team and how others will bring other knowledge and experience but we can all benefit from this.
      – Using the strengths of other team members so they continued to feel valued.
      – Allowing team members to have a voice – share their thoughts and opinions, so they just don’t feel dictated to and when making big decisions, having discussions together so they have input into these.
      – Having those courageous conversations, being honest and since our PLD day, ensuring that mana and dignity is always upheld. Knowing when the time is right to approach conversations and where I have them with my team members as needed.
      – Being adaptable. I know I operate at a high speed and think differently but that doesn’t suit all my team members so I need to adapt in ways so that I am not intimidating or overbearing.

      My most important value that I try to encourage is trust; trust between myself and the team, and trust between the other team members. For me it is important for my team members to know that I will always try to implement or follow up what I have said I would and ensure that I am showing my team they can trust me through my actions, not by just saying it. I do love the quote that Angela has also used regarding trust – it is a most essential ingredient.

      Nga mihi,
      Kristy

    3. Hey Jake,

      I feel your challenges, as mine are similar in a number of respects. It sounds like you have a solid handle on both your new role and what you would like to achieve within your team this year which is a great starting point. The two things I would like to comment on are your thoughts on accountability, as well as how, as a young leader, to continue to up-skill what sounds like an already highly competent and experienced teacher.

      Accountability is much easier said than done, but for me it always begins with the same tenets as classroom teaching – high expectations that are co-constructed, negotiated, and then agreed upon, alongside clear and regular communication. Your strengths would appear to be evident based on how you described your role and it sounds like you have much to offer to this teacher in your field. As long as what you are expecting out of this teacher is clearly communicated and you are coming at it out of a place of teaching, rather than telling, I am sure accountability will follow.

      In regards to up-skilling this teacher who you have described as holding their own extensive strengths, I would suggest time spent sharing knowledge and strengths. You’ve obviously got great skills in this area to be leading both school-wide data and curriculum. Rather than seeing your role as increasing the skills of your teacher in the digital curriculum, see it as chance to arrange meetings and times where you are both sharing knowledge. Make it clear you are keen to learn from him, especially in regards to his own leadership experiences and pedagogical knowledge in Maori. Valuing his knowledge and creating a reciprocal learning relationship will make it much easier to up-skill him in the digital area with your own knowledge.

    4. Hi Jake
      Do you have co constructed team norms? I was in a similar situation when I first started out and found that have team norms that we all agreed on really supported me to have a vehicle to address things like deadlines, communication with each other, behaviours etc. As it was co-constructed it was easy to use it for difficult conversations as I was able to always refer back to what we agreed and the processes rather than it being something personal about my colleague’s practice. It sounds like in your situation it may be your leader so I wonder if they could lead the team norms conversation and that could be a great way for you to have the opportunity to suggest creating norms around the things that you need to address?

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    1. Hi Chantelle
      Apologies for not getting back to your email .. it is on my to do list 😉
      That is a very tricky situation you are explaining as it depends where the road blocks are coming from. If it is from SLT is your team functioning well and do you have a shared vision for moving forward to build trust? If you do has this been shared with your leadership team and are they advocating within their teams. Did the survey give you any specific information as to why there is a lack of trust and are you able to take these and explore them further?

    1. Kia ora Kirsty

      Firstly, congratulations on achieving the role of Acting DP, that will be such a great opportunity for you.

      My first thought when I watched your video was to share with you something that Donna Golightly (Digital Trainer) shared on some PD I attended about using digital technology in math lessons:
      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lB_wUdEbmBxKUiPaJ4bK_bg_0WTXLpTXxMeO2CTpolk/edit?usp=sharing
      This could be a good discussion document for you and individual staff to reflect on what prevents them from effectively using technology in their classrooms. It might help you empathise with staff and identify what further support is needed for those struggling.

      Reflection question for yourself:
      How have I implemented the vision for using ICT within the classroom? Did I ‘sell it’ or was it built and co-constructed as a team? (Robertson, Jam, Earl, Lorna, 2014).

      Other: I fully recommend Donna Golightly if you want further PD in your school.

    2. Kia Ora Kristy, I identified with your video because when I came back to teaching after having my children I was nervous and apprehensive about the changes that had happened in the classroom with ICT since I had last taught. When I came back to the classroom I was at Elim Christian College I entered a school where all Year 3 -6 students had their own iPads. Some things that helped me gain confidence and get up to speed with Digital Technology were:
      – a lead DT teacher who created and demonstrated lessons to teachers
      – a planning and resource bank that was easy to access and use
      – team teaching with someone who is more confident with using and teaching DT
      – developing students in each class who are ‘Tech Experts’ to help the teacher or other students when they get stuck
      – introducing apps to teachers that can be used in the classroom by integrating them into other curriculum areas eg, Book Creator, Pic Collage, Minecraft Ed, Scratch, Code.org
      Being available to support and model lessons, as well as providing them with the lessons and resources will build staff confidence in this area.
      Nga mihi, Anna.

    3. Kia ora Kristy

      Thank you for your provocation and congratulations on your new role as DP. Listening to you, I thought I’ll share a few ideas of what worked at my school.

      Getting your team on-board, encouraging a growth mindset in your teachers:

      Starting with small groups could help, recognise and identify your innovators and early adopters. Usually when a few teachers start to try new ways of doing something, they get excited and convince other teachers to try as well, it brings momentum and gives you a platform to start making changes, for example professional development in a particular area. Doing it this way means you have some experts that are excited and will convince others to join them, and the more people excited about the changes they see in their students, the more teachers will want to try.

      We used the same approach in our school, starting with only a few innovators, then early adopters and it made a difference in how well we have implemented planned changes.

      Correctly using and implementation the Technology curriculum:

      When integrating technology into the classroom the question to ask is not “How can I use the technology in the unit I am teaching?’ Rather teachers should always ask, ‘What new possibilities does the new technology bring to the unit of work?’. It can be a shift in thinking that takes time, especially if it is not a strength of a team or particular teacher.

      Fundamentally, a learning activity designed to be completed on paper, should be completed on paper unless there is a specific and beneficial purpose in the activity being transferred to technology.

      We have used the SAMR model as a planning tool to assist in the development of learning experiences for our students. The framework gives educational input into how technology can and should be utilized in the classroom.

      In your team meetings, try choosing 1 activity that you work on together using the SAMR model and see if you can find a different way of doing the activity, this is how we started and it helped ease some of the nervousness about changing. Working together will ensure everyone has time to give input, see new ways of teaching the Technology curriculum and learn from each other.

      https://michaelsampson.net/2018/05/23/samr/

      Hope this helps.

      Ngā mihi
      Brieta

    4. Hi Kirsty

      I think you need to have a look at what has already been done and celebrate that. Give recognition for even the smallest of gains made. Small persistent steps are easier for slow adopters to achieve. Going fully digital for fossils like me takes time and patience. If you found that one person who did go out on a limb and made a small change, make them the specialist and ask them to teach one or two to do the same. Sometimes it is not about the skill but the fear of failure and lack of confidence. Remember all of this is directly linked to their jobs and in turn their mana as a teacher in the class.

      We are creatures of comfort and change will only happen when our desire defines our goals.

      This bit from Tabitha Leonard’s blog: (link is below)

      Instead of starting with goals or tasks, we should begin with desires – the deep-seated longings that define our aspirations. What do we truly want at this stage of our lives?

      Once we’ve identified our desires, the next step is establishing routines that align with them. These routines are the scaffolding for our journey, guiding our actions and shaping our habits. They provide the framework within which our desires can manifest into reality. Ask, what routines, daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly, do I need to put in place to align with my desire?

      If your team has no desire to catch up with the new DT curriculum or to use ICTs in their planning, teaching, assessing or reporting it will be the proverbial horse-to-water situation.

      An example:
      Our school uses Schoology as a learning management platform. All our courses and all the units and assessments associated with each course are built, stored and shared on Schoology. During the first year, we worked hard to build. Let’s say we invested 100 units of effort. In the second year, people were able to use their courses again (Yes, I know some schools don’t allow that) and only had to do maintenance or refinement to the content or assessments. The investment of 100 units over two years now equates to 50 units of effort per year over the two years. Let’s add 15 effort units to the mix in year two. This equates to 65 units of effort but only 15 units of effort were expended. In year 3, the 100 units of effort dwindles to 33 units of effort per year and if we add another 15 effort units to the mix in year 3, the total for year 3 on paper is 48 units of energy but in reality, it is only 15 to account for the maintenance.

      I know some schools require that all planning be done fresh for every course/unit delivered. Usually, it is all printed off and filed alphabetically and virtually nobody looks at it – often not even the teacher who did the planning late at night just before the deadline. At our school, every teacher has immediate access to any course, all the content, assessments and resources. Our teachers don’t have to publish a thesis for a reliever. Their work is all posted online and the reliever pops onto the system and reads the instructions for the lesson at the same time as the kids. The reliever can’t go off script because it is all there. The learning happens even if the teacher is sick.

      When COVID hit, we were teaching like we did in class but just from home – virtually on the second day of lockdown. All the resources were at our fingertips.

      If our teachers desire to work smarter, they will see the benefit of using the ICTs to claw back their time and see more engagement (in most cases).
      Simon Sinek talks about the “Why”. Find out why want to keep doing the same thing as they did or why they are afraid or reluctant to do the new thing.

      A saying that jolts me back to reality is: It is not about our comfort but about their future. Are we doing what we are doing for us or for their future?

      https://www.tabithaleonard.com/better-conversations-blog/the-power-of-desire?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Unlocking+the+Secret+to+True+Fulfillment%3A+Discover+the+Power+of+Desires%2C+Goals%2C+and+Systems&utm_campaign=Unlocking+the+Secret+to+True+Fulfillment%3A+Discover+the+Power+of+Desires%2C+Goals%2C+and+Systems

  11. Here is my Module 3 video – https://drive.google.com/file/d/1avCufhDwwBXkF2GSmJIwv8HPBu8EM_Ib/view?usp=drive_link
    I unfortunately could not be at the PLG a couple of weeks ago, however, I had these thoughts in regards to the prompt. Lots of things that I need to still improve at:
    Whakawhanaungatanga – ask questions without agenda and without judgement. ‘Listen to understand not to respond’. But do tell them about yourself too, make those links so you can meet on some shared ground.
    Time – reduce time constraints and make yourself available. Put away phones, emails etc.
    Warmth – be willing to smile and have a laugh.
    Connect – you don’t always or never have to be the hero in conversations. Be deliberate about pointing out others skills.
    Location, location, location – Be deliberate about the meeting space – is this a cafe, at school, in an office. If it is at school, what does that particular space feel like to them. Does it give them a sense of belonging?
    Reciprocal learning – Don’t simply approach people when you want something.

    1. Kia Ora Dylan, your video resonated with me as you have quickly moved up into higher leadership quite quickly as have I. Something I believe you will find worthwhile is making time to meet with each staff member to just chat about where they are at, any concerns or highlights that they want to share with you and how they are doing personally. This will develop the connection you have with each staff member. I also suggest doing a quick review as a staff on things that have been going well so far this year and areas for improvement. At my school we did this at the end of last year and it was a very valuable for leading us forward. Nga mihi, Anna.

    2. Kia ora Dylan

      Congratulations on your second new role this year.

      Change is scary and it unsettles teachers. Your teachers have had a lot of change this year and more to come.

      Build on your relationships with your team leaders and teachers. Keep what you can the same and if you can don’t implement new/more initiatives if you don’t need to. Give your teachers time to settle into the new structure of leadership. That would also give your Team leaders time to settle into their new roles.

      Having regular face to face check-ins, would be good as that gives you an insight into how your teachers, team leaders and staff are feeling. It’s good to just listen, giving the person you are talking with time to share how they are feeling, it might solve some problems before they turn into something more. The person feels heard, maintains a trusting relationship and helps build a calm settled working environment.

      Don’t forget to look after your own well-being with all the changes around you, as this is usually the last thing on our to-do list and not a good example for our staff about what we value and know is important.

      Two quotes:
      “It’s okay to admit what you don’t know. It’s okay to ask for help. And it’s more than okay to listen to the people you lead–in fact, it’s essential.” —Mary Barra

      “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” —Carl W. Buehner

      Ngā mihi
      Brieta

    3. Hi Dylan
      I want to encourage you to look after yourself first (the facemask metaphor applies here).
      I know you and your team will make an effort with the new people because they are front of mind initially.

      Do not forget the existing staff – change is never comfortable.
      Many of them might be carrying unresolved baggage from Term 1 and 2023.
      For them, they were part of the “loss” of a leader, colleague or friend – even if it is a short-term arrangement.
      They might be concerned about the well-being of the person/people who are not there at the moment and possibly also a little stressed about the new person/people stepping/up to fill the gaps.
      The fear of the unknown can be debilitating when you are not part of the SLT conversations and the panic is real when you hear things through the grapevine.

    4. Dylan, congratulations on earning the spot as Acting Principal. That’s a very special opportunity.

      I admire your goals to continue positive change and not be stagnant. Promoting internally can often present that risk of things just staying the same and it’s clear that you are aware of this and are keen to avoid such a pitfall. I think it important that you used the phrase ‘incremental change’ as aiming for larger-scale change on the heels of so many staffing changes may not have been wise. Good on you for such a patient and thoughtful approach.

      Now that your leadership is on a completely different level, it will be important to let things breathe. Let people settle into roles, give the benefit of the doubt, and don’t rush into any conversations or decisions that cannot be reversed. With so much change, it is an awesome opportunity for everyone to acknowledge the change in their roles and to re-establish relationships with this in mind. Touch base regularly with your new leaders, formally and informally, and always be available. I look forward to hearing how it’s all going!

    1. Kia ora Reshmika

      I connected with your video and reflected that I was going through similar issues around consensus building.
      A starting point for me was to consider my understanding of consensus. Sometimes decisions aren’t agreed by everyone but when a decision is taken, it is owned by everyone. People will respect that they’ve been heard. Sometimes we don’t get our own way and have to look at the bigger picture. I’ve learnt / am learning to put my own personal agenda aside and live with decisions that are a bit different to my values.

      Something else I consider when I’m trying to get something across the line is that I have to be clear with how much room there is for negotiation because some things aren’t imperative and in the best interests of the organisation. People will accept if they know what the parameters are. E.g. “We cannot afford to hesitate on this”.

      A reflective question I often think of is: “What’s in the best interest of my organisation and not my personal needs?”

    2. Kia ora Resh!!!
      Interesting dilemma. Does your SLT / Leadership team include everyone when doing your strategic planning (assuming this is where your school wide initiatives come from?). We have a system where SLT works on the strategic plan but we take it back to the Team Leaders and then also to the staff. SLT meet odd weeks, and the whole Leadership including SLT meets even weeks. Its in these meetings we can share what’s happening and get feedback and feedforward. We’ve found there is a lot more consensus and support this way as the Team Leaders help get everyone on board. Staying more focussed on our strategic plan rather than on “oh look at this shiny new thing” has helped.
      It is always difficult though – education is great at “look at this new initiative, let’s drop everything and do it now” – I know we can get excited about things in our own portfolios and I know sometimes I have to remind myself that while I may be enthusiastic, its easier when I have everyone else along for the ride with me.
      Hope you have a good start to Term 2!

    1. Kia Ora Anna,
      I find myself in a similar transition, moving from a classroom teacher, with some whole school responsibilities, to assistant principal. I believe our strength lies in the respect earned through our collaborative work with these colleagues. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to engage in ‘leading by learning’ this year, offering a valuable framework for relationship-building and navigating courageous conversations. While challenging, these discussions are pivotal. Mishandling them or avoiding them can significantly impact not only those directly involved but also our rapport with the entire staff observing. I have found this course has given me skills to lead with confidence. I wonder if you would find a similar course helpful? Ngā mihi

      1

    1. Kia ora Brieta
      I watched your video and felt a connection as it resonates with the principles I strive to uphold within my leadership role. “He tangata, he tangata, he tangata. ” – It is the people, it is the people, it is the people. The people are central. I strongly believe that teamwork is the foundation for achieving excellent outcomes for ākonga effectively and collaboratively within educational settings. Trust is the foundation upon which successful teams are built. It is crucial for creating an environment where individuals feel valued, respected, and empowered/confident to contribute their best efforts.
      There are challenges in cultivating trust, particularly in diverse groups. Key strategies I believe nurture a culture of trust and collaboration.
      Open and transparent communication. Actively encourage honest dialogue, listen attentively, and provide constructive feedback. During faculty meetings, I create platforms for everyone to voice their opinions, share ideas, and participate in decision-making processes.
      Lead by example. Lead with integrity, fairness, and accountability. I make a conscious effort to recognise and celebrate the contributions of the team as a whole, avoiding undue focus on individual achievements. For example, when preparing annual reports for the board, I emphasise the collective efforts rather than the individual efforts. These reports are collaboratively reviewed by the faculty before presentation to the Headmaster and Board – everybody gets to have a say.
      Prioritise a sense of belonging and inclusivity. Special occasions are acknowledged, and initiatives like “Employee of the Week” are implemented. Leading out and encouraging active engagement in each other’s Google Classrooms and reflective interlead journal posts that are shared with faculty members are regular.
      Creating a supportive work environment. There is an open invitation for faculty members to visit each other’s classes regularly.
      Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi Engari, he toa takitini
      My successes are not mine alone, they are ours – the greatest success we will have is from working together.

      Nga mihi
      Angela

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    1. Kia ora Jane,
      Quite an interesting issue with parental involvement. I’d be interested to know how the lack of involvement is being noticed, is it just around parent teacher conferences and coming onsite, or is it also lack of involvement in terms of answering emails and general interest in their children’s schooling. here are some general ideas to increase senior parents involvement in your kura;

      I’ll start with the hardest one to pull off, setting it as a school expectation that parents attend onsite events. This involves changing the core culture of the parent school relationship to a more active one, especially at the senior level, and must be eased into. Wording such as “it is not compulsory but is a school expectation that parents attend to support their child’s academic journey” may aid in this.

      Setting up specific senior student exhibition days. Offering a day or series of days for students to show off their work to the community should drive up engagement. The event must be well advertised. This could be an evening event where students show off pieces of work they have been completing over the course of the year. or a subject/ department specific event with students stood at tables proudly discussing their work to those who are interested.

      Modern social media accounts, making sure the kura has a social media account is now quite an important and viable way of advertising and encouraging engagement. Using facebook and more notably instagram are key here as they are Apps that are commonly used. To target specifically senior engagement you could have a specific senior account run by the academic council or other student governing body. An idea would be to have a set expectation of 1 post a week highlighting something that a student has recently. Having a ‘senior/junior students of the week’ model is engaging to parents given the prospect of their child being selected and showing off something impressive they have completed that week.

      These are some ideas hopefully they are of some use.
      Nga mihi,
      Jake

    2. Kia Ora Jane

      Your issue is quite interesting and being in a Year 7-10 school, I thought I would share some things that work for us. We find our parents engage well with school events if it is shared with them through the school’s official social media pages. As part of the start of year orientation day, we try to get as many of our parents who have active social media to add the school’s official page. Often we will add any school based events, EOTC, sports results etc with photos on the socials.

      In regards to getting parents into school we find that our Student Led Conferences has high attendance. We do not have stereotypical tutor teacher; instead we have a model where all teachers including SLT are Learning Advisers (LAs) to a group of 18-20 students – this is cross level. It is also not necessary that you teach every kid in you LA group but we keep the LAs same for the four years students are with us. This way our students and their whānau develop a close relationship with the LA and hence attendance to any learning and goal setting meetings are well attended.

      We also showcase afternoons – these are often at the end of the day starting at 2.30pm so parents can see their child’s learning and have informal chat with the teachers. This is well attended as parents would typically be coming to pick the children up and this becomes part of the day. Cultural days/Language weeks are also a good way to get the whānau invloved.

      Hopefully these suggestions are of use to you.

      Nga mihi
      Resh

    3. Kia ora Jane,
      Listening to your video I hear very similar concerns and issues that we are facing at our school at the moment in regards to lack of parent engagement. As a senior team (all Yr 5/6 teachers) we recently spoke about the noticeable difference between the Junior and Senior areas of the school, in the number of parents seen in and around our classrooms.

      As a school, moving forward we have been brainstorming ways in which we can engage the parents across the school and have realised that we needed to think outside the box.
      Whānau and Community Surveys:
      – To gather feedback from our parents and wider community, for the first time we made our surveys digital rather than sending home pieces of papers. The response to this was awesome and we have been able to already implement changes to our school from this feedback and that has already seen an increase in parent engagement as they feel they have been listened to (within reason).
      Family Picnics:
      – As we don’t have Parent Interview evenings, we now have Family Picnics where classrooms are open until a certain time and then all parents, students and staff spend time on the backfield together. During this time, we had lots of different games going on, which were led by the senior students and the parents enjoyed being apart of, music playing and we supplied a free sausage sizzle and ice blocks. Feedback from this was really positive and suggestions made that next time we could look at extending it to include outside vendors for food and other activities.
      Tabloid Sports Days / Art Exhibition Days:
      – Specific days that cover a range of activities: classes on display, learning show cased, whole school sports activities. By combining a few activities together in one session, parents can commit to one day or one afternoon, rather than coming in for small chunks of time.
      Lots of Notice:
      – With so many parents working now, we send out our notices very early on each term with events, dates and times so parents have plenty of warning and are able to take some time to come in. For our senior camp, we are now giving 8 months notice and that has been beneficial for getting a better intake of parent volunteers.
      Appreciating and Acknowledging Parents:
      – After different activities, as teachers we would always thank our parents but we have really noticed a difference in the number of parents putting their names forward after our students have got involved in this process. It has been simple little thank you’s done in different ways but has had a positive effect.

      As we are slowly putting our ideas into practice, we are still very open to making adjustments as we go.
      I look forward to reading from others as well as to how they encourage parent encouragement within the senior school as as teachers we would love to have our parents back too.

      Nga mihi,
      Kristy

    4. Kia ora Jane
      Like the others, we have a facebook page and use Skool Loop to share what is happening in and around the school. One successful initiative we have is at our end of term ‘Ribbon Assemblies’. Ribbons are awarded to 3 tamariki in each class for demonstrating using the schools 3 values (others, achieve, respect – OAR). As well as being a showcase for choir, kapa hapa and our Polynesian and Bollywood groups, we now invite the parents to come up and pin on the ribbons and have a photo opportunity at the end. Initially they were very reluctant but its now more unusual for parents not to turn up.
      We also offer food for events, e.g., Meet the Teacher in term 1 always involves a free sausage sizzle. We’ve found that if we make it less pressurised and more relaxing, they are more likely to come and see what’s happening.
      As always though, we have whanau that we never see and usually they are the ones we need to see the most. Will be looking forward to seeing what others suggest.

    1. Kia ora Kevin, awesome video. This is a complex challenge, as all relationships are. I’d be happy to talk to you about this yet within my current context we are still ‘working towards’ authentic relationships with iwi. It is slowed even more so just by our school name ‘Pigeon Mountain’ which creates friction with certain members (not all) of local iwi. The Papakura Marae is a very active organisation/hāpori and I wonder what connections you have made with them? What have you tried? What barriers are there currently?

    2. Kia Ora Kevin, Navigating authentic relationships with local iwi is a common challenge. I’ve heard of similar ‘education plans’ being implemented by other iwi, offering practical steps for engagement kura. However, I agree that genuine authentic connection goes beyond plans. It’s tough when iwi representatives’ time is limited and often voluntary and in high demand. I like what you mentioned about starting off by building a friendship. I think this takes pressure of all parties and creates space to simply connect. Maybe just a simple invitation to a some shared kai for morning tea/ afternoon tea and a walk around your kura? Ngā mihi

    3. Kia Ora Kevin

      I think this is a challenge a number of schools face and at the same time we also have to take into account the pressure most of the iwi are under in order to support schools and their requests especially with place based histories and the ANZH curriculum. I attended a great PLD with Alex Hotere Barnes and Rawinia Paringatai through TupuOra where they suggested that schools offer their services to the local marae without strings attached. For instance taking a group of students to the marae to actively help in the gardens or to do the lawn. Even looking after the local waterways and doing regular water testing and pest control is a way to form genuine connections with the iwi. We have found instead of asking for iwi to support us for set days for PLD we have flipped that asked the local iwi for the dates of their availability and planned our PLDs and events around their schedule. Happy to talk through our journey…we are not completely there yet but small steps…

      Nga mihi
      Resh

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