2 Responses

1. Personal Reflection & Areas for Improvement
   My Leadership identity: The Authentic Leader
   My leadership identity I built in Servant Leadership & Collaborative Practice. I believe in leading from the front lines as a practitioner, I regularly teach subjects where there are no replacements and relieve staff when they are sick to ensure learning never stops.
   I am a co-learner who joins professional development such as the BSLP Literacy Program, alongside my ECE-Year 3 teachers. By taking off the armor (as Brene Borwn suggests) and training with my team, I gain the deep, practical knowledge needed to provide informed guidance. Sitting together to share what isn’t working in our classrooms allows me to be an authentic part of the team, fostering a culture where vulnerability is seen as a strength.
   I strive to empower my staff by delegating the planning of the school events, such as our coming National Museum trip, Maungaroa Camp and Staff Farewell Dinner. My role shifts to one of the logistics support, handling setup, cooking, or catering, so teachers can focus on their creative vision. While I am a meticulous over planner regarding curriculum, I balance this by co-constructing our school’s mission and seeking approval on all major plans.
   Using Emotional Intelligence, I address issues immediately to maintain a positive culture. I focus on directing the proper trend before challenges escalate, ensuring Arorangi School remains a safe and focused environment. My goal is to use this proactive approach to protect the staff’s well-being and keep our focus on student success.

   Areas for Self-Improvement & Growth
   Aligned with the Principles of Effective Self-Review, I have identified three purposeful areas for growth:
   • Psychological Safety: I want to ensure my immediate approach to solving issues remains restorative and doesn’t inadvertently stifle staff voice or create a fear of judgement.
   • Balancing Direction vs Delegation: As an over planner, I am working on leaving more space for staff to take their own instruction risks and innovate.
   • Deepening Feedback Loops: My goal is to move beyond simply seeking approval on plans and instead cultivate an environment whre I receive deep, honest feedback on my own leadership impact.

   My commitment to Growth:
   My leadership plan centers on Relational Commitment. Whether we are peeling vegetables in the kitchen or analyzing literacy gaps in a BSLP session., my goal is to show that we are one team. I will measure my success by the willingness of allowing teachers to speak up in our reflection circles, if they feel safe enough to share what isn’t working, I know I am leading effectively and building the trust necessary for true school improvement.

   Strategies for Gathering Feedback
   1. Informal Discussion: Given our strong relational culture, sitting down with trusted colleagues for open, informal korero is the most culturally responsive way to get honest input.
   2. 360 Degree Feedback (Staff Focus): Using a simple, anonymous survey (3-5 questions) specifically focused on psychological safety and support, allowing staff to speak freely without fear of judgement.
   3. Reflection Journaling: I will keep a weekly log of my immediate meetings to track whether they resulted in growth or simply compliance.

   Leadership Feedback Plan
   Goal: To evaluate if my proactive check-ins and servant leadership are providing the right level of support without unintended pressure.

   Source Method Timeline Key Questions for Feedback.
   Event Lead Teachers Reflective Korero Post Event: Did my regular check-ins feel like helpful support or did they feel like over monitoring?
   Teaching Staff Anonymous 360 Survey: End of Term 2; Do I feel safe to trial new ideas or raise concerns during our immediate issue clearing meetings?
   Mentor Observation Once Per Term: Am I effectively stepping back to let others lead while still providing the servant leader support I value?
   Self Reflection Journal Weekly: When I checked in this week, did I provide a solution or did I ask a question that helped the teacher find their own way?

   Documentation for Forum:
   My plan focuses on balancing my hands on servant leadership with the need to foster psychological safety. By using a mix of anonymous survey and structured korero with my mentor, I am to ensure that my proactive nature supports staff growth rather than just maintaining compliance. I will specifically trach how I direct the trend during meetings to ensure the tone remains restorative.

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2. Step 1: Reflection on My Leadership Style
   My leadership is strongly grounded in relationships, service, and our Catholic Special Character. I lead with a focus on our school values of Respect, Responsibility, and Readiness, and I prioritize creating a supportive and inclusive environment for students, staff, and families.
   My leadership style can be described as:
   • Relational and people centered – I prioritize strong connections with staff, students, and the wider community
   • Hands on and responsive – due to current staffing challenges, I often step into multiple roles to ensure continuity of learning
   • Values driven – my decisions are guided by faith and the mission of holistic formation
   However, through reflection, I have identified several areas for self-improvement:
   • Delegation and empowerment: I tend to take on a significant workload, particularly during times of staffing shortage. I recognize the need to build leadership capacity in others, especially teacher aides who are stepping into teaching roles.
   • Emotional awareness and management: Leading in a high-pressure environment requires me to better manage my own emotional responses while remaining supportive of others.
   • Balancing strategic and operational leadership: Much of my time is spent responding to immediate needs. I aim to strengthen my ability to focus on long term planning and school improvement.
   • Clarity in communication: During busy periods, communication can become rushed. I aim to ensure messaging remains clear, consistent, and supportive.
   Step 2: Strategies for Gathering Feedback
   In discussion with mentors, I have identified a range of effective and practical strategies for gathering feedback on my leadership strengths and areas for development within the Nukutere context.
   1. 360 Degree Feedback
   I will implement a simple feedback process using a short survey to gather perspectives from:
   • Teaching staff
   • Teacher aides
   • Senior students (Year 10 and Year 11)
   • Selected parents
   This will provide a range of insights across different stakeholder groups and help identify consistent themes in my leadership practice.2. Informal Feedback
   Given the close knit nature of our school community, informal conversations are a valuable source of feedback. I will:
   • Seek regular input from trusted staff members
   • Engage in open dialogue with colleagues after key events or challenging situations
   • Encourage honest and constructive feedback in a safe and supportive environment 3. Observations of Leadership Practice
   I will reflect on my leadership in action during:
   • Staff meetings
   • Assemblies
   • Parent interactions
   • Daily school operations
   I will also invite trusted colleagues to provide feedback on my leadership during these moments.4. Reflection Journal
   I will maintain a brief weekly reflection journal to support ongoing self-awareness. This will include:
   • Key successes and challenges
   • Decisions made and their impact
   • Areas for improvement
   • Personal emotional responses and how they were managed
   This aligns with building consistent self-reflection habits.Step 3: Feedback Collection Plan
   Timeline and Implementation
   Weeks 1–2:
   • Develop and distribute a short feedback survey
   • Identify key participants (staff, students, parents)
   Weeks 3–4:
   • Collect and review feedback
   • Conduct informal conversations with selected staff
   End of Term:
   • Analyze feedback to identify patterns and priority areas
   • Share a summary of findings with staff to promote transparency and trust Personal Development Plan
   Based on reflection and feedback, I will focus on the following key areas:
   1. Building Leadership Capacity
   • Delegate responsibilities more effectively
   • Support and mentor teacher aides and emerging leaders
   • Encourage shared leadership across the school
   2. Strengthening Emotional Intelligence
   • Develop greater awareness of my emotional responses
   • Practice active listening and empathy
   • Respond thoughtfully in high pressure situations
   3. Prioritizing Strategic Leadership
   • Allocate dedicated weekly time for planning and review
   • Focus on long term goals such as student achievement and curriculum development
   • Use data (e.g. e-asTTle and NCEA results) to inform decisions
   4. Improving Communication
   • Ensure clear and consistent messaging to staff and parents
   • Strengthen transparency in decision making
   • Provide regular updates to maintain trust within the school community Conclusion
   This reflection process has strengthened my understanding of my leadership practice and highlighted areas for growth. I am committed to ongoing self improvement through reflection, feedback, and professional development.
   By actively engaging with my mentors, staff, students, and community, I aim to grow as a leader who is reflective, responsive, and aligned with the values and mission of our school.

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