Leadership for learning: context matters Workshop conducted at the CEOM Annual Secondary Learning and Teaching Conference 12 August 2011

What sort of learning?

What sort of leadership?

Leadership for whole school change

Changes to what?

Changes to what? (cont)

The scenario Your school’s strategy plan articulates a clear mandate to implement contemporary learning practices in all areas of the curriculum by As a learning and teaching leader in the school, your job is to lead these changes. THE TASK Using Kotter’s 8 step approach to change management, what actions could you take to maximise your leadership effect?

A strategic framework for change management Kotter’s 8 step approach to change management 1.Create a sense of urgency 2.Pull together the guiding team 3.Develop the change vision and strategy 4.Communicate for understanding and buy in 5.Empower others to act 6.Produce short term wins 7.Don’t let up 8.Create a new culture John Kotter (1996)

Step 1 Create a sense of urgency How are you going to heighten the awareness of the issue and convince people of the importance of acting immediately?

Step 2 Pull together the guiding team Who are the potential change agents in your school? How can you get them to be part of a special team that will work together in leading the changes? How do you select the members so that there is a balance of skills, sufficient political capital, willingness and capacity to lead, from different areas of expertise etc

Step 3 Develop the vision and strategy for the change How are you going to make the vision a reality? How are you going to develop a shared vision of what the school will be like, what the classrooms will be like, what the teachers will be doing, what the students will be doing? How will you get all stakeholders to be involved in sharing and developing the vision?

Step 4 Communicate the vision and buy in How will you communicate this vision to the whole community: students, parents and teachers, school board? How will you keep the vision alive and at the forefront?

Step 5 Empower others to act How are you going to remove as many obstacles as possible to support those who want to make the changes? How are you going to assist, encourage and support those who are willing and ready to change?

Step 6 Produce short term wins How are you going to create some visible, successes that are clearly linked to the vision as soon as possible?

Step 7 Don’t let up How are you going to recognise the first signs of success and build on those to increase the amount and rate of change?

Step 8 Create a new culture

Table activity Each table to take 2 steps and fill in sheets These will be uploaded onto the Secondary Curriculum Leaders and Professional Learning e network portals

Using the framework: what is your role? CHANGES8 STEPS Leadership Curriculum Pedagogy Contemporary learning tools Learning environments Staff working and learning

Where to now? What is foremost in your mind now? What is one thing you can take from today’s session? What is one thing you can do now? Who will you need to talk to first?

A leader is best when people barely know he exists, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say: we did it ourselves Lao Tsu