Creative Leadership lessons from Stoll and Temperley

Creative schools depend on creative leadership. The trouble these days is that the pressures on principals to: be seen by parents as doing what is expected, from analysing endless tests ( all too often in a narrow range of capabilities); coping with the imposition of National Standards; and most of all pressure to comply with Ministry and the  Education Review Office requirements,  being creative is the last thing on principals minds. And of course creativity was never something one thought of when thinking about school principals!But creativity from the top is required to develop the conditions necessary to ensure both teachers' and students' creativity is recognised and developed.Louise Stoll and Julie Temperley...

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Posted in: Big Picture,change,Creative teaching Educationalists,Leadership,Ministry NZCurric,Personalized Learning,Rants and Raves

'Another shot against the prevailing wind' - by Allan Alach

So now we read that the MOE have issued an ultimatum to Island Bay School - submit a compliant charter by Friday 2nd September or else. The MOE have obviously studied their history. Armies of occupation, and dictators who have seized power, work to cement this by eliminating the "ring leaders" of the opposing forces, making an example of them as a warning to others. Targeting Island Bay School has this intent, with the underlying message to other schools being, "This is what will happen to you!" Can we also expect to see every tenth BOT "taken out and shot," when there are too many to eliminate all at once?  This strategy of taking out the perceived leaders is a risky ploy, as this serpent has many heads and new ones will grow. Also as...

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Posted in: Big Picture,guest blogger,Ministry NZCurric,national standards,Rants and Raves

The power of visiting other schools

A display of work from Woodleigh School New Plymouth. Room environments are  important  'evidence' of what is held to be important by the school or teacher. Room environments send out powerful 'messages' to students and class visitors.Last week I accompanied group of rural principals from out of the province  visit a selection of local schools worthy of observation. Schools were limited to ones I am familiar with and all were involved in inquiry learning to greater or lesser degree. None were totally inquiry focused schools with inquiry as their number one priority - this is difficult in today's environment.It is my belief that focused school visits ( hence the need for a guide) are the most powerful means to gain professional...

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Posted in: Action Plans and Lessons,Creative Schools,Creative teaching,inquiry learning,Integrated Learning,Personalized Learning,project based learning,teaching and learning

Winning the battle but what about the war? Allan Alach speaks out - someone has to!

School principals spend more time reviewing everything leaving no time to develop exciting learning programmes. Measuring the pig does not make it fatter! As one wise old rural adviser once said, 'teachers have two important things they need to protect - their time and their energy - if  they waste it on bullshit they can't teach.'In his recent posting, Bruce discussed the simplistic (and dare I say, ignorant?) view that is held by “Ministry bureaucrats, politicians, and many parents” about the teaching and learning process. I’d add one more group to that, possibly the most significant one.Economists feel that schooling comes under their ‘discipline’, although whether economics is a discipline is a debate in itself. The vocabulary...

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Posted in: Big Picture,change,guest blogger,Leadership,Ministry NZCurric,national standards,Rants and Raves

Ministry determined to subvert education

The voice of creative teachers being destroyed by Ministry requirements.Allan Alach has given me permission to post his thoughts. I think they are worth a read. A good example of this 'self review' the Ministry is always talking about - but focused on them.Hi all Sitting here in a cold, dark house, there's been a power cut, I'm working on my laptop in candle light, and its snowing again. How exciting is that?I'm needing to let off steam and this email will most likely turn into a blog at some time…This morning I went to a Principals' workshop organised by two Massey University Mathematics advisers, or whatever their title is in these crazy days. The topic was assessment in strands other than numeracy. The part that really raised my hackles...

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Posted in: Big Picture,guest blogger,Ministry NZCurric,national standards,Rants and Raves

The artistry of the teacher.

A book put together by a master teacher - Bill GuildMinistry bureaucrats, politicians, and many parents  seem to have simplistic view of the teaching learning process. Teachers teach , students learn. Ministry technocrats develop simplistic standards and school 'deliver'  them and then everybody knows how well students are achieving.Yeah right!The dynamics of every classroom are different.Every teacher brings with them their own set of beliefs and, often hidden , assumptions about how children learn, and the role of the teacher in the learning process. Even just being in a particular school will effect how teachers teach as they do their best to do what is expected of them.The diversity of teachers is multiplied by the even greater...

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Posted in: Big Picture,Creative Schools,Creative teaching,Guest bloggerl,Personalized Learning,teaching and learning

'On the Shoulders of Giants'

Sir Issac Newton - ' If I have seen a little  further it is because I have been standing on the shoulders of Giants.'Guest blog by Allan AlachSo now we are in a state of limbo, a ‘phony war’, while we wait to see what the next developments will be in the national standards stand-off. With approximately 20% of schools ‘non-compliant’ (and, by inference, probably an equal percentage ‘compliant’ in name only), this makes for a substantial statement of position by New Zealand schools against standards. As I’ve indicated previously, the government has too much political capital invested in ‘standards’, ‘raising achievement’, and all those other meaningless phrases, to give in now. If the Minister of Education’s attack on the integrity of kindergarten...

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Posted in: Big Picture,Guest bloggerl,Leadership,Ministry NZCurric,national standards,Rants and Raves,teaching and learning