CADAP - Building capacity of Middle Leaders

Christina Thornley - Principal's Advisor, Teachers' Council - was the keynote speaker at the term's CADAP professional learning session. She presented a seminar on effective and valuable appraisal processes. What was encouraging was that our school's PPL (partnership for professional learning) inquiry and appraisal cycle, does a lot of what Christine says, 'is good practice'. 

The aims of the day were to create a  'Better understanding through the professional workshops of what appraisal should be - valuable and manageable ' and to reinforce that 'buildng the capacity of Middle Leaders is a key job of SL - and that includes a clear vision and focus for professional learning and appraisal.' 

Any appraisal system/process should have - 

Purpose 

Value

Intention

These need a conceptual framework and a scaffold - in order to have a robust appraisal framework. The 'appraisal conceptual framework' devised for this.

Our teacher inquiry model is our framework 😏

There is a need  to sit the Professional Standards next to Registered Teacher Criteria - 

http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/SchoolEmployment/TeachersPrincipals/SecondaryTeachers/CollectiveAgreement/Supplement1.aspx#1.1

Essential to have a process for the 'difficult conversations' - open to learning conversations 

- respectful

- focussed on the issue 

- sense of agreement to move forward 

Responsibility - have a clear and transparent model for staff - at all levels - who is responsible for what in the process - everyone has the right to grow - growth framing. Multi layered purpose to the system. Through the inquiry  system, evidence for appraisal is created, inquiry for the teacher NOT just for appraisal.

I think this is something that we have not 'nailed' yet - enabling teachers to see and understand that inquiry is about continually reflecting on practice in order to improve, not to generate data and evidence! 

What is good when we look for evidence for the RTC? Teachers take an inquiry mindset to our teaching already - we have just not formalised or organised this into an inquiry cycle. How are our students doing and how do we know - is what we as teachers do - it's what keeps us going! This is the evaluative capability. 

Akonga - is any learner - teachers in schools are the akonga of middle leaders, middle leaders are the akonga of the senior leadership team.....

What does good look like? 

Mediocrity is not enough - good is the baseline hurdle!! This is the bottom line. If you cannot get over the hurdle, then it needs to be addressed. Teachers can be in different places for each criteria - this is what sets the goal.

 Tātaiako a lens to look through the criteria - not a separate set. 

Knowing what good looks like us really important - especially for Middle Leaders ? Need to develop a rubric for showing what good likes. These may look different in different settings.

We need to define what effective practice look like in 'our place' - has not been done for awhile. 

Defining what good looks like through - PEP, KEP, Tātaiako, NCEA - where does this place us nationwide.  This may look different across different roles in the school - faculties, pastoral etc.

Organising evidence - holistic approaches to evidence enable teachers to link planning to outcomes for students - a central organising construct eg 

- RTC

- Tātaiako competencies

- goal for inquiry 

A holistic approach needs the teachers to have the criteria in the forefront of teachers thinking 

Good practice would come a range of sources. Probably 2 observations and discussions around this. My actions are not just based on my own view - Tātaiako affirms this -we are only one voice.

Appraisal evidence should come from the  'harvest of everyday practice' !! So much! Choose something that stands out  - something that matters in an inquiry! 

Might have lots of evidence, but does that reflect what 'good looks like' ?

# Gathering evidence is not the PURPOSE of an inquiry, it's what falls out of an inquiry! - a key point to remember. 

Questions and thoughts - questions to ask ourselves back at school 

What's working well in our model? 

What professional learning are we doing for Middle Leaders  around this process? 

What are the pros and cons of our current model?

 

Digitising appraisal and inquiry - Core Ed Breakfast

Early morning start for the Core Ed Breakfast seminar with Karen Melhuish Spencer - looking at appraisal and inquiry integration - using digital technology.

I feel that we are well along this path - so this will be interesting.

Key Question  - how can we best learn in connected ways? What will an integrated approach to professional learning look like?

Focus - weaving inquiry and appraisal using digital technology

Much of which we do is tacit and unspoken, wrapped up in our own values and beliefs within the walls of a classroom.

We need to make that overt and share what works for all - having the 'seams in the outside' - we can see not just what we are doing, but why we are doing it - and the purpose behind it.

We need to make what's working visible - otherwise how do we know what works 

How do we make the process of learning as an individual as part if a team?

Key idea 

Start with the who, the people.

Then the why, then the how and the what.

You need to balance the individual and the group focus.

The who- 

We all like to learn in different ways and with different approaches.

How do our staff prefer to learn?

What are the needs and passions of our staff?

A professional learning model needs to have space for personalisation.

What is our school's vision for professional learning? How is that connected to the school's overall vision?

On the staff we have the 'nodders' and the 'hiders' - ones who will want to work with others and ones who want to hide!

The same approach that we use for 'inclusive learning' for students needed for inclusive learning for staff.

Reference - professional learning for adults - Knowles 

Teachers must be partners on their own educational plans and evaluations .

How can we know our staff  PD is designed around their needs?

The why? How is your vision for learning evolving?

The changing model of what professional learning might look like.

Growing interest in what a transformational model of professional learning might look like.

Growing interest in informal self driven networked learning - how do we harness that?

Professional learning - technology allows this to be - 

- involved

- inquiry

- individual 

- active

- informal 

- committed

Reliant on a team around you - a solo act within a team.

21st century teacher professional development needs to combine individual and organisational development - build individual learning but also developing individuals in a team. 

Teachers as adaptive experts. 

Need to go beyond the school.  Learning communities within the school.

The how?

Cannot be top down driven - needs to have a split focus.

Individual teacher - inquiry can be short term or long term question.

 

How we record and capture - can be varied - this is something that we need to look at.

Encourage teachers to share their inquiry - do we do enough of this.

Whatever we are appraising staff against needs to be linked to the portfolio - the learning must be meaningful. This then needs to be linked to the RTCs and appraisal.

Appraisal is then inclusive and flexible. 

Digital technology -allows access to others knowledge and compare and critique examples of practice

Essential - a shared understanding of what effective teaching looks like - visible overt learning. 

We all want our practice to grow. 

How much flexibility and choice do we have?

- do our staff have agency to choose our own goals?

- do staff have to be in a certain place at a certain time?

Higher the agency and flexibility - more engaged staff.

How are digital technologies woven through professional learning in our school?

- or are we in a digital 'ant death spiral' ????

Don't start with the technology - get caught in the 'activity trap'

A culture of collaboration is essential.

We needs relationships of trust and mutual challenge.

Networks not hierarchies - how do we showcase and allow experts to take the spotlight.

Summary

- choice

- flexibility

- supported by technology

- right tool for the right job for the right context 

The process is more important than the tool .

Technologies can support space for learning communities.

"inquiry should not be seen as an add on or a project but as a way if professional being"

Questions for us to take away from this morning:

- do we all need to use the same platform ?
- do we need to be doing long term inquiry - where is the place for short term inquiry inour model?

Features of Leadership

This is a fabulous list of aspirational descriptors of leadership - I'm thinking that for my appraisal work, I will create a table of these for staff to comment against - I'm sure that I can get them to align to the RTCs - project on the way!!