“I cannot teach anybody anything. I can only make them think” – Socrates

#thatisall

So after a hectic first day back and the first management meeting of the term upon you I took another look at thie recent Seth Godin post on your organisation chart. 

Does the org chart you live with every day leverage your best people or does it get in their way?

Something perhaps for us all to consider?

11 October

A weekend of finals football led to this post.

In my most recent interview for Head Teacher I was asked what I considered to be a leadership weakness. I likened my situation visually to an umbrella plan covering different pathways, each comprising many tasks. Sometimes, I felt, it may seem as though the faculty never completed a full journey as tasks were completed and the path was re-adjusted to suit transformed goals. Despite encouragement and praise for the small-step completion, perhaps we never felt like we ever actually got the umbrella up.

I was intrigued to learn about the agile development SCRUM methodology during a recent project in which I was involved. It utilises the ongoing progress of the project, dividing up into sprints (say a week or fortnight at a time), where you then meet to assess and reorient the next steps based on the completed work. Ironically, the capacity for a flexibility comes from a clear set of roles, responsibilities and regular meetings that allow the team to rely on support and direction when development gets chaotic.

A key part of the process is the regular ‘scrum’ that sets up or completes each sprint. And here is the link I make to game of rugby. The scrum in football is for a restart when the ball goes out of play (either deliberately or perhaps due to eyes off the ball?) or for when there is a knock on (mostly accidental, but nevertheless a minor disruption?). It is a contest for possession with the team that gets the loose head and feed receiving a slight advantage. Not too many scrums go ‘against the feed’.

Each player in a scrum knows their role (forwards push forward), the ball is fed into the tunnel by the halfback or scrum-half and while being hooked through the back row must remain bound until the ball has left the scrum. Rugby Union teams still seem to make a very valid use of the scrum in their game. In Rugby league though, it seems to have become a complete waste of time over recent years.

But I digress, back to my link to leadership.

I think our school middle-executive leaders, often squeezed between blue-sky thinking and material runs-on-the-board, can benefit from considering this model. It fits well with regular cyclic faculty/school planning times and provides a good balance between short-term task completion and performance appraisal along with the opportunity for seeing regular, reasoned adjustment of the pathway and ownership of the longer term vision by the whole team.

And much like our KLA planning and meetings, everybody should know their role and play their part. As leaders, we need to make sure the scrum is packed tightly and be experts at feeding the scrum correctly. Remember, not too many scrums go against the feed.

As leader of the pack, are you feeding the scrum correctly?

 10 October

Today I saw this come across the feed ...

Worth a thought

7 October

Sometimes competition brings out our best. Board games, a little X-Box or the furthest gumboot throw always brings out a bit of friendly rivalry.

"But if you're going to count on the competition to bring out your best work, you've surrendered control over your most important asset and you're counting on the quality of those that show up to determine how well you'll do."

For those who still believe in bell-curves and class ranks, I invite you to read Run your own race!

Are you swimming someone elses race?

03 October

I have just spent a weekend connecting, collaborating, creating with #mathnerds as part of the MANSW Annual Conference. A chance to invigorate and combine the research with reflections of those in practice. The theme for this year was "Looking forward".

It was a chance to reflect on ideas such as whether at its heart Mathematics is an ART or a SCIENCE? I enjoyed Professor Martin Westwell's keynote talking about the need for consider closely the utilising of learning styles as our students develop mathematical understanding.

The balance between rote to encourage automaticity and the need to encourage play and creative minds was also a common thread. I enjoyed Anita Chin's reasoning bringing everything back to Stage 2 Number. It reminded of the idea of threshold concepts in mathematics, which I continue to watch develop. I wonder if other #mathnerds have a thought?

I spoke on "Connecting Mathematics Networks" in the 21st Century. Here is the PK. For those who want to begin the PLN journey I recommend a visit here to begin.

Click here to download:

MANSW_FRI.pptx (2.36 MB)

(download)

Click here to download:

MANSW_FRI.pptx (2.36 MB)

Follow the other conversation from #mansw2011

I made a deliberate decision over the weekend not to watch too much TV as the 10 year anniversary memories of 9/11 were played. Mostly because on that day, I was sick and home from work and vividly remember following the unfolding events throughout the day where the usual daytime TV fare (not much of a fan anyway) was not even an option. Given the recent floods, earthquakes and tsunami vision of the past while, I just felt the need to switch off.

And then this morning I heard this tribute on the radio. My beautiful daughter is about the same age. We both just listened to this and had a good cry. How lucky are we to have each other? It needs no further explanation as to what it meant to me or why it is likely to resonate with you.

Can you see us Pop? We love you so much. See you in heaven xox.

11 Sept

What keynote are you thinking of for your next staff development day?

As we head into the final few hectic weeks of term 3, a slight re-direct on my post You matter. This Dalton Sherman talk (via an @shannoninottawa post) has an extremely powerful message and a simple reminder.

Do you believe in your students? Your colleagues? Yourself?

11 Sept

Today I read a poignant article with Hugh Jackman on what it means for him to be a dad.

Among his thoughts:

-          It gives you permission to be a kid

-          Finding out you have the ability to carry on for months without sleep

-          You learn to be patient

He also said “The love for your children is so powerful. You’d do anything for them and not even think about it.”  This got me to thinking. As a single dad, what has it meant for me?

Driving to ballet classes, navigating toilet stops, making and re-making cupcakes, walks and playing in parks, learning to cook, travel and learning about culture, concerts films and eating out, telling stories and reading books, sing-a-longs, sport practice, valley girl shopping and learning all sorts of things at sleepovers.

The past few years have bought lots of happy times. What are some of the things I have learned?

-          Father’s day stall gifts always remain special and precious

-          Boys ARE allowed to cry at chick flicks

-          A hug will cure almost anything

-          Every girl likes their hair brushed

While she will always be daddy’s little girl, she will make her own path. Of this I am sure. I have to trust that.

I will continue to be glanced at awkwardly when I forget her jumper or say that I actually made the cake. I also note fervently that I am never likely to be referred to as a ‘working-dad’.  But as one part of my life heads into the time of skincare products, facebook and boys ….. I look forward to it with some trepidation.

Years ago I read the books ‘Raising girls’ (Preuschoff) and ‘Girls’ talk’ (Pallotta-Chiarolli) and it might be timely for me to get them back down off the shelf.

What does it mean to you to be a dad?

My colleagues’ @clarindabrown and @Liv86n recently engaged in a #30daychallenge to help encourage each other to alter a habit. I love this personal growth mindset, that making small changes helps it to be sustainable and the idea that it might also help build trust in ourselves. Perhaps it might even be fun!

The idea was to try something new for 30 days – in one case to add, and in the other to subtract a habit – with the idea that to be effective they needed to repeat the new habit at least 30 times.

Working towards a goal is always refreshing and a worthy personal challenge. On a personal level, I plan to capitalise on meeting recent goals, taking the #30daychallenge by planking, and doing sit-ups and push-ups as part of the daily routine which now includes a regular run.

 In my current position I sometimes don’t get the opportunity to try things I normally would in a teaching situation. I’d claimed my Edmodo URL a while back, but the opportunity to use it had never presented itself. And so I jumped at the idea of facilitating a group of Peer Coaches recently – Bingo – my new professional #30daychallenge!

I have started a group and plan to learn something new about Edmodo each day for the month.  Already, I’ve connected with colleagues, joined other groups and communities, made some badges and RSS fed our peer coaching blog. Still plenty more to learn, but I’m loving it!

What habits could you add or subtract on a personal and professional level?

Anyone else up for joining the #30daychallenge?

25 Aug