CPPA Middle Leaders Programme 2023

I was given a wonderful opportunity to attend a 4 day course on Middle Leadership. 

This was my first experience getting alongside other team leaders. 

My highlights from the 4 days

Day 1

Culturally Responsive Teaching Practices
Tātaiako - Cultural Competence for Teachers of Māori Learners. 

"10 ways to teach me" - Brigham Riwai-Couch
A wonderfully thought provoking kiriata about what it means to be a tamaiti Māori.  

My Culturally Responsive goals (taken from Niho Taniwha)

1. Use correct namings and support colleagues with their pronunciation.
2. Know better, do better. Constantly seek knowledge and ways to improve. Challenge, question, grow.Best Evidence Synthesis
3. Give equal weight to Te Māhuri Mānuka naming as we do to Hornby Primary School. 

Leading from the Middle & Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration (BES).

I need to delve more deeply into these 2 documents at a later time. BES has been referred to with some reverence.  We didn't revisit in session 3 or 4 - might have been useful.

2 quotes that really resonated with me - 

"What you focus on flourishes"

"People don't resist change, they resist being changed." 

Day 2

Leadership Capabilities Framework & Action Plan
This was a really worthwhile opportunity to set some goals around my own leadership practice. 

Action Plan - 2023

Day 3

Effective Adult Dialogue

David Anderson 
Dialogue is where you reach understandings, not necessarily decisions.

Discussion is when you make a decision.

Inquiry - what are the ramifications and implications down the track?

Advocacy - Putting things clearly on the table.

Show me a team with no conflict and I'll show you it's not really a team!

Can't attribute this to anyone

Ladder of Inference

Day 4
What is data - raw numbers and OTJ's
Where can our data come from? 

The purpose of Data Meetings
Identifying gaps
Looking to make accelerated progress
Knowing what next steps are
Challenging assumptions
Identifying children that are plateauing
Collective responsibility

Pitfalls of Data Conversations - Tendencies
Jump to conclusions

Making judgements rather than describing.

Generalised comments - focusing on outside elements we can't control

Data Conversation Protocol

1. Select and Describe

What are we seeing in our data? Just the facts, no judgements. Mine the data, look for patterns. Stay at evidence letter. What might we have missed?

2. Interpret and Conclude 
Was our assessment fair and valid? What might have led to these results. Other possibilities. Assumptions/evidence. Seek multiple perspectives and interpretations. Uncover assumptions and evaluate against the evidence. 

3. Beliefs/Decisions/Actions - 

Now what? Implications? Raise questions and explore implications and actions for classroom practise. 

What have we learned from the conversation? What questions arise. What is our plan going forward? Next steps.

4. Update profile

Can we move any children off the list? What are the next SMART goals we can implement?  Are there any additions? 

Good ideas

- Send out the questions/wonderings to staff prior to session. 

- Teaching the skills of silent reading to kids.

- When we're making our staff actions - how do we know they are going to be successful? When and when will our actions happen? What am I going to do for that child when i walk in to the classroom tomorrow? How do I know a child is working

Critical Friends Protocol 

The process - developing collegial realtionships, encouraging reflective practice, and rethinking leadership. 

Critical meaning - key, important, necessary.

Elements - careful description, enforced and thoughtful listening, and questioning feedback.

Types of feedback - 

"Warm" feedback is supportive, appreciative statements about what is presented. Pinpoints what is working and what should be continued.

"Cool"  feedback is more distanced, offers different ways to think about what was presented and/or raise questions. Does not criticise. Suggests, through questions and wonderings, what could be improved.

"Hard" feedback challenges and extends the presenters thinking and/or raises concerns.

Group members

Facilitator - sets limits, keeps time, reviews the process.

Presenter - Person with the issue for consultancy.

Discussants - Address the issue.

Step 1 - Facilitator reviews purpose of the group, agreed norms, time limits. 

Step 2 - Presenter presents the issue/goal.Share background info and context. Pose 1-2 questions for the group. Use Inquiry questions.  Group is silent, takes notes.

Step 3 - Team members ask clarifying questions to seek more info.

Step 4 - Group members reflect. Presenter moves out of the circle. Can hear, but not participate. 

Step 5 - Group members share warm and cool feedback. Presenter - no interaction with the group.

Step 6 - Presenter chooses pertinent information they heard. Reflects. Team members are silent. 

Step 7 - Debrief the session. Validate contributions. 

Open to Learning Conversations - Issue of Concern