FELLOWSHIP
LEARNING
LEADERSHIP I
mproving teaching quality drives better outcomes for students. In fact, according to Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at the University of London, “Children in classes taught by the best teachers learn four times faster than those in classes taught by the poorest ones.” We also want our teachers to become what educational policy advisers Hargreaves, Boyle & Harris have dubbed ‘Uplifting Leaders’: people who empower and inspire others to contribute to a positive school culture. But teaching is a complex endeavour and teachers need support to reach and maintain the highest levels. As noted American surgeon and author Dr Atul Gawande puts it, “No matter how well trained people are, few can sustain their best performance on their own.”
They were: • • • • • • •
Williamsburg Northside School, Brooklyn The Chapin School, Manhattan Marymount Manhattan College New York School of Visual Arts, Manhattan New York University, Manhattan Thomas Edison Charter School in Wilmington, Delaware The University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
This diverse group of institutions have established coaching and mentoring programs and professional learning communities which allowed me to learn, observe and converse on topics such as Maker Spaces, Design Thinking and the Reggio approach. Spending time at each was extremely valuable.
I believe it’s vital to invest in our teachers’ performance through mentoring and coaching and to develop their ‘uplifting leadership’ skills. So I was thrilled when my application to Harvard’s ‘Improving Schools: The Art of Leadership’ program was accepted.
Next it was on to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for the intensive seven day program at Harvard. Among the areas explored were:
My U.S. study trip enabled by the Wenona Fellowship was organised around the Harvard course but book-ended by two other components: visiting schools and universities in New York and Pennsylvania and attending the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference in Philadelphia.
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Of the seven schools and universities I visited, five were in New York City while the others were in nearby states.
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Applying research and best practices to developing school improvements that focus on increasing student achievement Developing an understanding of how adult learning and teacher development contribute to school improvement Shaping a school culture that supports learning for all Implementing an effective process for supervision and evaluation of teachers and other instructional staff Learning techniques for managing change
We had presentations on topics including leading the teaching community in continuous improvement; teacher evaluation and supervision; team-leading; and reflecting on self as leader. The program’s emphasis is on cultural change, and it certainly affected my philosophy, beliefs and mindset, enabling me to develop my own leadership skills and strengthening my knowledge of, and commitment to, effective support for teachers. Finally I attended the ISTE Conference. Since 2013, I have been a moderator for the weekly global #satchatOZ conversation on Twitter, which provides an opportunity to connect with and learn from highly influential and innovative educators. The conference allowed me to meet many of these educators in person for the first time. The emphasis was on effectively using technology for coaching and mentoring and I came away with a deeper knowledge about technology integration and a confirmation of the effectiveness of Project Based Learning and Design Thinking. I’m very grateful to have received the fellowship as it laid a strong foundation for my new role as a Professional Learning Coach. Reinforcing my belief in building teacher capacity, this opportunity was instrumental in beginning my PhD at the University of Wollongong. I look forward to facilitating purposeful conversations about teaching practice, encouraging teacher reflection and increasing teachers’ sense of self-efficacy. Being part of the Wenona community means we are always on a learning journey.
ANDREA STRINGER is one of Wenona’s Professional Learning Coaches, working with teachers to improve professional practice and expand professional knowledge. A former Wenona Junior School Teacher, Andrea’s focus in the newly developed role is on pedagogy and how she can work with teachers to improve teaching and learning practice.
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