So my Principals and Vice Principals threw it down!!

I need to set a context for this blog. I have always said to my Principals, Vice Principals and Resource Staff that if we are going to lead it then we also need to do it. Change comes so quickly in education as in other industries and vocations. It is important that those leading the change understand what they are asking others to do and work along side them to make it happen.

In my previous blog I explained that we had adopted a theory of action this year and that we were working to develop If/Then statements to help guide instructional improvement to enhance student success. I insisted that all of us, myself included, participate in the goal setting and we had to be transparent and share our If/Then statements with our staff. Using a "ready, fire, aim" approach encouraged by Michael Fullen, we decided to use the 30 day challenge concept to frame our work. Every thirty days we would share our action statements, talk about our successes and our challenges, and then with feedback from our colleagues, refine our statements in an effort to make them more precise and effective. So far, so good.

My first action statement was, If I send out a bulletin every Friday with ideas, inspirational videos and Ted talks, then the Principals and Vice Principals will continue to be focussed and motivated. Following my own guidelines, I asked my group how they were finding my bulletins and if they were helpful. Many nodded yes and then one Principal shot up her hand and said, " But I want to see more creativity and innovation. I want to see the bulletin in a blog including the videos and Tedtalks, and I want it delivered in a Tweet. Now you may be thinking to yourself, "No big deal. She is already blogging," but it is a big deal!!! I haven't learned how to insert things yet. So, If I want to lead it, Then I have to do it. I am going to give it a go :)


The focus of our Board Improvement plan this year is Numeracy. We have made huge strides in the areas of reading and writing but Numeracy continues to be a challenge. As a collective group we are determined to make a difference in our students' understanding of Numeracy but I think we are all struggling to determine the difference that is going to make the difference. Dan Meyer has done several Tedtalks on the topic and he focusses on the importance of student engaged and using an inquiry based approach. I am attaching one of his talks for folks to listen to and think about. I would also encourage my instructional leaders to think about the role that technology can play in the kinds of learning experiences that Dan describes. I am looking forward to getting some Tweets with your thoughts on the talk. (Okay, here goes!!)

VICTORY!!!