Category Archives: Leadership

Design meets learning

Posted on April 15, 2008 by mwalker

The teachers in the Years 5/6 team at Elsternwick Primary are faced with many challenges and questions when co-designing learning environments that stimulate and promote both collaborative and individual learning as well as the environment supporting students and teachers living a set of values: … Continue reading →

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Teaching for Understanding

Posted on April 8, 2008 by mwalker

Have you ever struggled with teaching or assessing growth in learners understandings – I do? It’s easier to teach and assess skills. I like the example many people give of coaching a sports team – you teach skills that are observable – … Continue reading →

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Easter on the Delitate River

Posted on March 31, 2008 by mwalker

Over the Easter break I was fortunate enough to spend a few days on the Delitate River. While I was cooking a bbq at night it was great to look up and see the bright stars in the sky. It was a … Continue reading →

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Mentoring at Monash University

Posted on March 12, 2008 by mwalker

Yesterday at the invitation of a colleague I joined him at Monash University as he started a Masters in Education course.  As I walked from the car park I was struck by the both the number of students [I’m told … Continue reading →

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Student Writing: a focus for improvement

Posted on March 10, 2008 by mwalker

We have just completed a whole pupil free day looking at our instructional practice on student writing. Anne Hammond, our resident literacy coach had us look at persuasive text for most of the morning: where you would find it, how … Continue reading →

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What’s your vision for schooling?

Posted on March 6, 2008 by mwalker

This week after our staff meeting I have been reflecting about the dialogue on what value we as teachers bring to the deeper learning our students need in the 21st century. We watched a pod cast of Richard Elmore saying … Continue reading →

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Instructional tips that might make a difference

Posted on March 5, 2008 by mwalker

At this week’s leadership meeting I introduced John Hattie’s article on building teacher quality. We began talking as the instructional leaders of the school of our individual journeys to making a greater difference in student learning. Hattie explores this learning … Continue reading →

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“School can be like a vacuum cleaner sucking the knowledge out of kids.”

Posted on March 4, 2008 by mwalker

I am working on one of the DEECD principal focus groups for building an instructional model for teachers in Victoria. During the first workshop we listened to this video clip from Richard Elmore talking about some of the challenges.  Richard … Continue reading →

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What drives your classroom coaching program?

Posted on February 21, 2008 by mwalker

Last year I caught up with Barrie Bennett in Toronto and had the chance to talk through his framework for classroom improvement. It was one of those light bulb moments when it became clear for me what the missing focus was in both … Continue reading →

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Leaders talking teaching and learning!

Posted on February 21, 2008 by mwalker

At this week’s leadership meeting I set the context for our reading of John Hattie’s article on building teacher quality. The article lists a number of key strategies [e.g. feedback] that have the greatest effect size on student learning. It concludes: “expert … Continue reading →

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Raise the Bar and Close the Gap

Posted on February 18, 2008 by mwalker

At last weeks principal network meeting we briefly talked about this notion of raising the bar on student achievement. Michael Fullan defines moral purpose for schools in terms of raising the bar and closing the achievement gap. The conversation was started from … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Uncategorized, Walkthroughs | 1 Comment

Principals turn to booze to cope

Posted on February 5, 2008 by mwalker

Today a report is being released on principal workload. The report based on a national survey of 1,100 principals shows that while most love their job many are finding that “endless paperwork, dealing with abuse or grievances from angry parents, and … Continue reading →

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Student Leadership

Posted on February 1, 2008 by mwalker

I was talking to the senior students at school this week and used this clip to start the discussion about leadership changing the world We often start in our own backyard so to speak in small ways and the students said by being kind … Continue reading →

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Tests are everywhere but this can only be in America!

Posted on January 31, 2008 by mwalker

Thanks to John Connell from Cisco I came across this article on the testing business in America. Businesses make huge profits from selling tests to school districts or states as a result of the NCLB legislation and as it now … Continue reading →

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A hoe is that what you want? or Why teach Speaking and Listening skills.

Posted on January 30, 2008 by mwalker

This week I was casually listening to a teacher explain something of a technical nature to colleague and it reminded me of the need to be careful in our use of language in schools particularly when trying to explain a new … Continue reading →

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