Category Archives: Uncategorized

Are you Humpty Dumpty waiting for a fall?

Posted on March 28, 2017 by mwalker

Quite often Principal’s can feel like Humpty Dumpty “just waiting for the fall”. When you think of how many “clients” you serve (students, their parents and then the wider community) even a middle size school of 500 would add up … Continue reading →

Posted in coaching, Leadership, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

You start a round trying to perfect your swing and end up thinking about leadership – how does that happen?

Posted on July 5, 2016 by mwalker

There are times when you are blinded by a parallel scenario as I was recently playing golf. I had played badly the previous round and wasn’t overly confident as I started on my first hole. The ball just didn’t seem … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

Politics aside we need some truths to accept the challenges we face as a nation. That’s the election message we are sending!

Posted on July 5, 2016 by mwalker

Well its election time here in Australia and we may have a tie. I don’t normally stray into politics but the situation calls for some commentary. For my overseas readers we have 3 levels of government (Federal, States and local … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Leadership, politics, Teaching, Uncategorized | 5 Comments

Small classes are still being sold as the “golden” goose!

Posted on June 19, 2016 by mwalker

I’ve just finished cooking omelettes for breakfast and I open the daily paper (Age) and stumble across the Independent Schools Guide. It’s a 16 page full colour advertising features that doesn’t appear online. The last thing I’m wanting to do … Continue reading →

Posted in school, Teaching, Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Some essential questions to ask.

Posted on June 11, 2016 by mwalker

I was referred to this speech by a close colleague of mine, also like myself a summer school alumni member of Harvard (if this is indeed claimable). Having listened to the speech now several times I cannot but help think … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Revolution School, a must watch documentary on ABC television

Posted on June 5, 2016 by mwalker

There is a new 4 part documentary on our ABC channel called “Revolution School” with the first episode screened last week. I think this is a must watch show for anyone interested in schooling. The ABC took cameras into a normal secondary … Continue reading →

Posted in Accountability, Assessment, Data Wise Program, Harvard, Leadership, professional learning, school, teacher efficacy, Uncategorized | 8 Comments

Downsizing your house? We did and what did we learn?

Posted on June 5, 2016 by mwalker

Ever considered downsizing your house? We sold our family home in October last year after about 6 weeks of preparation time. After we finished repainting (over 1/2 of the external house and windows – once you start where do you … Continue reading →

Posted in Family, Uncategorized | 17 Comments

The Wounded Leader

Posted on May 31, 2016 by mwalker

Recently I recalled a book I read a few ago called The Wounded Leader by Ackerman and Maslin-Ostrowski. In the book they suggest schools have leadership resistant architecture typically “the conspiracy of busyness: where there is little time for leaders to … Continue reading →

Posted in China, professional learning, reflections, school administration, Sister School, Uncategorized | 13 Comments

Prioritising your workload

Posted on February 29, 2016 by mwalker

I recently read a short article in the January ASCD “education update” by Elena Hegland, an English teacher in New York, on the topic of prioritising work. It got me thinking about principal’s priorities. Elena lists her top 5 priorities as Student … Continue reading →

Posted in reflections, school administration, Teaching, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Victoria the “ice” capital of South East Asia !

Posted on June 18, 2015 by mwalker

Today at our local State principal network we heard from Les Twentyman a long serving youth outreach worker who has supported the marginalised and at risk young people who are generally homeless and on the streets. A few years ago … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

School Based Instructional Rounds: a progressive book club discussion (Ch 1 & 2)

Posted on June 4, 2015 by mwalker

In an earlier post I wrote about personal teacher professional learning. One of our teachers is doing a leadership course at Bastow Institute this year and her research project is using instructional rounds at the school level with teachers. One of … Continue reading →

Posted in Instructional Rounds, Leadership, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

young people’s anger – here’s one thought.

Posted on June 1, 2015 by mwalker

I’m fortunate as a school leader that my teachers share their ideas and thoughts with me. This is one teachers share last week that resonates so strongly with me – how does one promote young people’s conversations about dealing with … Continue reading →

Posted in curriculum, school, Teaching, Uncategorized, Video Clips | 1 Comment

identifying teacher itches to scratch

Posted on June 1, 2015 by mwalker

Schools in Victoria have many standardised data sets about student learning, student attitudes to school, parent opinion surveys and finally staff opinion surveys. This post focuses on this last data set, staff opinion. There was industrial action for the 3 … Continue reading →

Posted in Data Wise Program, Harvard, Observation, teacher efficacy, Teaching, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Do we teach handwriting skills to young writers – OK – when and why?

Posted on March 24, 2015 by mwalker

Recently I was in team meeting where teachers were discussing when to teach 5 year olds handwriting. It got me to thinking about why of my age and the old pen licences which we scrapped at least 10 years ago. In … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Instruction, Teaching, Uncategorized, writing | 5 Comments

The pendulum conundrum of strategic planning.

Posted on March 3, 2015 by mwalker

Over the past 18 months we as a school having been reviewing our performance as a school through the student, teacher and parent lenses. There was lots to celebrate which we have. However human nature is a curious things for … Continue reading →

Posted in Instruction, Leadership, school, Teaching, Uncategorized | 1 Comment