Mark's Learning Log- Wondering if all teachers in training and graduate teachers are being taught to instruct all students in reading as though they were in the red? September 29, 2024I have this wondering that we are teaching all students in the class – as a whole class lesson – in the junior years as though they all needed the intensive phonic instruction and frequent repetition. Yes some explicit instruction … Continue reading →mwalker
- Why Why is the question we all need to answer! May 31, 2024In my work with school educators this is the question I ask them to resolve for themselves. What drives you to lead / teach young people and why? What happened to you and why is that important. I was reminded … Continue reading →mwalker
- Wondering if all teachers in training and graduate teachers are being taught to instruct all students in reading as though they were in the red? September 29, 2024
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Category Archives: school administration
Don’t take yourself too seriously!
Each year the students set the school leadership a dare challenge if they raised significant funds for the school in the annual walkathon. I was reminded of this when I stumbled on the photo of one challenge they set me … Continue reading
Posted in Leadership, school, school administration
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The Wounded Leader
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
Prioritising your workload
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
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Is the metaphor a leader is like a parent valid?
I have been contemplating a leadership metaphor used by Simon Sinek on a recent Ted Talk: “great leaders are like parents wanting to give their children (employees) opportunities to try and fail in safe ways and to discipline when necessary”. … Continue reading
Posted in Assessment, school administration, Teaching
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Speaking at the Monday School Assembly: A Principal’s Message.
First of all I should say I’m invited by our year 6 leaders who run the weekly assembly to speak. I’m allotted about 5-6 minutes in a busy 25 minute program that has students singing the national anthem, reciting the welcome … Continue reading
Posted in school, school administration
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Data Stars
At a recent staff meeting we were busy celebrating some new data which showed improved student learning results for the first semester this year. This clip shows a small part of those celebrations and I think the importance of humour.
Recruitment Videos
I got this clip on the best and the worst of recruitment videos and thought if I made a clip about recruitment at school what might it contain (the challenge and reward of the ahh moment in teaching, the support … Continue reading
Posted in school administration
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