Leadership For Student Learning Sharon Friesen, Candace Saar,
Jim Brandon
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Inquiry Focus How can leadership practices improve teaching
practices, learner engagement and student achievement?
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Learning Outcomes 1. Deepen understanding about the leadership
teams role in leading teacher learning and professional growth 2.
Develop processes for providing teachers with timely, specific and
constructive feedback about teaching and learning
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Dimension Four: Leading teacher learning Robinson, 2011
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Evidence-based Decisions Effective leadership of teacher
professional learning involves using evidence about student
learning to inform decisions about what professional learning is
needed, whether it is working, who it is working for, and when it
should end (p. 109). Robinson (2011)
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Strengthening evidence-based practices Use the following
process to examine your data: 1. Observe closely and describe what
you see in the data. 2. Build interpretations and explanations for
what youre seeing. 3. Formulate reasoned judgments supported by
evidence from your data.
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Strengthening evidence-based practices (continued): 4. Make
connections (i.e. to effective learning environments, effective
teaching practices, worthwhile tasks, assessment practices etc.) 5.
Consider different viewpoints and perspectives (What evidence do
teachers have that these practices are developing stronger, deeper
learning? Students?) Formulate reasoned judgments supported by
evidence.
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Table Discussion #1 1. What specifically has your leadership
team done to strengthen teacher learning in ways that strengthen
ALL students learning? 2. How do you know that the supports you
have put in place for improved teacher learning are making a
difference to student learning across your school? 3. What evidence
could you point to? 4. How might you help teachers build
evidence-based practices that build stronger, deeper learning?
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Dimension Four: Leading teacher learning and development a
strong collective focus on student learning is not enforced by
rules but by mutually felt obligations to standards of instruction
and learning (p. 107). Robinson (2011)
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Knowledge Building Cycles What knowledge and skills do teachers
need? What knowledge and skills do we as leaders need? Deepen
professional knowledge and refine skills Engage teachers in
reflection & new learning What has been the impact of our
changed actions? Earl & Timperley 2009
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Example: What evidence do we have that students are engaged in
worthwhile work? Evidence from teachers Task designs Assessment
instruments Samples of student work to show above Evidence from
leaders Classroom observations Responses from parents Conversations
with kids Evidence from students Students articulate why and what
they are learning Students accurately describe their work in
relation to clear criteria
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Break
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Individual Reflection How have APs and other middle level
leaders in your school been able to impact teaching practices? What
structures, processes and resources have you put in place to enable
this?
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Table Discussion #2 How do we measure our work as leaders of
learning? Evidence-based decision-making How do you know your APs
and other middle level leaders are impacting teaching practices?
What evidence could you point to that demonstrates your school is
becoming an intellectually engaging learning environment for
leaders, teachers and students?
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Next Steps Identify your class What are the individuals in your
class learning? What evidence could you bring forward to support
this claim? How might you use this evidence to enable your class to
see learning growth and to help them identify what else they
need/want to learn? What structures, processes and resources might
you put in place to strengthen the learning of middle leaders &
teachers in your school?
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Critical Reflections and Feedforward What new insights have you
gained about leading teacher learning? What else do you need to
learn in order to lead this work in your school? What do we need to
know about supporting your learning needs?
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Engaging in Knowledge-Building Cycles? What (new) knowledge and
skills do teachers and students need to meet important learning
goals? What knowledge and skills do we as leaders need to meet the
needs of our teachers and students? Actions to deepen leadership
knowledge and refine leadership skills Engage teachers and students
in new learning experiences What has been the impact of our changed
actions on teachers & students?