Collectively Building Leadership and Mentorship Capacity Denise Johnson, Director of Instruction,...
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Collectively Building Leadership and Mentorship Capacity Denise Johnson, Director of Instruction, Vancouver School Board Dr. Hartej Gill, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, UBC
Collectively Building Leadership and Mentorship Capacity Denise Johnson, Director of Instruction, Vancouver School Board Dr. Hartej Gill, Assistant Professor,
Collectively Building Leadership and Mentorship Capacity Denise
Johnson, Director of Instruction, Vancouver School Board Dr. Hartej
Gill, Assistant Professor, Department of Education, UBC
Slide 2
An overview of the presentation: A review of the process
involved in co-creating, implementing and researching a social
justice mentorship and leadership initiative between the
Educational Leadership and Administration program at the University
of British Columbia (UBC) and the Vancouver School Board
(VSB).
Slide 3
Bringing the Initiative to Life: Envisioned collaboratively
between UBC/VSB Goal to bring current site based administrators and
leaders into a formal Leadership and Mentorship role with a cohort
of UBC graduate students Focus on Social Justice
Slide 4
Institutionalizing an approach to Mentorship and Leadership
Focus area: Social Justice Finding a way for mentor-mentee
relationships to be sustained To build capacity in social justice
leadership
Slide 5
The Agenda: Institutionalizing the Mentorship Initiative The
Partnership and Selection of Mentors Feedback from the Graduate
students Brief video clip of Initiative Video debrief Future
directions of this Initiative Questions/Discussion
Slide 6
Institutionalizing the Mentorship Initiative UBC/VSB Pilot
Initiative- Collaboration How we came together (Our Story) The
Design and Organization of the Course - Inquiry driven - Social
Justice focused curriculum - Relevant research/leadership topics
for both graduate students and administrator mentors
Slide 7
Mentor and Mentee Selection and Partnerships Selection of
Mentors - Pilot initiative, build from strength - Six mentors, 3
principals, 3 vice principals, secondary and elementary -
Administrators who had previously demonstrated knowledge and
interest in social justice issues and professional growth
Slide 8
Mentor and Mentee Selection and Partnerships Mentorship
matching - graduate student input - social justice curriculum focus
areas - mentors background and passions - Areas of learning needs
in the district Aboriginal education, 21 st century learning
spaces, special education, etc.
Slide 9
The Leadership and Mentorship Cohort Course Design Expectations
of the students and mentors Course meetings and inquiry leadership
projects School visitations Guest presenters Formal and informal
mentor/mentee working times Formal sharing of leadership
projects
Slide 10
Video UBC Graduate student production by Vincheth Sen Focus on
reflections from the mentors
Slide 11
Debrief Some key reflections from cohort participants on the
UBC/VSB mentorship aspect of EDST-532 How (if at all) was the
mentorship component of this course valuable for you personally,
professionally or academically?
Slide 12
Reflections from Cohort Participants Value of complicating
praxis (theory/practice) I valued the depth of conversations when
social justice theory and practice are complicated through the
literature and lived leadership experiences. (5)
Slide 13
Reflections from Cohort Participants Reciprocal
Teaching/Learning The social justice focus of the course was
crucial for me/us personally, professionally, academically. I
learned so much about my own location of privilege/marginalization
and my responsibilities for advocacy and activism. I think the
administrators also valued this aspect and learned a lot it was
great to see them talk about their learning in this area. Made us
feel like we werent the only ones who had so much to learn about
social justice leadership. Such a complex area everyone needs more
support in this area. (6)
Slide 14
Reflections from Cohort Participants Capacity Building I was
able to meet some pretty inspirational people who were able to show
a more human side to leadership.I gained a lot of experience and
insight and a very different perspective of the role. I never
thought of really going into administration, but because of the
experiences, comments and thoughts, they have made me reconsider.
(4)
Slide 15
Key Finding From Both Mentors and Cohort Participants Systemic
issues with regard to institutional absences: It would be important
to include more administrators with social justice and aboriginal
education/leadership locations, experience, and backgroundsTo see
more administrators from marginalized groups. (7)
Slide 16
The Continuation and Evolvement of this Initiative The Gift
that keeps on giving What has transpired since this pilot
initiative: - conference presentations and opportunities -
presentations to UBC / VSB with an interest in expansion of this
model - expansion and growth of the mentors and graduate students
in terms of diversity and social justice work
Slide 17
The Second Cohort Partnership What will continue? What has
changed? The research involved Goal: To continue to be mutually
beneficial
Slide 18
Our Hopes. We hope that the research from this initiative will
provide an important model for social justice mentorship and
leadership as well as share the value of such a model for social
justice action within schools.