My Time in The Corner Office

MY TIME AS PRINCIPAL

                     It is important to bring broken people into a community of love, a

                               place where they feel accepted and recognized in their gifts, and

                               have a sense of belonging.

                              (Jean Vanier From Brokenness to Community)

Much has been written about the role of the principal.  Traditionally, the principal has been viewed as a school administrator or facility manager who issues directives from the corner office.  More recently, the role of the principal has been conceived as that of an instructional leader - one who, in reference to the word principal itself, serves as the main or lead teacher in the school.

Neither of these definitions of principal, however, captures fully either what I believed or experienced during the 6 years I spent in the principal's office in two Ottawa Catholic schools - Holy Trinity Catholic High School (2005-2009) and St. Francis Xavier High School (2009-2010).

Instead, my sense of the role of the principal is better reflected in the Jean Vanier quotation with which I began this post. For me, the principal work of a Catholic principal (pun intended) is to build a learning community in which all students and staff feel they are accepted and belong.  Unless students feel included at, valued by, and connected to their school, and teachers and other staff feel the same, neither the best administrative planning for a school nor the most effective instructional practices in the classrooms will result in academic achievement for students and a sense of well-being for all at the school.

My Principal's Page in an edition of the Trinity Yearbook

My view of the role of the principal was heavily influenced by the Early School Leaver Project that was conducted early in my time as Principal of Holy Trinity Catholic High School.  I first heard of the project during the spring of 2006 while I was representing the Catholic Principals' Council of Ontario on the Student Engagement Sub-Committee of the Learning to 18 Working Table.  From interviews conducted with close to 200 early school leavers, Dr. Bruce Ferguson identified "Disconnection and disengagement with the school culture and school community..." as the key reason why students dropped out of school.  His recommendations to school administrators and teachers, which I took to heart, were as follows:

1. Be more understanding
2. Be more flexible
3. Be more proactive     

Inspired by Jean Vanier's philosophy of belonging and Dr. Bruce Ferguson's emphasis on a caring, positive school climate, I focused my work at Holy Trinity on developing an open, caring, and responsive school environment.  During my first month as principal, I visited all homeroom classes to introduce myself and also met individually with all vice-principals, department heads, and curriculum leaders.  I made certain that both students and staff had direct access to me.  When I realized that some students and staff were hesitant to approach me in my office, I posted my Principal's Credo on my office door to make my intentions explicitly clear:

1. This door is always open to you.

2. Your interruptions are always welcome.

3.  If I am not in my office when you drop by (hopefully, because I am out and about the

     school), I will get back to you in a timely manner.

4. No one's dignity will be compromised in this office.

5. In this office, I will listen first, then speak.

6. In this office, our solution will be preferred to my or your solution.

I also made myself as available as possible by being in the school atrium before and after school and in the cafetorium and outside during lunch break.  I attended as many after school activities as I could. I also often walked to and from school. Many mornings, as I approached the school, students were gathered outside the building, and I was able to take the pulse, so to speak, of the student body by speaking with these groups.

During my time as Principal of Holy Trinity a 24-room addition was added

To build a sense of community among the staff, I profiled a different staff member in the Monday Morning Memo I issued every week.  To gather interesting (and sometimes humorous) information on the staff member I was profiling, I would often call the spouse, creating a personal connection with him or her, too.  The staff profiles I wrote were not only pleasant Monday morning surprises for the staff member I profiled, they were also effective ways to connect people at the school as they learned about their colleagues' backgrounds and interests.

As well, to promote a unifying sense of purpose among students and staff (what later writers termed uplift*), connecting with their hearts as well as their minds, I promoted well-established school-wide initiatives such as the annual Terry Fox Run and the Canned Food Drive.

The Annual Terry Fox Run/Walk at Holy Trinity was consistently one
of the top 10 fundraising events of its kind in the province

When it came to leading the instructional program at the school, I recognized from the onset that there were teachers at Holy Trinity who knew much more about their subject areas than I did, and that many good pedagogical practices were already being employed by many of the teachers.  Having a background in literacy, I chose to lead in this area while allowing others at the school to lead in the equally important areas of numeracy and student pathways.

Years later, Michael Fullan wrote about the "dangerous half-truth" (Indelible Leadership, 12) of the principal improving student achievement by personally leading and micro-managing the instructional practices at the school.  Instead, I was more comfortable with listening to the wisdom of the group, learning from it, and, accordingly, setting a course for innovation. In short, I adopted what Fullan later described as a lead learner role, and leveraged the power of the group "...to move the group." (Fullan The Principal, 29)  Sometimes, I led the professional learning - as I did with the concept of teaching reading in the subject area.  However, many times, I let teachers lead.  What was critical, as Fullan noted in The Principal, was that although I as principal didn't always lead, I always participated. (86)

Surprisingly though, it wasn't Michael Fullan who primarily influenced me in taking, as principal, this lead learner stance.  Instead, my inspiration came from a great book called Shepherd Leadership: Wisdom for Leaders from Psalm 23, written by Blaine McCormick and David Davenport.  The quotation from that book that governed my approach to school leadership (and which I kept under the blotter on my desk) reads as follows: "To shepherd effectively, one must know when to lead, when to follow, and when to get out of the way." (51)

Many great initiatives that improved student engagement and achievement were launched by the talented staff at Holy Trinity during my time there as principal.  One such initiative was Back on Track, which was a credit rescue program. Another innovation was an inter-disciplinary initiative whereby students could earn two grade 9 or 10 credits at a time by completing one set of assignments.  In grade 9 Religion, experiential learning opportunities through the Shepherds of Good Hope and Kanata Food Cupboard were introduced.  For grade 8 students at risk, we partnered with St. Nicholas High School to offer 'flash forward' grade 9 Hospitality and Travel & Tourism credits.  I introduced an experiential learning opportunity for English classes whereby, a couple of times each year, students created an insert called The Trinity Times for the local Kanata Kourier-Standard newspaper.  It was an opportunity for students to write for a real audience and to reflect on their learning and the positive climate at this great school.     

Front page on one edition of the Holy Trinity Times

                                               * Uplifting Leadership, Andy Hargreaves, Alan Boyle, & Alma Harris

My Years as a Vice-Principal

Reflections on My Time as a VP

Me on my 'perch' above the St. Pat's High School Mall

After 15 plus years as a classroom teacher, in January of 1998, I began my second career in education as an administrator. 

For the next 7 years, I performed the role of vice-principal at 3 different high schools with the Ottawa Catholic School Board: Holy Trinity (1998), St. Patrick's High School (1998-2003), and St. Nicholas Adult High School (2003-2005).

My first Admin Team - Holy Trinity 1998
L. to R. VPs Mike Nugent, Me, Bill Gartland
Principal Anne-Marie McGillis in front

At times, I found that being a VP in a high school was a rather thankless and unappreciated  role.  For one thing, I was oftened tasked with dealing with disciplinary issues in the classroom, in the hallways, on the school buses, and even in the broader community.  This meant that many of my interactions with students were not ones that they enjoyed.  As well, many of the daily tasks assigned to me were managerial in nature and took me away from the reason I chose education as a vocation - my passion for teaching and learning.  

However, as I settled into the VP role at St. Patrick's, I made a commitment to shattering the traditional image of the unsmiling disciplinarian and, as I had as a teacher, got involved in school life and extra-curriculars to build positive relationships with students.  Then, when students were sent to me for disciplinary reasons, they would know that I valued them.  As well, by working in partnership with parents, teachers, and, counselors when students misbehaved, I realized I could, through a caring and restorative approach, help these students to develop the self-confidence, self-respect, empathy for others, and optimism that they were previously lacking.

With a great group of St. Patrick's HS students at CHEO Teletho

Through frequent classroom visits, discussions with teachers, and participation in teacher learning groups, I also forged relationships with teachers and was able to work with them and sometimes assist them - particularly those who were inexperienced and/or strugging - in developing greater competence, confidence, and passion in their role.

Years later, in  a book called Redeeming Administration, Ann M. Garrido expressed very well how blessed I was in my work as VP:

               By its very character, administration offers the opportunity to grow

               in the capacity for agape [selfless love].  By its very character,

               administration encourages the practice of giving oneself freely and

               abundently without always knowing what good one has done or who

               has been touched. (58)

I had my head shaved in support of a cancer fundraiser at St. Pat's

It was an unexpected pleasure to learn that, as  a VP, I didn't need to give up being a teacher.  It required some careful planning and prioritizing but, at St. Pat's, I became an English-teacher-at-large of sorts and, when invited, taught lessons on writing and literature.  My favourite was introductory lessons on Shakespeare and whichever of the bard's plays the class was beginning to study.

During my 7 years as a vice-principal, I had the great joy of  being a part of some dynamic administrative teams.  Under the leadership of the principal, the VPs in a high school work very closely together and come to rely on each other.  A special bond forms among administrators as they tackle the daily challenges that present themselves.   Some of the particularly memorable issues we dealt with while I was a VP at St. Pat's were as follows:

• the stabbing of a student
• the dawning of the new millenium and Y2K anxieties
• the first administration of the Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (2001)
• the double cohort graduation (2003)

However, the most dramatic development during my time at St. Pat's was the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York.  With a predominantly Catholic student population at the school but many Muslim students as well, we held our collective breath the day after 911 concerned about its impact on the students and how they would react.  We needn't have been concerned - As a strong faith community, they responded with compassion and kindness.

There were also many lighter moments with admin team colleagues during my time as a VP.  At St. Pat's, we often gathered in Principal Joe Mullally's office at the end of a busy day or week and laughed ourself silly, recalling all the comical and absurd things that had happened.   

One of my Admin Teams at St. Pat's
-  with Principal Joe Mullally & VP Brid McDonald

My Teaching Career Part 2 - St. Matthew

My Teaching Days at St. Matthew

1985-86 St. Matthew Staff
My first year at this great school

In the fall of 1985, I returned to Ottawa to teach at St. Matthew High School.  The transition from Eastwood Collegiate Institute (ECI) in Kitchener - a large, well-established grade 9-OAC high school - to St. Matt's was a difficult one.   At the time, St. Matt's was a relatively new middle school (grades 7 to 10) which was now adding grade 11 (due to the extension that year of full funding to Catholic schools in Ontario).  My teaching schedule dramatically changed from a straightforward schedule of grade 9, 10, and 11 English classes at ECI to a chaotic mixture of subjects and grades at St. Matt's: grade 7 Religion and English, grade 9 and 10 English, and grade 11 Ancient History.  That's right - I had 5 different courses for which to prep.   

My saving grace in that first year at St. Matt's was the tremendous support I received from the other teachers and the great feeling of camaraderie I sensed among the staff  The school was truly a Catholic-Christian community.  We not only taught together but as well we played and prayed together.

After my first year at St. Matt's, I knew I had found my permanent teaching home.  I immersed myself into the life of the school, coaching teams and helping out with the Student Activity Council. The students both challenged and intrigued me, and drove me constantly to want to provide for them the very best learning opportunities that I possibly could.  

Hamming it up with the talented teaches in the English Department

I formed a great network of close friends among the staff of St. Matthew.  On Wednesday nights, we played basketball; Friday after school it was staff hockey; and in the spring and summer, several of us played together on a softball team.  However, most pleasing of all was how all the staff worked together to build a great school community where all students felt they belonged and were able to grow.  In so many ways, we lived out the school's motto: 'People Together With Purpose'.

A few years after I started teaching at St. Matt's, I was appointed Department Head of English.  I loved the role.  I not only got to work with an incredibly talented group of language arts teachers at the school but as well collaborated frequently, through Subject Council, with the other English DHs in the Carleton Roman Catholic School Board.  I became good friends with many of my English DH colleagues - particularly with those who spent a magical summer with me at Oxford University (Keble College) completing an Honour Specialist in English.

The Oxford Incident - Summer 1989
I had the time of my life!

Having learned early in my teaching career in Kitchener-Waterloo that the sage on the stage approach to teaching was not effective, I embraced at St. Matt's a student-centred  guide on the side approach. When it came to literature study, I used methodologies such as incentive contracts in order to differentiate learning opportunities for students and allow them to be creative in their responses to their encounters with what they read.  I also relied heavily on collaborative approaches whereby each small group of students would attempt to persuade - in a manner that was both thought-provoking and entertaining - the rest of the class of the validity of a particular interpretation of a novel or play .  The videos, radio plays, dramatizations, and displays the students designed helped them develop both their critical thinking and communication skills.

I recall times when I would marvel at the level of student engagement and focus as they developed their presentations.  Years later, I discovered that a psychologist named Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called this state of hyper-focus learning flow.  For me, though, these moments when I could almost hear the students' minds humming and sense them gaining confidence and competence in their abilities to think deeply and communicate clearly were pure magic...  I would step outside myself for the moment and simply marvel at the human capacity for learning.  In the words of John Magee in his beautiful poem "High Flight", at those times, I felt as though:

                                I ...slipped the surly bonds of earth 

                               And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings:

                               ...Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.  

As much as I enjoyed teaching English and loved being a part of the St. Matt's community, the intensity of the classroom, the frequent late nights spent prepping lessons, and the far-too-many lost weekends of marking essays and assignments sometimes took their toll on me.  In the midst of one particularly long day of teaching and marking (and after too short a night of sleep), I recall a student teacher commenting on my Jekyll and Hyde performance.  As I collapsed at the end of the day on a sofa in the staff room, he noted, "You seem so different than a moment ago when you were so animated and energized in the classroom."  Oh yes, my dear young teacher-in-the-making, teaching is both engrossing and exhausting!

One of my favourite pictures of me at St. Matthew
- Thoroughly engrossed in assessment

One of the most memorable (and sad) days of my life was Friday, December 19, 1997, my last day of teaching at St. Matthew High School.  In the morning, I listened with great interest as an OAC student did a presentation on his independent study, which was on a relatively new and emerging medium of communication called the internet!  In the afternoon, in a portable, I taught my final English class - a challenging group of grade 9s.  

After the final bell sounded, the students left quickly.  I stood and stared for several minutes out a window at the students rushing happily along to get on school buses.  When the last bus pulled away from the school, I quietly exited the portable and walked down a mostly deserted hallway in the school, briefcase in hand.  I climbed a flight of stairs to the 2nd floor and paused briefly by the library to look at a display I had put up some time time ago.  It read:  English is to ... Read, Write, Listen, Speak, View, and Think.  Then I walked into the English Prep room, where I had spend countless hours collaborating with other teachers, designing lessons, and marking papers.  I took one last long look around, thanked God for blessing me with 12 plus years of membership in this wonderful school community, closed and locked the door, and bid adieu to my teaching career.

As I said at the final St. Matthew staff meeting I attended, "I can honestly say I enjoyed every single day that I taught at this marvellous school."

St. Matthew Staff - 1995-96

   

My Teaching Career Part 1: Waterloo County

*** As I am retiring in January 2017 after 35 years in education, I will be sharing my 

       memories in 5 posts as follows:

       1. My teaching days in Waterloo County 
       2. My memories of St. Matthew High School (Orleans)
       3. My years as a Vice-Principal
       4. My time as a Principal
       4. My time as a supervisory officer 

Reflections on My Classroom Years in Waterloo County

I began my teaching career at Elmira District Secondary School (EDSS) in September of 1982.  Why, you might ask, did a guy born and raised in Ottawa choose to teach with the Waterloo County School Board?  The simple answer is that I accepted the very first teaching job offer I received!

I cut my teaching teeth, as the saying goes, at EDSS.  I am indebted to William (Bill) Exley, who was the Department Head of English there in 1982-1983.  Bill spent considerable time and energy mentoring me in the art of teaching English.  From him I learned that the role of a language arts teacher was two-fold: to help students develop both a deeper appreciation of good literature and a commitment to clarity in expression.  Bill Exley had what perhaps his most famous student, the prolific writer Malcolm Gladwell, identified as "presence" - that charismatic aspect that all great teachers going back to Socrates have possessed.  (Note: Gladwell mentions Bill Exley's teacher presence in What The Dog Saw, p. 131)

Malcolm Gladwell (bottom left)
with Elmira Debating Team

As much as I learned from mentors such as Bill Exley, I learned even more from my students during my first year of teaching at EDSS.  At the end of the year, I asked all the students to comment on how effective they thought I had been as their teacher.  Their responses were quite humbling.  Although some said some complimentary things, a significant number suggested that I needed to spend less time teaching English and more time helping them understand what was being taught!  Needless to say, I had a rather sleepless night in late June when I finished reading all of their comments.

In my very first classroom at Elmira DSS
(The picture was taken on a Saturday; I didn't dress like that when I taught!)

However, from that time forward, I was resolved that I would never again lose sight of individual student needs in the drive to cover the curriculum.  Looking back, I am so very grateful to these grade 9 and 10 students at EDSS for their honest and invaluable feedback.  

When my one-year contract expired at EDSS, I moved on to Eastwood Collegiate Institute (ECI) in the heart of Kitchener.  Unlike at EDSS, where I taught a mix of English and History, at Eastwood I taught all English - grade 9, 10, and 11.  It was great to be in one subject area, but the marking load was daunting.  I spent many lost weekends during those 2 years at ECI marking essays, and during exam weeks, a few sleepless nights.

 

Despite the heavy teaching load at ECI, I got involved in a number of extracurricular activities, as I also had at EDSS.  I figured that doing so was a good way to not only build rapport with students but also contribute to the very positive climate at the school.  I served as yearbook advisor and also coached the Midget Boys' Basketball team.  At EDSS, I had also helped out with both cross-country running and track and field.  A veteran teacher at EDSS said something to me that stuck with me during my entire teaching career: "Good for you, Peter ... Nobody had to tell you to get involved around here."

Me with a talented group of Midget boys basketball players at ECI (1984)

In many ways, ECI was a school ahead of its time.  Its staff was devoted to success for all students and meeting a variety of student needs.  One innovative practice it featured was Language Clinics. These were early versions of achievement centres, in which groups of students who were identified as struggling to make standard in literacy were placed in small remedial groups for one period a day to receive intensive support from a language arts teacher.  These Language Clinics also were used to provide enrichment activities such as speed reading for gifted students.  I had the great privilege one year of being assigned a Language Clinic period.

As a young single teacher, I also found ECI a fun place to teach.  I hung out with a small group of young and mostly single teachers.  There was lots to enjoy in the Kitchener-Waterloo region, including picturesque towns like St. Jacob's and Elora, the nearby Stratford Festival, and of course, Oktoberfest.   

I even had a brush with greatness while helping out as the shot putt official at the regional high school track & field meet one spring.  Shot putt was a field event I knew little about; however, even I was impressed with one student in the event, whose name was Junior Lewis.  He threw the heavy ball several feet further than anyone else.  I learned a short time later that this young man, Lennox Lewis, was the reigning World Junior Heavyweight Boxing Champion.  A few years later, he went on to win the Olympic Gold Medal in heavyweight boxing in Seoul, Korea (1988) and became Heavyweight Champion of the World! (If only I had kept the shot putt, or taken some photos!) 

Administration as Ministry

Redeeming Administration

by Ann M. Garrido

In Redeeming Administration, Ann Garrido challenges "...the poor reputation of administration as something that drains the light and life out of people..." and, re-images it as "a spiritual pathway" and "avenue for self-transformation". (4 & 10)  To redeem administration, she explores 12 "habits" or "fruits" that create a "spiritual fabric" for administration. (5)  For each habit, she also identifies a holy person who exemplifies it.

The first habit in the ministry of administration is breadth of vision.  Administrators, she argues, are best positioned to develop a vision for their organizations - one that emulates that of God - the "Divine Administrator".  Such a vision is grounded in the creation of a life-affirming work environment in which people are not micromanaged.  Although an administrator should enter into authentic relationships with employees, he/she leaves "...them free and responsible for their own actions." (18)

Habit #2 is generativity, which Erik Erikson identifies as an adult stage of development in which a person enters into a phase "...where his or her life becomes oriented toward care for the ongoing flourishing of the world ..." rather than remaining fixated on "...his or her own personal needs." (30)
The ministry of administration, offers leaders "a fertile field" for embracing generativity, including nurturing new ideas focused on the common good.

After identifying trust as the 3rd habit, Garrido next introduces agape as a key part of the spiritual fabric of administration.  Agape is the noblest form of love: "...a commitment to the best interest of the other, even if one receives little or nothing in return." (57)  In short, it is the essence of Christian love - entirely selfless.  With respect to agape and administration, the author writes:

               ...administration offers the opportunity to grow in the capacity for agape.
               By its very character, administration encourages the practice of giving
               oneself freely and abundantly without always knowing what good one
               has done or who has been touched.  It urges one to love without
               expecting any emotional gratification in return. ((58)

Integrity is also identified as a key trait.  Garrido states that "Administrators who accept the challenge of integrity in their work become remarkable ..." for they are "...in a unique position  of also being able to see and tell the truth about the institution and incongruences that may exist between what the institution professes and what it actually does." (70)  

For the 6th habit of the ministry of administration, humility, the author selects St. Martha as her example,  She notes that in both passages from the canonical gospels that refer to Martha, she reveals herself "...in a slightly unflattering light." (89)  In Luke 10:38-42, which relates the story of Jesus' visit to her home, she becomes swallowed up in her busyness and is mildly chastised by Jesus for failing  to first sit down and listen to him for a while.  Then in John 11:1 - 12:8, she fails to recognize the ability of Jesus to raise Lazarus from the dead.  Believing that Martha herself was the source of these stories, Garrido concludes "We sense the humility of this early Christian leader who freely shared her foibles and misunderstandings in the context of sharing the Good News with others." (89)

St. Martha with Jesus

Habits 7 and 8 are, respectively, courage and reflection.  When one approaches administration as a ministry, courage emerges from the "...trust that the gap between me and what the role requires will be filled by the Holy Spirit." (96)  With respect to reflection, the author points out that "...an ongoing habit of gathering data and reflecting upon it has the potential to foster real growth." (109)

Garrido begins her consideration of the role of humour in administration with a bit of humour of her own:

               I suspect the reason so many administrators describe administration as
               increasing their sense of humor is due to the perception that administration
               has placed them in an increased number of absurd situations. (123)

The author then makes a distinction between the mean-spirited "humor of deprecation" and "holy humor", The latter form of humour "...observes the very simple distinction of 'laughing with' rather than 'laughing at' ..." others. (126-127)  While making light of the absurdities of institutional life, holy humour stops short of attacking people.   The author selects Thomas More as a model of holy humour, who, even at the point of execution, "...did not forsake his famed sense of humor ... Placing his head on the block, he asked to move his beard so that it would not be cut, since 'it had not done anything to offend the king.' " (133)

Author Ann Garrido

When it comes to the 10th habit, forgiveness, Garrido qualifies the concept by pointing out that "...forgiveness is not the same thing as ignoring a situation, pretending it didn't happen...." (140)  Rather, it entails acknowledging the hurt or wrong but turning the page by re-committing to the institutional mission and wanting "the best" for the offending person. (142) 

The second last habit is, at first glance, an odd one - embrace death.  However, what the author is actually referring to are the many small deaths or losses that administrators inevitably have to endure. One such death experienced by administrators is "...a death of the ego as they come to a new awareness of their own shortcomings and limitations." (154)  Another is the death of the need to control as, instead, administrators must learn to trust their employees and grant them discretion.   

Garrido intentionally leaves hope to the end of her list of the habits for the ministry of administration. She does so because, as she explains, it is the habit that underlies all others: "I've come to think about the virtue of hope as an amplifier for all the other qualities described in this book." (172)   

The Curiousity Classroom

CULTIVATING CURIOUSITY

Wendy L. Ostroff sets out in her book Cultivating Curiousity in K-12 Classrooms to "...make the case that students' curiousity coupled with teachers' own wonder and experience can guide students into deeper learning." (2)

The author begins by explaining that curiousity "jump starts" deep learning in that it provides the intrinsic motivation for students to want to learn.  From the standpoint of physiology, curiousity causes a surge in dopamine - the so-called "pleasure-producing chemical." (4)  Since dopamine secretion allows the hippocampus - the part of the brain responsible for memory - to function with increased effectiveness, curiousity can thus be said to improve memory of learning experiences.

Ostroff acknowledges, however, that transforming schools such that curious classrooms are the norm will not be an easy process.  Indeed, she contends that "Curiosity is by nature subversive to the traditional, top-down classroom." (6)  Further, she states that a fundamental shift in the role of the teacher "...from one who asks and answers questions, to one who elicits them." (7)

The first step in the process of creating the curiousity classroom is the promotion of exploration and experimentation.  The author explains that active exploration is an optimal means by which young children learn.  She adds that "The way that teachers feel about curiousity directly influences the way that their students explore and inquire." (17)  A specific strategy Orstroff recommends is Choose Your Own Adventure style lessons, which she argues can be adapted for any subject area.  For instance, she writes "In biology, ...a lesson on cells could lead students to six or seven different paths depending on their interests." (20)

The next ingredient in the formation of a culture of curiousity in schools is "autonomous and effortless learning". (22)   The author alludes to Sugata Mitra's well-known hole-in-the wall experiments, in which unschooled children in countries throughout the developing world learned to use computers to access the internet without any assistanc,e as "...resounding evidence that children can learn autonomously and effortlessly." (24)   Effortless learning will occur if students are permitted to work collaboratively, particularly with "more advanced peers". (27)  As well, effortless and autonomous learning will take place when teachers provide unstructured time during the school day. The simplest way to provide unstrucrured time is "...to protect and preserve recess." (30)  The author also recommends both student choice and voice in learning content and methods.  She goes so far to say that "...every single school day must include at least one block of time in which students decide individually what to do." (35)

Ostroff offers several "Curiosity Techniques", as she calls them, in the chapter on autonomous and effortless learning.  One example is action research projects, which connect "...learning to students' current passions and interests." (38)  Another is electronic portfolios that allow students to showcase their learning.  Use of collaborative digital technologies such as TodaysMeet (a chat room that allows students to communicate with each other during classroom lessons) is a particularly good recommendation.

Instrinsic motivation must be embraced in order for a culture of curiousity to thrive.  According to the author, neither rewards nor praise will result in genuinely motivated students; rather, they will create merely compliant students who are focused on "pleasing others" and on "playing the game of school". (46)  Ostroff writes that "Sincere wonder and interest, plus a degree of freedom, is the recipe for keeping students intrinsically motivated." (49)  She adds that an important scaffold for cultivating intrinsic motivation is to embrace mistakes throughout the learning process. Indeed, part of the learning should be "...learning how to handle failure". (57)  An equally important component is a focus on metacognition. " - If students learn how to control their thinking they become more autonomous and self-regulated learners." (59)

Bolstering imagination and creativity is also an important consideration.  The author identifies a number of benefits of imaginative play, particularly in relation to how it supports curiousity.  For one thing, "...pretend play provides great practice in being flexible." (67)  As well, it is linked to vocabulary development and can help children "...understand ideas from another person's point of view". (68)  Imaginative play also has socio-emotional benefits such as helping children learn to be cooperative and helpful and learn to "...better regulate their emotions and feel empathy". (68)  The author recommends storytelling as a means of developing students' imaginations - including collaborative and even math storytelling.

When it comes to advice for teachers in helping students develop their creative capacities, Orstroff recommends "...as many diverse, visceral experiences as possible". (77)   She also points out that teachers "...must be willing to indulge distractions" in the classroom. (79)  She stresses that "The most powerful way to develop creativity in your students is to be a role model." (82)

Supporting questioning and inquiry by students is a powerfully important aspect of the curiousity classroom.  "By asking questions", notes the author, "students become more actively engaged in learning, stimulating cognitive processes and revealing their thinking frameworks." (91)  In short, "questioning pedagogies ...promote deep learning'" (92)

The unfortunate reality, however, is that children's natural tendency to inquire and ask questions is too often stifled at school with, instead, the classroom norm too often being what is termed "banking education", which is "...the transmission of information by the teacher to passive students who receive and are expected to regurgitate that information." (99)

No small consideration in cultivating curiousity is ensuring that students are afforded the luxury of time.  Ostroff states that "...we need to change our rushed-for-outcomes model [of teaching and learning] and begin listening to our students' own rhythms in order to help them grow ...rushing is not the path to deep learning." (111)  As evidence of the value of slowing the frantic pace of learning, the author offers the following: "A quarter of a century of research on literacy ...has shown that reading levels skyrocket when students are given choices of books and the time to get lost in them." (111)  By easing off the accelerator pedal when it comes to learning, teachers will create time and space for students' ideas of interest to emerge.  In order to allow students to experience an optimal state of learning flow in classrooms, teachers must re-think their "relationship to time". (122)  Concludes Ostroff, "It is a grave mistake to prioritize content over intellectual hunger." (125)

Author Wendy L. Ostroff 

Classroom learning environments "...should accommodate varied paces, postures, configurations, and displays." (135)  With respect to displays of student work, teachers should not just show finished work but rather "...exhibit student work in various stages of completion". (129) Movable and comfortable furniture is also needed to support both collaborative and individual learning and various learning paces.  Standing work stations and beanbag-style chairs are examples of furniture for varied postures.  Attention should also be paid to sound and lighting choices.  Good acoustics are needed when there is classroom discussion, and there are many creative ways music can be used to engage students and support their learning.  Likewise "nuances in lighting and color" (139) and plenty of natural lighting can support the curiousity classroom.

Michael Fullan's Indelible Leadership

Book Review: Indelible Leadership

Michael Fullan’s Indelible Leadership is all about teaching and learning innovation that sticks .  Specifically, it explores, “six interlocking tensions” which, if educational leaders rigorously attended to and balanced through a dialectic of sorts, will create innovative school and school district cultures in which deep learning will flourish.

The first theme is moral imperative and uplifting leadership, with the essential tension being that “…moral imperative is sometimes uttered without mobilizing people to enact it. Or people get active without firm goals.” (1)  According to Fullan, the key is to mobilize the collective “…concentration of the group on the moral task [or vision] at hand’ while “reducing distracters”. (4)  The latter may involve reining in the unbridled enthusiasm of some teachers and local educational leaders.  Fullan adds that “…the allure of the 6Cs [global competencies] of helping oneself and humanity” is the moral imperative that will shake teachers out of the current unfulfilling status quo. (5)

Fishbowl 'leap of faith' representing early adopter teachers
who, driven by a moral imperative, embrace the 6 C's 

With respect to balancing the second tension – mastering content and process, Fullan writes, “Leaders have to be equally at home in content and process and in their merging.” (9)  By “mastering content”, he means that leaders must engross themselves in revising good ideas in order to develop even better ideas.  These good ideas or refinements need not come from the leader; in fact, Fullan argues that they should emerge from the interaction of open-minded group members.  He quotes some great advice on this point from David Cote, the CEO of Honeywell, “Your job as a leader is to be right at the end of the meeting, not at the beginning of the meeting.” (11)   In terms of process, the leader’s task is to facilitate skilled participation by all stakeholders.  The product of balanced and relentless focus on content and process is change for the better.

In a statement that will, no doubt, surprise (and even infuriate) some educators and leaders, Fullan contends that the current theory that suggests that if a principal acts as an instructional leader, student achievement will increase is “a dangerous half-truth”. (12)   Rather, in reference to the research of Viviane Robinson (2011), he maintains that the role of the principal should be to lead teaching and learning development by personally participating in network learning.  In other words, the principal is most effective when he/she is a lead learner.

Indeed, the third aspect of indelible leadership is to lead and learn in equal measure.  Fullan states, “In complex situations, leaders listen and learn so that they can lead better.” (17)  He then identifies, for leaders, three tensions within the leading and learning dynamic.  The first is to both respect and reject the status quo. The second is expertise and apprenticeship, which means that “…the leader has expertise in some domains, but she or he must also be a learner (apprentice to those who know more in other respects). (24-25)  Finally, experimentation and commitment should be balanced such that leaders commit to learning from and building on carefully designed experiments and “…consolidate commitment to the good practices and ideas…” that emerge. (25) 

    

Educators are asked to view students as both change agents and “protégés”. (31)  Regarding students as the latter – as individuals requiring support or assistance - is the norm for most teachers; however, Fullan maintains that students should also be viewed as enablers in the learning process: “…Our secret ingredient for transforming the teaching profession toward professional capital is the student as change agent! (37)  By professional capital, Fullan means the ability for all stakeholders in education to “…make expert diagnoses and identify corresponding solutions based on experience and expertise.” (35)  According to the author, students represent the “additional ‘tipping point’ that will serve as a catalyst for professional capital.” (37)  He further describes students as “the saving grace” in innovation of teaching and learning because they “…seem to have little trouble staring the status quo in the face.” (38)

Fullan identifies three specific areas in which students can be agents of change:

1. In changing teacher pedagogical practice;
2. In organizational changes in schools; and,
3. In altruistic societal change.

In a confident and hope-filled statement regarding the transforming power of student agency, the author writes, “Students, deeply involved in meaningful and sophisticated learning projects, represent the most powerful fuel for teachers and administrators, individually and collectively, to radically shift their practice and the conditions that surround it.” (40-41) His summary point on the topic is prophetic: The notion that “…finding better teachers and having them work together will save students …[is] misplaced.  We need students to save students, liberated by enabling teachers and administrators.” (44)

Indelible Leadership concludes with two strategies that focus on systemness.  The first strategy addresses the tension that exists between feeding and being fed by the system.  Fullan believes the best strategy for balancing these tensions and creating system coherence is leadership from the middle (LftM).  Indeed, he contends that “LftM has become the best and most promising hope we have for system transformation.” (49)  With reference to Hargreaves and Ainscow (2015), he identifies the following “virtues” of LftM:

·         Responds to local needs and diversities;

·         Takes collective responsibility for student and staff success;

·         Encourages initiative-taking;

·         Integrates local efforts with broader system priorities; and,

·         Creates transparency of practices and results. (51)

There are several things system leaders in education can do to support LftM and maximize its effectiveness.  First, they should permit local groups “…a degree of freedom from the top (like us but don’t run us)…. (54)  As well, they need to provide opportunities for teachers and local leaders (ie. principals and vice-principals) to connect both laterally and “upward to the next levels.” (58)  Most importantly of all, system leaders must adopt the “revolutionary idea” that the “bottom feeders [teachers, rank and file] are actually not bottom feeders …they are the source of transformation.” (57)  

  

The second strategy for developing a system mindset involves “…leaders developing other leaders who focus on the work and on each other.” (61)  This approach, maintains Fullan, will help leaders find the sweet spot between being essential and becoming dispensable.   Lamenting that the pattern for many educators is that they “…get better in their first years of experience and then stagnate”, and arguing that “…no amount of traditional professional development” improves their performance, Fullan emphasizes the importance of “…job-embedded practice over time, with a coach, mentor, and critical, specific feedback…” that only an experienced leader can provide. (65-66)   

With a play on words derived from the George M. Cohen song “Always Leave Them Laughing When You Say Good-bye”, Fullan concludes this book with this great piece of advice for indelible leaders: “Always leave them learning so that they, in turn, can always leave others learning!” (69)

Although a very short book, Indelible Leadership contains many key points and strategies that will help leaders in education make long-lasting and profound changes that will lead to a dramatic transformation of teaching and learning.  The Action Step questions at the end of each chapter provide great discussion topics for system and school leaders.  Among my favourites are:

• Reflect on the question “Why should anyone work here?” (7)
• Do you believe students are and can be agents of change? (45)
• Name specific things you could do to “liberate” or give more freedom to those immediately below you in the organizational hierarchy. (59)

The 6 Tensions of Indelible Leadership