international school → Dr Jake Madden

The Role of Teachers as Researchers in Student Success

As a principal focused on improving student learning I was heartened by the recent presentations at the Dubai International Education Conference recently held at Al Ghurair University, Dubai. With the key message that the teacher is the centre of improving student attainment, the various keynote and concurrent presentations offered insight into the effective impact of the role of the “Teacher as researcher.”

The teacher as researcher can be distinguished from their colleagues as they attempt to better understand their TEACHing practice and how it impacts upon their students. In researching the relationship between teaching and learning the teacher researcher actively contributes to the conversation of what makes a difference to student learning. This is an evidenced based process and involves reflective inquiry, working in collaboration with other teachers, their students, parents and the community.

Interpreting real time data, analysing the data and them making informed decisions based upon this information is pivotal to improving the school outcomes. The challenge is ensuring that all schools improve. However, as shared by Professor David Lynch (Southern Cross University):

“It is interesting to note that the latest figures released by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (Dubai’s education authority) show that the number of private schools in Dubai will reach 250 by the year 2020 or 16 per year. There are currently 169 private schools in Dubai as of last year, but this number will increase by almost 50% in the next six years to accommodate the projected 50% increase in student population from the current 243,000 level to 366,000 by 2020 or by 24,000 per year. One of the big challenges for the UAE is to prepare or engage enough teachers to meet this demand profile.”

With the rapid increase in the number of schools in Dubai to meet the increasing demand and the KHDA prescribed inspection process identifying what makes an “outstanding school” on what constitutes an outstanding school will continue to create much debate. To help foster the dialogue perhaps our latest publication “Creating the Outstanding School” will help.

Key Leadership Lessons for School Principals

As we begin a new year and having just completed my first term as the principal of an international school, I have, like many leaders, taken time to reflect on my learning. While not outlining the circumstances that lead to the learnings, I offer the following few points for your consideration.

As we step into a new year, I find myself reflecting on my first term as the principal of an international school. Like many leaders, I’ve learned valuable lessons along the way. While the circumstances behind these insights may differ, the lessons themselves are universally relevant for school leadership.

Here are five key leadership lessons for principals that can help guide a successful school year.

1. Do the Tough Things First

Mark Twain once said:

“Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.”

As a school leader, energy levels diminish as the day unfolds. It’s best to handle difficult tasks, critical decisions, and tough conversations early in the day—while your mind is fresh and focused.

2. Set Clear Goals and Reinforce Them Often

A school’s success depends on clear, precise goals. Whether you are a new principal or continuing in the same school, ensuring everyone is aligned with the vision is crucial.

📌 Leadership tip:
✔ Regularly communicate school goals in meetings
✔ Reinforce objectives through staff discussions and professional development
✔ Align daily decisions with the bigger school vision

3. Manage Your Time—Avoid Constant Email Distractions

Many school leaders pride themselves on responding to emails all day long. However, frequent email interruptions reduce productivity and take focus away from critical leadership tasks.

📌 Leadership tip:
✔ Designate specific times for checking and responding to emails
✔ Encourage staff to use face-to-face discussions for urgent matters
✔ Focus on high-impact leadership activities

4. Be Kind—Your Staff Needs Guidance and Support

Teachers, like students, seek affirmation, guidance, and constructive feedback. As an instructional leader, success comes from:
📌 Providing clear direction for teachers
📌 Recognising and celebrating staff achievements
📌 Offering meaningful support and mentorship

Great leaders build strong relationships, making schools positive, thriving communities.

5. Students Are Students—Everywhere

Regardless of location, students share common traits—they are curious, eager to learn, and thrive in supportive environments. A principal who listens to students gains valuable insights into school culture and climate.

📌 Leadership tip:
✔ Take time to speak with students regularly
✔ Gather student feedback on learning experiences
✔ Balance staff perspectives with student insights

Embracing Leadership Growth

Each school has unique challenges and strengths. As leaders become immersed in the school’s culture and philosophy, their impact grows. Leadership is a journey of continuous learning.

As we begin a new school year, let’s embrace reflection, adaptation, and action to create meaningful change.

Happy New Year!

Classrooms Are Complex Environments

In a single day the classroom teacher may participate in more than 1 000 interpersonal exchanges with students. Not only do teachers have numerous interactions with students, they must also interpret complex classroom behaviour on the spot. For the international school teacher, where their classroom’s are often a diverse mixture of cultural backgrounds, interpreting meaning becomes more challenging.

The average classroom teacher manages over 1,000 interpersonal exchanges with students in a single day. These are not just surface-level interactions—they involve reading body language, interpreting behaviour, and adapting instruction on the spot. In international schools, where students come from diverse cultural backgrounds, this task becomes even more complex.

Teacher workload is often underestimated. While not every interaction must be remembered, teachers rely on key details to support student learning—like identifying a child struggling with a reading blend or understanding place value in maths. These insights guide future teaching decisions, even though much of the planning happens outside of school hours and away from public view.

What Makes Teaching So Complex?

1. Many Events, One Moment

Teachers juggle multiple tasks at once: monitoring work, managing records, giving feedback, and supporting behaviour. One event can have many outcomes affecting students’ learning, mood, or confidence.

2. Everything Happens at Once

During a single discussion, a teacher listens to responses, guides thinking, checks comprehension from non-verbal cues, and keeps the pace moving. Multitasking is not optional, it’s essential.

3. The Pace Is Relentless

Studies suggest teachers evaluate student behaviour nearly 16,000 times a year or 87 times a day on average. Every minute matters.

4. The Unexpected Is Normal

No matter how well-planned the day, unexpected events from behaviour issues to surprise interruptions demand flexible responses. These moments are seen by other students, making fairness and consistency vital.

5. History Matters

Past experiences shape classroom dynamics. A “difficult” class may be carrying labels from years prior. That context influences every teacher decision.

Decision-Making in Real Time

Every classroom action is based on layers of context including past experience, current student needs, curriculum goals, and school policies. Teachers strive to make informed decisions, but this requires support and understanding from the broader community.

When parents share relevant information, it helps teachers better plan and personalise learning. Partnerships between home and school reduce the invisible load teachers carry.

Public Support Matters

Too often, the depth of teacher workload goes unseen. Planning happens after hours. Emotional labour continues long after the bell rings. But the impact is felt in every child’s progress and wellbeing.

Supporting teachers publicly through recognition, respect, and trust matters. Their self-esteem is an important part of the education process. When we value teachers, we value the future of our children.

Let’s remember: behind every successful student is a teacher quietly making hundreds of decisions each day, all with their students’ best interests at heart.

Building Teacher Professional Learning

One of the rewards of leading an international school is working with a community drawn from a rich mix of cultures and backgrounds.

One of the rewards of leading an international school is working with a community drawn from a rich mix of cultures and backgrounds. Teachers bring with them a range of experiences, worldviews, and classroom approaches shaped by the systems in which they trained. These differences can be a powerful strength, encouraging innovation, adaptability, and global perspectives in our schools.

But diversity also brings complexity. For principals and heads of school, aligning a team of international educators around a shared purpose is no small task. While the goal is clear (ie raise student achievement), the pathways teachers take can vary significantly.

Some teachers arrive from content-heavy traditions. Others are used to inquiry-led or standards-based models. Views on assessment, behaviour, curriculum design, and teacher collaboration can differ. Without strong leadership, schools risk drifting into fragmentation or well-meaning inconsistency.

The challenge is not to eliminate difference, but to connect it. A clear vision, shared expectations, and sustained professional learning are essential. Leaders must create the conditions for staff to learn from each other, reflect on their practice, and co-design what effective teaching looks like in their school.

Leading an international school is not about uniformity. It’s about coherence. It’s about building a professional culture where all teachers, regardless of background, understand how their work contributes to the whole. That clarity helps students too. Because when adults align around what matters most, learners benefit.

Educators interested in the international arena may enjoy reading the article, Raising Student Achievement: The work of the Internationally Minded Teacher which can be found at the International Journal of Innovation, Creativity and Change (www.ijicc.net).

Would love your feedback.

Learning About Expat Life

Once I came to the decision to to accept a principalship at an international school I began to read through the various Expat forums. This, to me, was an important leisure time activity. After registering with http://www.expatforum.com/ I began to read all about the escapades of those that have gone before me. I wasn’t only interested in the adventures but more about the practicalities. As a husband and father it was important for me to develop some insight into relevant family matters like the cost of living (see the Numbeo site or Expatistan site) and issues surrounding moving (or in my case leaving) the family. Various personal blogs, not only about living in Dubai but also other countries, helped garner information.

A key information site for me was Living in Dubai. This site offered a great overview for the naive would be Dubai resident. From accommodation to eating out to purchasing a mobile phone ,this site provided a number of elements one needs to consider when moving. It was from this site that I would then ‘google’ for further information. Another important jewel for understanding life in and moving to Dubai was Expatwoman. While written by women for women, a lot of the information shared still applies to men as well.

One site leads to another which leads to another. Before long you end up with not only a plethora of information but at times, conflicting answers. It is wise to discern the information as many sites offer personal opinions that are immersed in facts.

Probably, for me anyway, the best site I visited frequently was called Definitely Dubai. This site offered everything you need to know about both visiting and living in Dubai. It provide me with a springboard of actions needed to prepare for living permanently abroad.

No doubt there are many more gems out there to assist people in being more informed about moving into an Expat life.