Professional Learning → Dr Jake Madden

Trust, Influence, and the Power of Shared Leadership in Schools

Aoba’s evolution into a connected learning community emphasizes distributed leadership built on trust and meaningful relationships. Leadership now focuses on enabling others and fostering collaboration rather than control. The aim is to create environments where ownership and professional growth thrive, guided by shared values and a commitment to student learning and wellbeing.

As Aoba continues to grow from a group of schools into a connected learning community, I’ve been thinking deeply about what leadership looks like in this evolving phase. It’s not just a matter of updating structures or roles. At its core, this shift is about building trust, strengthening relationships, and expanding influence in meaningful ways. The move toward a more layered and distributed model is not about control. It’s about enabling others to lead with clarity, purpose, and confidence.

In this post, I want to share how my own leadership thinking is evolving. Because real change doesn’t come from frameworks alone. It comes from people. Their voice, their agency, and the quality of the trust we build together.

From Control to Culture

Leadership used to mean setting direction and managing tasks. But the complexity of modern schools asks something different of us. It asks for leadership that creates conditions where others thrive. It’s less about holding the answers and more about helping the right questions surface.

At Aoba, we’re shaping leadership as a shared practice. Teachers and middle leaders are not just executing plans; they are shaping them. We are building a culture where decisions are informed by those closest to the learning. This is not delegation for convenience. It is intentional distribution, grounded in expertise and aligned with purpose.

This only works when trust is present. Without trust, what should feel like empowerment can feel like abandonment. Collaboration becomes compliance. Innovation struggles to take root.

Building Trust as a Daily Practice

Trust is not something declared. It is something built, gradually and deliberately. It is shaped by how we listen, how we follow through, and how we respond under pressure. In this more system-wide role, I’ve come to see that influence does not come from position alone. It comes from relationships. From credibility earned through consistency, empathy, and integrity.

That’s why much of my leadership now is about listening and supporting, not directing. It’s slower, yes, but it is more sustainable. The more we invest in these daily interactions, the more we strengthen the fabric of our school group.

Distributed Leadership Rooted in Learning

We’ve all experienced the version of distributed leadership that lives in theory only. Titles without influence. Meetings without change. What we’re working toward is more authentic. We want leadership that is deeply connected to learning and professional growth.

Our coordinators are shaping curriculum, not just managing it. Our team leaders are anchoring learning communities, not just ticking boxes. This isn’t about easing the load for school heads. It’s about expanding leadership around the things that matter most for our students and staff.

Trust Shifts the Conversation

When trust is present, everything changes. Learning communities become spaces of professional dialogue. Feedback becomes a shared tool for improvement. Teams step forward with ownership, not because they are told to, but because they are trusted to.

None of this happens by accident. We are being deliberate about how leadership is shaped, how we communicate across campuses, and how we reinforce clarity in our shared goals. Distributed leadership still needs coherence. It benefits from having a shared centre of gravity and a clear set of values.

Context Matters, Values Guide

Each Aoba campus has its own culture and context. Our leadership must adapt to these realities. But while approaches may vary, our values remain constant. We lead with learning at the centre. We prioritise trust in every relationship. We see leadership as a collective responsibility.

Good leadership balances clarity with flexibility. It protects alignment while allowing for local agency. And it ensures that every decision, no matter where it’s made, supports student learning and wellbeing.

A Shared Responsibility for the Road Ahead

As you follow my journey at Aoba, I invite each of you to reflect:

Where are you building influence in your role?
How are you creating trust in your daily interactions?
Are your leadership actions moving learning forward?
What more can we do together to grow a culture of authentic, shared leadership?

Our future depends not just on good design, but on strong relationships. I encourage you to continue to lead in ways that bring out the best in your teams and keep your focus where it belongs: on the growth of every learner in your care.

Because when leadership is rooted in trust and guided by shared values, we do more than run schools. We grow a thriving learning community.

Measuring School Leadership Performance: Key Self-Reflection Strategies

Every school leader needs a process to evaluate their current performance. However, if you really want to improve as a leader, decision-maker, administrator, manager or simply a co-worker, then collecting some data on your performance in your role is essential. Unfortunately many school leaders see the annual performance review as an intrusion or a chore.

Measuring school leadership performance is essential for growth and effectiveness. Every school leader has an intuitive sense of how they are performing, but true improvement requires more than just gut feelings. Leaders must actively evaluate their impact and seek meaningful feedback.

Many school leaders view performance reviews as an administrative task rather than an opportunity for self-reflection. However, evaluating leadership performance doesn’t have to be a chore. It can be a powerful process that drives improvement, informs decision-making, and strengthens a school’s vision.

Here are four practical ways to measure school leadership performance and enhance professional growth.

1. Questionnaires & Self-Assessments

One of the most common tools for measuring school leadership performance is the 360-degree questionnaire. These surveys collect anonymous feedback from staff, providing charts and tables that highlight strengths and weaknesses. While these can be helpful, they often lack depth in identifying actionable steps for improvement.

A more effective approach is engaging in face-to-face conversations with staff. By actively listening and seeking direct feedback, leaders gain insightful perspectives on their impact. Honest discussions with teachers and colleagues can provide valuable reflections that a survey might miss.

2. Intuitive Reflection

Great leaders have strong intuition. They can sense when things are running smoothly and when something feels off. While intuition alone is not a structured measurement, it often signals areas that need attention.

By regularly reflecting on decision-making, staff morale, and school culture, leaders can make timely adjustments. The key is balancing instinct with data, ensuring that gut feelings align with measurable outcomes.

3. Examining Your School Community

A leader’s performance is reflected in the success of the school community. When leadership is effective:

Teachers are engaged and aligned with the school’s vision.
Student outcomes improve, both academically and socially.
Middle leaders and teacher leaders thrive in their roles.
A culture of collaboration and growth is evident.

If these elements are in place, it indicates strong leadership. However, if disengagement, confusion, or stagnation emerge, it may be time to re-evaluate leadership strategies.

4. Looking Beyond Your School

Strong school leadership extends beyond the school gates. Comparing your school’s performance, programs, and initiatives with other institutions offers valuable insights into effectiveness.

Key questions to ask include:

How does our innovation compare to similar schools?
Are our academic results improving in line with expectations?
Are we forward-planning for future challenges?
Are our leadership strategies fostering long-term success?

By keeping an eye on external benchmarks, leaders can adapt, innovate, and drive school improvement.

The First Step: A Desire to Improve

Ultimately, the foundation of measuring school leadership performance is a leader’s internal commitment to growth. No strategy, survey, or comparison will be effective unless there is a genuine desire to improve. Without this drive, leaders risk stagnation—and an absent leader can weaken an entire school community.

True leadership is about reflection, adaptation, and continuous improvement. By embracing self-evaluation and seeking meaningful feedback, school leaders can enhance their impact and create lasting change.

7 Truths to Improving and Managing Priorities

The life of a leader is full of surprises and the balancing of competing workloads and tasks is often one of the key causes of leader stress. Furthermore, managing multiple priorities can result in important tasks being either pushed aside or attended to, too late.

Managing leadership priorities is part of the job, but it can also drain you. A school leader carries competing demands, shifting deadlines, and constant interruptions. Without a clear approach, important tasks get delayed or missed. This post shares practical “truths” that help you stay focused and steady.

“Time is the scarcest resource and unless it is managed, nothing else can be managed.” – Peter Drucker

Why Managing Leadership Priorities Feels Hard

Schools do not run in a straight line. A routine day can change in minutes. When you hold responsibility for people, learning, safety, and operations, the workload expands quickly.

Managing leadership priorities works best when you accept two realities.

You cannot do everything today.
You can still lead well with a clear plan.

Understand Your Limits

Knowing your limits is not weakness. It is a leadership skill. It helps you avoid overcommitting and making rushed decisions.

Start by naming your pressure points.

What drains your energy fastest?
Which tasks take you longer than they should?
Where do you keep saying “yes” out of habit?

Once you see the pattern, you can act on it.

Focus On What You Can Do Well

You are responsible for the whole school, but you cannot personally deliver every task. Your time is limited, so your attention must be selective.

Choose work that only you can do, or that you do best. Then create space for others to do their part. This is a key move in managing leadership priorities.

Look For Support, Not Heroics

Support is not a sign you are failing. It is how complex organisations function well. There are two simple benefits.

Share the Load Through Delegation

If someone else can do a task, delegate it. Your role is to get things done, not to do everything. Todd Whitaker’s idea in Shifting the Monkey is useful here: avoid taking on work that belongs to someone else.

Delegation works best when it is clear.

State the outcome you need.
Set a deadline.
Agree on the next check-in.

Get Good Advice From Peers

Peer support keeps you grounded. A short call with another leader can help you test your thinking and avoid poor choices made under stress.

This is not networking for its own sake. It is professional problem-solving. Shared communication is an asset when managing leadership priorities.

Stay Steady in Public

People watch the leader when pressure rises. Your tone sets the temperature. That does not mean pretending everything is fine. It means showing calm control.

A useful reminder from sport is: do not broadcast panic. Lead with steadiness, even when the day is hard.

Be Organised With a Simple System

Use whatever system you will actually maintain. A notebook, a digital task list, or a wall planner all work if you use them daily.

When deciding whether to take on a task, ask two questions.

What will happen if I do this?
What will happen if I do not?

Your answers help you sort urgency from importance. This is a practical anchor for managing leadership priorities.

Prioritise Tasks and Schedule Time

Do not rely on memory. Put tasks into time blocks. Decide what needs attention now and what can wait.

Some leaders like “eat the frog first” and start with the hardest job. Others prefer quick wins to build momentum. Either way, pick a method and stick to it.

Keep the Promise

In a busy school, it is easy to say, “I will get to that shortly.” When you do, your credibility is on the line. If you promise feedback, follow through. If you cannot, reset the expectation early.

Reliability reduces friction and builds trust. It also makes managing leadership priorities easier because fewer issues boomerang back to you.

Be Kind to Yourself

Some things will fail, even with strong effort. Some problems will sit outside your control. That is part of leading schools.

End the day with perspective. Learn what you can, then let it go. Tomorrow gives you another chance to lead with clarity.

Managing leadership priorities is not about doing more. It is about choosing well, delegating with intent, and protecting your energy so you can lead consistently.

How to plan an effective lesson!

Effective teachers know their students, have strong content knowledge and possess a wide repertoire of teaching strategies. They are well planned and very intentional about the practices they implement in the classroom. Effective teachers do not leave learning to chance!

School leaders (and indeed the school community) can identify the effective teacher through the preparation of their lessons. This is the teachers’ “bread and butter”. Researchers show that effective teachers include a number of distinct processes and stages in their lesson planning.

At Al Yasat we have taken the research and built a targeted lesson outline that ensures not only quality teaching and learning but also consistency across the school. We call it the “8 Elements of an Effective Lesson”. It helps teachers direct their planning to the needs of students, while implementing our school’s written curriculum; it offers school leaders direction in our class observations and walkthroughs; it provides a platform for our coaching and mentoring practices and most importantly; it is embedded in the best practice research and the many studies of what works in enhancing student learning.

Let me introduce the elements to you.

Beginning of Lesson

Element One: The Essential Question

We believe in the use of an inquiry approach to our teaching and learning and the need for students to have an understanding and the purpose of the lesson. We know that good questions direct students to dig deeper into content and processes, and delve deeper into the subject matter. More importantly they propel students to learn to ask their own questions. And within a subject they help focus content on the crucial and important parts of that subject. This is more than just letting the students know what they are learning to do in the lesson. It is about connecting prior knowledge to future applications.

Essential questions are non-judgmental, open-ended, meaningful, purposeful and they relate to the students. It is through the essential question that we as teachers, connect to our students.

Element Two: An Initiating Strategy

The purpose of an initiating strategy is to help students frame their thinking and focus on the concept at hand. The most important part of a lesson occurs during the first five minutes. If the activity engages students right away, you know there will be enough “sparks” to fly for the rest of the lesson and your job will be relatively easy. If the activity however is not challenging, repetitious, (”We’ve done this before!” Sound familiar?) there will be “lulls” that more often than not, result in discipline problems. The key of course, is to keep the “sparks flying,” but it all really depends on how you can spark up your classroom right away.

Simply google “best lesson plan hooks” and you will have plenty of ideas to “hook” your students into the lesson.

The Main Body of the Lesson

Research tells us that 80% of what a child learns is from their peers. Therefore we need to be more student centred with bulk time in co-operative/collaborative activities.

Element Three: Limiting Teacher Talk

We all love to talk in the classroom! So, we should; after-all, we are teachers! But ‘teacher-talk’ can (not solely) be a root-cause of poor behaviour and debilitate student’s acquisition of knowledge and skill during a lesson. Reducing teacher talk and allowing more time in lessons for students to be active participants in their learning, we believe is an important aspect of developing outstanding teaching and learning.

Element Four: Use of Graphic Organisers

Graphic organizers are important and effective pedagogical tools for organizing content and ideas and facilitating learners’ comprehension of newly acquired information. Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences posits that students are better able to learn and internalize information when more than one learning modality is employed in an instructional strategy. Since graphic organizers present material through the visual and spatial modalities (and reinforce what is taught in the classroom), the use of graphic organizers helps students internalize what they are learning.

For today’s classroom, nothing is more essential to successful teaching and learning than strategy-based instruction. It is through the use of specific teaching strategies and learning tools that students can be more successful learners. Graphic organizers are teaching and learning tools; when they’re integrated into classroom experiences, students are better able to understand new material. Creating a strong visual picture, graphic organizers support students by enabling them to literally see connections and relationships between facts, information, and terms.

Graphic organizers have dual functions. They are effective as both a teaching and learning tool. As an instructional strategy it helps teachers:

Introduce a topic
Activate prior knowledge and linkit with new information
Organize content to be presented and a visually summarize the lesson once taught
Assess student comprehension, identify and address any questions or clarifications needed

Element Five: Differentiated Groups

Carol Ann Tomlinson is a leader in the area of differentiated learning and describes differentiated instruction as factoring students’ individual learning styles and levels of readiness first before designing a lesson plan. Research on the effectiveness of differentiation shows this method benefits a wide range of students, from those with learning disabilities to those who are considered high ability.

Differentiating instruction may mean teaching the same material to all students using a variety of instructional strategies, or it may require the teacher to deliver lessons at varying levels of difficulty based on the ability of each student.

We know that teachers who practice differentiation in the classroom:

Design lessons based on students’ learning styles.
Group students by shared interest, topic, or ability for assignments.
Assess students’ learning using formative assessment.
Manage the classroom to create a safe and supportive environment.
Continually assess and adjust lesson content to meet students’ needs.

Element Six: Targeted Instructional Strategies & Active Teacher Movement

Connected to the differentiated groups is the need to decide on the essential teaching strategy for that engages small groups of students. Educational researchers have known for decades that a student learns best when teaching is targeted to what he/she is ready to learn. If the material is too easy, students can become bored and disengage. If it is too hard, students will flounder and may choose to misbehave or give up rather than face continued failure. In either case, little is learnt. But if teaching is targeted at what students are ready to learn, powerful progress can be made.

Choosing appropriate teaching strategy is the key to this element. It is not about “busy work” while you work with a group of students. It is your direct intervention, checking for understanding, monitoring and providing feedback as you move from group to group.

The active teacher is roaming, identifying the disengaged student, and bringing them back on task.

Element Seven: Higher Order Questioning

In today’s world it is necessary, but not sufficient, for students to achieve minimal competence in areas such as reading, writing and numeracy. Beyond the achievement of minimal competence, students also need to develop what are often called ‘higher order’ thinking skills including critical literacy, critical numeracy and cross-curricular competencies. A useful conceptualisation of higher order thinking skills distinguishes two contexts in which these skills are employed: contexts where the thought processes are needed to solve problems and make decisions in everyday life; and contexts where mental processes are needed to benefit from instruction, including comparing, evaluating, justifying and making inferences. The ability to employ higher order thinking skills in both these contexts is seen as essential in a rapidly changing world and the first context in particular is being adopted as a starting point for international assessment programs.

Afterall, isn’t this is the outcome of implementing the vision of the school.

Remember: Retrieving relevant knowledge from long-term memory (recognizing, recalling)
Understand: Determining the meaning of instructional messages, including oral, written, and graphic communication (interpreting, exemplifying, classifying, summarizing, inferring, comparing, explaining)
Apply: Carrying out or using a procedure in a given situation (executing, implementing)
Analyze: Breaking materials into its constituent parts and detecting how the parts relate to one another an to an overall structure or purpose (differentiating, organizing, attributing)
Evaluate: Making judgments based on criteria and standards (checking, critiquing)
Create: Putting elements together to form a novel, coherent whole or make an original product (generating, planning, producing)

Information learned and processed through higher-order thinking processes is remembered longer and more clearly than information that is processed through lower-order, rote memorization. This may be the most important benefit of high-order thinking. Knowledge obtained through higher-order thinking processes is more easily transferable, so that students with a deep conceptual understanding of an idea will be much more likely to be able to apply that knowledge to solve new problems.

End of Lesson

Element Eight: Summarise and Reflection

The closure of the lesson is the time when you wrap up a lesson plan and help students organize the information in a meaningful context in their minds. This helps students better understand what they have learned and provides a way in which they can apply it to the world around them. A strong closure involves summarising and reflecting on the lesson. It can help students better retain information beyond the immediate learning environment. A brief summary or overview is often appropriate; it doesn’t have to be an extensive review.

In order to maximise the lesson there are a number of tactics which can support you to make the time more organised and productive.

- End early. Don’t try to cover too much material in one hit. Don’t mistake pace for manic activity. Leave at least eight minutes to finish off the lesson properly.
- Use a structured plenary/reflection to end the session. This should be a group or individual reflection on what has been learned.
- Ask the pupils to identify two or three key points they have learned from the lesson. These can be shared in small groups either written or as drawings and cartoons. A review of these points could become a regular feature of a homework routine.
- Summarise the learning.
- Set the scene for the following lesson.
- Have clear routines for an organised departure. Don’t fall into the trap of not clearing away apparatus in good time.
- Vary the way in which the pupils are dismissed, for example, row-by-row, small groups, alphabetically, one by one after answering a question. This will help keep the lesson focused right until the end.

The impact of effective lessons can not be underestimated, even for the more experienced teachers. Our lesson expectations offer teachers guidance and support for the teaching and learning, but more importantly, helps lead to improved outcomes for our students.

Preparing For A New Year? Technology or Innovation or Do What We Did Last Year

How will you start the new year? Will you provide the same learning experience as last year or do you have some new initiatives to experiment with?

Seymour Papert in 1993 was quoted as saying “Nothing is more absurd than an experiment to place computers in classrooms where nothing else has changed”.

Technology has certainly evolved in the proceeding years with the influence of smart phones, interactive software and the connectivity and accessibility of the internet enabling teachers to be more creativity and innovative in the delivery of learning. At their fingertips, teachers are providing blended learning experiences, offering opportunities to both consolidate as well as extending students’ (and their own) learning. Providing a more personalized and targeted learning experience is now being seen as an important strategy for the effective teacher.

There has been many changes to the resources at our fingertips to value add to the learning experience which brings me back to Seymour’s quote. Simply providing new resources, technology will not in itself make sustained improvement in student learning. As George Couros’ recent tweet ponders, is simply placing the latest technology in the classroom innovative practice?

There needs to be a change in pedagogy, the way the teacher delivers the learning. Instructing the same way, doing the same thing, albeit with different resources, will not have the required impact. Simply replacing traditional classroom furniture with contemporary furniture may look different but if the teacher is still standing and delivering content, not much will change for the student. However, the adoption of an inquiry pedagogy with a collaborative expectation, peer to peer engagement and an engaging assessment approach will.

There will be plenty of teachers trying not to reinvent the wheel by utilizing last years units of work. While this is a useful beginning point, how they meet the needs of their new students will be the focus of the effective teacher.

How will you prepare for the new year? What are you going to do differently this year to improve your teaching and make sustained learning gains for your students?

From the Industrial Age to the Conceptual Age

During this winter break I have revisited one of my favourite books “Drive” by Daniel Pink. Published in 2011, the book provides insight into how to create high performance and increase satisfaction (at work, at school and at home). He puts forward the case for the human element (motivation) and our need to “direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world”.

Over the winter break, I revisited one of my favourite books: Drive by Daniel Pink. Published in 2011, it remains a relevant and powerful guide to understanding what truly motivates us. Whether in schools, workplaces, or homes, Pink’s message is clear: real performance comes from within.

“The secret to high performance isn’t rewards and punishments—but our deep-seated desire to direct our own lives, to learn and create, and to do better by ourselves and our world.” — Daniel Pink

What I Took Away (Again)

Revisiting Daniel Pink’s Drive reminded me just how crucial it is for educators and leaders to align learning and leadership with intrinsic motivation. Here are some key takeaways from my latest read-through:

1. Prepare Students for Their Future, Not Our Past

Education must evolve. We should be teaching the thinking, creativity, and adaptability that modern professions demand—not just repeating what worked for us decades ago.

2. Right-Brain Thinking Is Essential

Pink argues that right-brain skills including creativity, empathy, big-picture thinking are no longer optional. In a world reshaped by:

Asia (global competition)
Automation (software replacing analytical work)
Abundance (access to more than we need)

…it’s right-brain qualities that create differentiation and value.

3. Move Beyond Rote Learning

The future belongs to those who can ask better questions, not just give the “right” answers. Student voice, inquiry, and curiosity must sit at the heart of our pedagogy.

4. Arts Are No Longer Optional

From writing and music to visual storytelling, the arts have shifted from “nice to have” to fundamental. They unlock critical thinking, communication, and cross-disciplinary fluency.

5. Rethink Metrics

How do we measure creativity? Collaboration? Empathy? The call is clear. We need new success indicators that go beyond grades and standardised tests.

6. STEM Needs to Be More Than Technical

Yes, we need Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths, but we also need to combine it with:

Design thinking
Artistic creativity
Communication and ethical reasoning

This is where STEM becomes STEAM and gains real relevance.

Implications for School Leadership

As leaders, we need to pause and ask: what motivates our staff and students? Pink’s framework, autonomy, mastery, and purpose isn’t just good theory. It’s practical. It’s implementable. And it should inform how we structure our professional development, design school improvement plans, and foster school culture in the year ahead.

Beyond Ken Robinson’s 2006 TED Talk

A recent professional conversation with a small group of staff members on what makes an outstanding school led to the realisation that next year will see the 10th anniversary of the Ken Robinson’s TED talk on changing educational paradigms. Given the focus on a technological revolution coupled with Mark Treadwell’s explanation of the paradigm shift in education we are experiencing right now in his text Whatever!: School Version 2.0 and other leading educationalists purporting the need to transform education systems the question seems to be lost in translation…. Has learning been transformed?

A recent staff discussion on what makes a school outstanding led to an unexpected milestone: next year marks a decade since Sir Ken Robinson’s now-iconic TED talk on changing educational paradigms. His call to rethink learning systems felt urgent at the time. Ten years later, we’re still asking—has learning been transformed?

Leading thinkers like Mark Treadwell, in Whatever!: School Version 2.0, described a clear educational shift aligned with the technological revolution. Others echoed the same message: schooling must change. But outside of isolated examples, where is that shift visible? Has anything truly changed at scale?

Are We Still in the Factory Model?

Despite bold reforms and increased attention to school improvement, the dominant system still leans heavily on standardised tests. The debate continues about their impact on learners, teachers, and long-term outcomes. At the same time, “personalised learning” is a phrase that pops up often in professional development. But is it more than a workshop slide? Has it become embedded practice, or is it just branding?

Walk into many classrooms and you may still find timetables, compliance, and bells dictating the pace of learning. Has the classroom really broken free from its industrial roots?

Revisiting the Call to Action

Perhaps it’s time to revisit Robinson’s message. His talk wasn’t just about innovation. It was about relevance, engagement, and recognising that learning is not a one-size-fits-all process. The conversation has never been more important, yet we still face the risk of talking the talk without walking the walk.

If we’re serious about transformation, we must ask more than whether we’ve changed the tools. We must ask if we’ve changed the experience for learners, not just leaders.

Effective Professional Development for Teachers

Schools today are charged with addressing ever-increasing demands: reducing the achievement gap, adopting evidence-based practices, meeting improvement in attainment levels, managing the requirements of special-needs students, and (most importantly) being up to date with changes in pedagogical approaches. Teachers must keep in front of the important developments that are occurring in education. This is where professional development is needed.

Professional development for teachers is essential in today’s rapidly evolving education landscape. Schools must address growing demands—reducing achievement gaps, implementing evidence-based teaching, supporting special needs students, and adapting to new teaching strategies. To keep up, teachers need continuous professional learning opportunities.

One of the most effective ways to foster ongoing learning is through professional reading circles. These structured discussions help teachers stay updated with new research, strategies, and best practices, ultimately improving student outcomes.

Why Reading Circles Enhance Professional Development

Professional reading shouldn’t be a solo activity—it should be a collaborative experience. Professional development for teachers thrives when educators:
✔ Engage in regular professional reading
✔ Discuss key insights with colleagues
✔ Apply new strategies in their classrooms

Here’s how schools can implement reading circles effectively.

1. Select Readings Aligned with Teacher Needs

Leaders should choose readings that focus on:
✔ School-wide goals (e.g., student engagement, assessment strategies)
✔ Teacher interests (e.g., classroom management, subject-specific techniques)

Giving teachers some choice in their readings allows them to engage more deeply and apply insights more effectively.

2. Keep Discussion Groups Small

Smaller reading groups ensure:
📌 Everyone has time to share insights
📌 Discussions remain focused
📌 Teachers feel comfortable participating

A more personalised approach fosters deeper conversations and stronger connections among colleagues.

3. Schedule Meetings Consistently

While monthly or termly discussions work well in busy school environments, flexibility is key. If departments are large, breakout groups can allow more teachers to engage meaningfully.

4. Encourage Teachers to Share Insights

Teachers should report on what they’ve learned through:
✔ Short presentations at staff meetings
✔ Written reflections shared via team platforms
✔ Collaborative discussions during planning sessions

By sharing insights, professional development for teachers becomes a school-wide learning experience.

5. Create a Comfortable Learning Environment

A relaxed setting fosters open discussion and idea-sharing. Providing snacks (“nibblies”) at meetings can make professional learning more enjoyable and encourage participation.

When teachers feel comfortable, they are more likely to engage, ask questions, and contribute to discussions.

6. Develop Action Plans for Classroom Application

Professional development is only effective when it translates into real classroom impact. Leaders should help teachers:
📌 Apply reading insights to their teaching
📌 Define success in student learning
📌 Set measurable goals for implementing new strategies

By creating clear action plans, teachers ensure that professional learning leads to meaningful classroom improvements.

Making Professional Development for Teachers Meaningful

As a new academic year begins, professional development for teachers must remain purpose-driven and actionable. Reading circles offer a simple yet powerful way to:
✔ Keep educators engaged in best practices
✔ Foster collaboration among colleagues
✔ Improve teaching strategies for student success

By making professional reading a shared journey, schools can create a culture of continuous growth and excellence.

How does your school promote professional development for teachers?

How to Overcome Summer Brain Drain in Schools

The summer break (although almost over) is often referred to by educators as the “Brain Drain” holiday. Commonly referred to as the “Summer Brain Drain,” learning loss happens to nearly all students during the months of June, July and August. Researchers are now in agreement with what parents have already known (see ‘Summer Brain Drain’ Robs Some Students of Skills Gained During School Year). In fact there is a school of thought that suggests that “Most students — regardless of family income or background — lose 2 to 2 1/2 months of the math computational skills that they learned during the school year.” Over the life of a school student it is possible to lose up to two years of learning!

Furthermore, there is some scholarship that suggests teachers too face a similar regression in learning. When everyone returns from the long break, while the main talk in the staff room might be about time spent with family and friends, I would hope there will be time for some professional learning as well. (In the article Sizzling Summer Tips for Super Teachers there are a number of great ideas to help teachers prepare for the new academic year).

However, the beginning of a new academic school year signals the start of new beginnings with teachers working overtime to minimize the impact of the summer break on learning. Watching teachers breathe new life into their classrooms and seeing students enthusiastically engaged is a sight to behold.

Enjoy the year!

The Role of the Educational Leader?

Recently I finished re-reading one of my favourite reference books by Fullan and Hargreaves, “Professional Capital – Transforming Teaching in Every School”. It has, as its central message, putting teachers and teaching at the forefront of school improvement. Through the path of breaking down the barriers of classroom isolation and engaging in a collaborative culture of learning, raising teacher status will improve student achievement.

Rereading Professional Capital by Michael Fullan and Andy Hargreaves reminded me why this book remains a staple on my shelf. Its central message is clear: putting teachers and teaching at the heart of school improvement is not optional, it’s essential.

When teachers work in isolation, improvement stalls. When they collaborate, engage in meaningful dialogue, and share responsibility for learning, schools thrive. That’s the shift this book advocates: raising the status of teachers through a professional culture built on trust and support.

Start with the Teacher

Even a struggling teacher will bring about some student growth across a year. But in a truly great school, the bar is set much higher and that starts with how we support the people in front of students every day.

Here, the role of the educational leader becomes critical. Are they visible? Do they get into classrooms, ask questions, and lead learning? Or are they buried under bureaucracy, distant from daily practice? In high-performing schools, leaders and teachers work side by side. These are not schools built on compliance, but on shared purpose.

From Good Teachers to True Professionals

Fullan and Hargreaves urge schools to do more than develop good teachers. They call for professionals who think deeply, work collectively, and lead change. But that doesn’t happen without leadership.

Educational leaders need to model the same professional learning they expect from their teachers. It’s not enough to hand out resources and hope for improvement. Real growth comes from engaged, deliberate action: professional conversations, peer observations, and shared strategy.

The Leadership Gap

The book also highlights a persistent challenge: many leaders are promoted from roles with little connection to the work of developing teachers. When leadership pathways fail to build real instructional expertise, schools suffer. And with fewer aspiring leaders in the pipeline, we risk placing managers into executive roles without the skills to lead learning.

That gap is still visible in many schools. Professional Capital reminds us that sustained improvement comes from professionals leading professionals with learning, not logistics, at the core.

Experience is a Great Teacher

Principal impact on teachers shapes the heart of every successful school. Experienced leaders know that while experience delivers enduring lessons, great teaching stems from inspiration, opportunity, and support. Principals stand at the centre, fostering environments where teachers thrive and students excel.

Great teachers spark inquiry. They give students reasons to learn, chances to demonstrate mastery, and daily discoveries that make school exciting.

The Central Role of Principals

Principals build teacher capacity. They take risks alongside staff. They offer support in tough times. They hold steady when doubt creeps in.

Research confirms this. Effective principals retain high-quality teachers and improve instructional practices. Their influence on student achievement rivals that of classroom teaching, often working indirectly through teacher development and school conditions.

The Role of Principals in Addressing Teacher Shortages | Learning …

John Hattie’s Visible Learning synthesis shows teachers as the biggest in-school factor for student gains. Yet principals enable those teachers to shine.

Encouraging Inquiry and Risk-Taking

Great teachers create inquiry-based learning. Principals must model this for staff.

Support measured risks. Work side-by-side in planning and discussion. Communicate belief in innovation.

This builds confidence. Teachers experiment with new approaches, knowing leadership backs them.

Fostering Reflective Practice

Move beyond one-off professional development courses. Create ongoing learning experiences.

Seek justification for practices. Engage in deliberate reflection. This instills a desire for self-improvement.

Teachers examine their impact. They grow continuously. Principals facilitate these conversations.

The Evidence Behind Principal Impact on Teachers

Studies show principals drive teacher quality and retention. A highly effective principal can boost student learning by nearly three months annually.

They shape school climate, resource allocation, and professional growth. Supporting principals may determine an education system’s overall success.

Here are key findings:

Principals influence teacher hiring, development, and retention.
Strong leadership reduces turnover and enhances collective efficacy.
Equity-focused practices improve outcomes for marginalised students.

Practical Steps for Principals

Apply these ideas daily.

Communicate support explicitly — Affirm risk-taking in meetings and feedback.
Collaborate closely — Join lesson planning and co-teach occasionally.
Build reflection routines — Use protocols for peer observation and dialogue.
Prioritise teacher learning — Design school-based experiences over external courses.
Anchor in evidence — Discuss research on teacher impact during reviews.

These actions amplify principal impact on teachers.

Key Takeaways

Principals are pivotal in developing great teachers.
Support risk-taking and reflection to foster inquiry in classrooms.
Principal impact on teachers drives student achievement.
Invest in leaders to transform systems.

Experience teaches enduring lessons. Intentional principal leadership ensures those lessons benefit everyone.

Albert Einstein once said “Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards”. I think the success of experience can be determined by how we implement the lessons learnt.