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Research Informed & Wellbeing Aware Leadership

Neal Oates

Principal

@MrOatesSoSimple

@SISM_Principal

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Star Mirdif Leadership Qualities

We expect our leaders at Star to demonstrate the following Star Mirdif Leadership Qualities and be:

Empathetic - Show compassion towards all members of the Star community and strive to do our best by them
Visionary - Think big and consider the wider context when making decisions
Empowering - Ensure that all teachers and staff under our care are given the opportunities to progress and develop in their profession. Develop leaders at every opportunity and raise people up
Collaborative - Build strong coalitions when driving forward change or strategic decisions. Work with all members of the school community to ensure you take people with you
Reflective - Be open to criticism from all levels and treat feedback, whether welcome or not, as an opportunity to learn and develop. Always consider whether we could have done things differently
Resilient - Successful leaders are positive, optimistic and remain calm in a crisis regardless of the challenges they are facing. We also on occasion at all levels make mistakes. This is to be expected, and so we need to be ready and accepting of this.
Courageous - Often we will be faced with difficult decisions to make as leaders. You will need to have challenging conversations with colleagues at all levels. You should also be willing to take calculated risks and challenge convention in order to take the school forward.
Passionate - Teaching is a profession with children's success at its heart. You should be passionate about ensuring they succeed both academically, and on a wider level. You are an advocate for the school and education, as such you should demonstrate this on a daily basis.

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Key Leadership Priority 1

Wellbeing Aware - Whilst implementing change or asking staff to perform additional tasks within Teaching and Learning and beyond, we should remain mindful of the impact on staff wellbeing.

Workload has grown exponentially within the teaching profession in the past decade and has in some cases led to recruitment and retention issues within the profession.
Leaders should always consider when asking for something new, how will this be more efficient than what our current practices are?
We should always be asking ourselves how we make things more efficient for staff to allow them to focus on their core teaching role.

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Marking vs Feedback
Teacher & MLT Agency
Differentiation
Planning
Observations
Inspection mindset - DL Inspection & Strategy
Edu mythe approaches to T&L e.g VAK
Emails vs conversation

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Jeremy Hannay

Building trust in a climate of skepticism

https://noordinaryclassroom.home.blog/2019/07/21/building-trust-in-a-climate-of-skepticism-part-1-intro-the-instructional-program/

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It is a professional obligation for educators to engage with educational research…

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Key Leadership Priority 2

Research Informed - Leaders at Star are required to embrace wider educational research and use this to help guide them and others.

Decisions around teaching and learning should take account of educational research evidence.
We should challenge each other as leaders to review and refine our strategies based on educational research.
However, the context of the school does impact our decision making in line with research. So whilst research informs us, it should not lead us.

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Discovery/Inquiry/Creationist Learning being the best way to teach and learn
VAK
Children learn better through discovery
Teacher led and student centered are opposites
Inquiry vs teacher led (Mode A/B)
Memorable experiences are the best way for children to learn things
Teacher led means boring and passive
Teacher talk is a bad thing
Growth Mindset Uncertainties

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MLT Agency

T&L
Marking & Feedback
Observations

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WALKTHRUs

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Behaviour and Relationships

Term 1.1 Whole School Focus

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Marking Vs Feedback

Written marking and feedback policy

Feedback policy with a focus on verbal feedback and live marking

There is no ‘prescribed’ method of marking/feedback at Star International School, Mirdif. We recognise that different subjects and contexts call for different methodologies. Given the excess workload demands that written marking places on teaching staff, which can be to the detriment of teacher wellbeing, coupled with the lack of evidence that written marking has any significant level of impact on children’s achievement, Star International School, Mirdif suggests, within this policy, alternative strategies.
Subject areas in coordination with year leaders are expected to develop their own Marking and Feedback guidance to be shared with students based upon the below outline. It must be clear and regularly monitored by subject leads/year leaders that their guidance is being implemented consistently within their subject area/s
Overall Marking and Feedback should always be more work for the student than for the teacher. The whole point is to move the learning on and encourage an improvement in the student themselves, not the work specifically. Mistakes are a learning opportunity, and marking and feedback at Star International School, Mirdif recognises this.

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STAR MIRDIF OBSERVATION CYCLES

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INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING

THE RESEARCH CASE

Strength 1: Evidence from replicated randomised controlled trials

Strength 2: Evidence from meta-analysis

Strength 3: Evidence from A-B testing

Strength 4: Evidence from systematic research programmes

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WALKTHRU OBSERVATIONS

TALK THROUGH THE WALKTHRU

SELECT A WALKTHRU

OBSERVE THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE WALKTHRU

REVIEW WITH THREE POINT COMMUNICATION

PLAN AND AGREE NEXT MOVES

Being coached is an act of faith — trust is paramount.

The building of a shared understanding of the selected WalkThru with teacher and observer is critical for coaching success.

In the process of studying and explaining the technique step by step, the teacher rapidly learns to internalise the actions needed for success.

Familiarity builds from the very first glance.

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How?

FORMAL OBSERVATIONS

TALK THROUGH THE LESSON

SELECT THE KEY FOCUS AREAS FOR THE FORMAL LESSON OBSERVATION

OBSERVE THROUGH THE FRAME OF THE OBSERVATION FORM & DSIB FRAMEWORK

SELF APPRAISE THE LESSON

REVIEW WITH THREE POINT COMMUNICATION - FEEDBACK WITH INSTRUCTIONAL COACHING METHODS - PLAN NEXT STEPS

Being coached is an act of faith — trust is paramount.

The building of a shared understanding of the lesson plan with teacher and observer is critical for coaching success.

In the process of studying and explaining the lesson focus areas step by step, the teacher rapidly learns to internalise the actions needed for success. Plus shared understanding is gained between Observer and Teacher. Less ‘Gotcha’ moments

Feedback is focussed and specific arouless Highlights and Agreed next Steps

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Star Mirdif Leadership Qualities

We expect our leaders at Star to demonstrate the following Star Mirdif Leadership Qualities and be:

Empathetic - Show compassion towards all members of the Star community and strive to do our best by them
Visionary - Think big and consider the wider context when making decisions
Empowering - Ensure that all teachers and staff under our care are given the opportunities to progress and develop in their profession. Develop leaders at every opportunity and raise people up
Collaborative - Build strong coalitions when driving forward change or strategic decisions. Work with all members of the school community to ensure you take people with you
Reflective - Be open to criticism from all levels and treat feedback, whether welcome or not, as an opportunity to learn and develop. Always consider whether we could have done things differently
Resilient - Successful leaders are positive, optimistic and remain calm in a crisis regardless of the challenges they are facing. We also on occasion at all levels make mistakes. This is to be expected, and so we need to be ready and accepting of this.
Courageous - Often we will be faced with difficult decisions to make as leaders. You will need to have challenging conversations with colleagues at all levels. You should also be willing to take calculated risks and challenge convention in order to take the school forward.
Passionate - Teaching is a profession with children's success at its heart. You should be passionate about ensuring they succeed both academically, and on a wider level. You are an advocate for the school and education, as such you should demonstrate this on a daily basis.

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Research Informed & Wellbeing Aware Leadership

Neal Oates

Principal

@MrOatesSoSimple

@SISM_Principal

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Types of feedback and marking

There are of course many types of feedback and marking. Teachers should be using a range of feedback strategies to support and challenge children in making progress.

At Star we trust teachers to choose how to give feedback based on what is most appropriate for the learning and students at any particular time.

Excellent examples of various methods of feedback and marking can be found in this presentation by Miss Humanities.

Examples of types of feedback and marking:

Whole class feedback/ feedforward
Immediate live verbal feedback
Self and peer feedback
Live marking with the student
Use of multiple choice questions (MCQ) - preferable electronically marked
Use of ‘Comparative Judgement’ to assess and moderate written work
Dialogue, questioning and use of formative assessment
What Went Well (WWW) and Even Better If (EBI)
Teacher sharing of exemplar classwork
1 to 1 verbal feedback during a lesson
Summative assessment marking
Acknowledgement marking

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