Leadership for Secondary School Middle Leaders

Leading Others

New to middle management? This presentation is about sharing thoughts and ideas about being a HOD-Mathematics, particularly with the expectation of leading change.I will share thoughts and ideas about how you manage change while managing your teacher’s well-being, with time at the end to provide a space to connect, share and ask questions.

Me

Leadership

Leading Change

Wellbeing

Questions

CONTENTS

• Pepeha
• 25 teaching years experience, 20 years in middle management roles.
• in 2023, the Math department was surveyed as one of the top happiest departments at our school
• in 2021, results from a 360 review run by QELI for Wellington University indicated that I had 3/124 areas that could have gaps and no areas that needed focussed attention.
• Currently leading my department through MYP and NZC changes

Me

Leadership

This has to be sorted before trying to implement change

I know the new NZC, MYP and enough of IB. I know my content from year 7 to 13.

I know the progression.

I have an open-door policy so that my department can ask me for help at anytime

I don’t ask staff to do anything I wouldn’t do. I fully support my staff in their decisions, regardless.

I have planned out where I want my department to be. Its long term and involves little steps.

I am Approachable

I have Knowledge

I have a plan

I have Integrity

My strengths: My Prior Knowledge

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When it comes to building leadership, start with your strengths.

What are your strengths?

Vision

Clear direction and inspiration for the future.

Integrity

Trustworthy, accountable, and ethical behavior.

Communication

Effective listening and clear, persuasive expression

Empathy

Understanding and connecting with others emotionally.

Adaptability

Flexibility and resilience in the face of change.

Decision Making

Decisiveness and problem-solving skills under pressure.

Trust

Aspirations

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Choose a leader in your life who you respect and who has values similar to yours. Now make a path from your strengths to their strengths (these are your aspirational goals)

Knowledgeable

I want to quote researchers like the lecturer from my Mentoring paper I studied last year.

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Less Tribal

I would like to extend my caring to other areas and people in the school, as my Principal does

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Be Better spoken

I would like to be less blunt and more eloquent like most people, not me, are

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What are your aspirations?

What I do as a HOF

• I know what I control
• Hiring Staff
• who gets to teach what
• I Try to be a great classroom teacher!
• I Reflect and Plan ahead
• I Know my department
• I am fair; everyone is a favourite.
• I try to give Positive feedback
• I try not to be a rule-breaker
• I connect with other middle managers
• I make considered decisions

• If I have to have “difficult” conversations, I plan out what I want to say
• I don’t get angry or sad. I am generally always calm
• I don't reply to emails at night or on the weekend; I draft and send them out in the morning.
• I try to ensure that the workload for my teachers is evenly distributed.
• I Feed the hungry, but I do not take them for granted.

What do you do?

What do you want to do?

Plan out how you are going to get there

Well Being

This also has to be sorted before trying to implement change

My Philosophy on Wellbeing

This prioritises what is most important in our department and at our school.

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“Am I OK?” This comes first, from having enough whiteboard markers to having a support person to talk to.

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“Are we OK?” This comes next. It is two-fold.

1. Is your relationship with your students OK?
2. Is the relationship with the members of your department OK?

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“Are they OK?” This is everyone else, from parents to reports to taking on the role of sports team manager. The “They” can't happen effectively if the “I” isn’t addressed first.

What does this look like for you?

Or will it be something completely different? Plan it out.

What I do

What can you do

Ways you can support well-being

Leading Change

Now we can talk about change.

• Why Change: Make sure everyone knows why the change is happening and how it will help. This way, everyone understands and feels good about it.
• Updates: Keep everyone informed about what's going on. Tell them what's been done and what’s next, so they aren’t left wondering.
• Listening: Let people ask questions and share their thoughts. It makes them feel involved and valued.

Changing things at school or in a group can be tricky. Here are four important things to think about when making changes:

Talking Clearly:

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Strong Leaders:

• Support from the Top: Make sure the leaders, like your principal or group leader, show they are behind the change. When leaders support it, others are more likely to follow.
• Change Helpers: Find people who are good at encouraging others and getting them excited about the change. These people can help spread the word and keep everyone motivated.

Getting Everyone Involved:

• Inclusion: Get everyone involved from the start. Let them help plan and make decisions about the change. This makes people feel included and less likely to resist.
• Training: Teach everyone what they need to know to handle the change. Offer help and support so they feel confident and ready.

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Keeping Track and Adjusting:

• Monitoring: Keep an eye on how things are going. Use simple ways to check if the change is working well.
• Flexibility: Be ready to make adjustments if something isn’t working. Listening to feedback and being open to change helps things go more smoothly.

Make a long term Plan, Take little steps!

Brainstorm Your Plan

THANK YOU

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS！

In summary,

Once you have chosen the change you want to affect, plan it out using the strengths you know you have. It’s OK if it takes little steps, It's OK if it is a long-term plan.

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