Day one- 21 Day Challenge

I joined the Instructional Leadership Challenge which has been set up and is run by Justin Baeder

Director, The Principal Center  in America. I wanted something simple to get me started on a daily journal. I have followed Justin on Twitter from a couple of years and have always been inspired by his leadership knowledge and the work he does to promote and inspire leadership and leaders around America and the world. 

This is my challenge for today. 


Think for a minute about your current role. How do you exercise leadership on things that are relevant to instruction? How do you lead FOR learning? Take a moment to reflect on how you lead—on how you’re an instructional leader - how do you make a difference, every day, for your students?

I lead for learning by:

• prioritising attention on student achievement

• naming the data, - (we have data boards) making sure that I know where children are at so I know who our most needy learners are (this means I can talk with parents, teachers or outside agencies about any leaner in my school at any stage during the year!)

• involving myself in dialogue with teachers about priority learners

• scheduling meetings twice a year to release teachers to speak with myself (principal), the Deputy Principal and the Team Leader

• maintaining a team approach - "what are we doing?, what should we do? what could we try or what do we need to do differently? what resourcing can we provide?

• placing a high level of value on priority learner needs 

• identify the priority learners who are set within the School's Annual Target Goals

• Ensure that teachers are aware of which children are part of the Annual targets

• keeping the "Urgency for raising achievement" at the forefront of everyone's minds

• Ensuring that each team discusses the "data boards" every three weeks

• Building teachers moderation practices and skills to grow consistency across the school

• And we're back to reviewing the data!