Proposals managed by Develops Schools (No. 121)

Effective principals should be good leaders

Principals often view leadership and management as two different roles, but the most effective principals know how to blend the two.

What do good principals do? What skills do they develop? Here is a list of some qualities that are sought in an ideal candidate

• Great communicator: Principals need to be able to communicate what the school is all about. To the school staff we can't keep telling teachers that they are doing good work if and when they are not. Being a direct communicator is often lost during discussions on teacher performance. 

• Difference maker: Principals need to be able to keep the focus on important initiatives and culture characteristics that have an impact on student learning and achievement. They establish accountability measures to hold teachers and students accountable for learning. Great principals bring about solutions, not just problems. 

• Manage by walking around: Principals that consistently walk around know the students, can better identify areas where teachers can improve, and set the tone for practices to be emulated throughout the school. The human factor is extremely important. Great principals establish a positive school culture by treating people the way they would like to be treated. How we smile, say hello, and engage in conversations all are important factors in setting a positive tone

• Address problems: Strong principals will do the hard, dissatisfying work associated with addressing and removing ineffective staff. This requires addressing problems head on with a positive attitude. When hiring new staff, principals need to make great effort to hire educators that align best with the vision of the school

• Cares about students and staff: Effective principals never give up on kids and their support staff

• School climate: Creating a positive culture, establishing high expectations, adhering to a practice of respect.

• Human resource administration: Hiring quality teachers and other staff, inducting and supporting current staff, providing meaningful opportunities for growth, retaining quality staff, and effectively evaluating teacher performance.

Now more than ever schools need great leaders. As the reform movement continues to swell across the country more eyes will be on the principal, as well as other education leaders, and their ability to ensure student learning and increase achievement. The task now at hand is to work towards Principal effectiveness and Develop Schools

Use Novelty to Engage Students

Rita Wilson, Chief Editor

(Ex-chief executive and Secretary, ICSE)

"Learning is not a spectator sport. Students do not learn much just sitting in classes listening to teachers, memorizing prepackaged assignments, and spitting out answers. They must talk about what they are learning, write reflectively about it, relate it to past experiences, and apply it to their daily lives. They must make what they learn part of themselves." Chickering & Gamson

Students thrive in a rich classroom environment when every 8 to 10 minutes the teacher mixes up the activities. After introducing an idea, have students turn and talk with their neighbour about the concept. Or, better yet, have them walk 20 steps, freeze, and then chat in a group of three. 

This not only makes school more fun, it's rooted in science. The brain loves novelty and when new strategies are used to convey information, it is more receptive to learning. To engage students, you have to engage their brains.

If teachers are enthusiastic, that excitement can spill over to the students. Tee up a lesson with a provocative question or something that relates to students' lives and they are more apt to tune in. Once the student is on board and ready to learn, the brain is active.

 The key is to engage students emotionally, behaviourally and cognitively. Adding humor and novelty to the classroom prepares students for learning. It's the little things that set a good emotional tone. If the students are predisposed to something, that's half the battle won.

Learning requires attention. And attention is mediated by specific parts of the brain. When a child is in a familiar and safe situation, as in most of our classrooms, his or her brain will seek novelty. So, if this child hears only factual information, she will fatigue within minutes. Only four to eight minutes of pure factual lecture can be tolerated before the brain seeks other stimuli, either internal (e.g., daydreaming) or external (Who is that walking outside the classroom?). If the teacher is not providing that novelty, the brain will go elsewhere. Continuous presentation of facts or concepts in isolation or in a nonstop series of anecdotes will all have the same fatiguing effect - and the child will not learn as much, nor will she come to anticipate and enjoy learning. 

Human beings are basically storytellers. We are curious, and we love to learn. The challenge for each teacher is to find ways to engage the child and take advantage of the novelty-seeking property of the human brain to facilitate learning.