Find the Magic in People
Prompt #1
The solution to any school challenge or issue is never just a new program. It is a commitment to the people who are doing the work. It is building a sense of self efficacy in the individuals on your team and convincing them that the magic isn’t in the latest initiative or curriculum mandate - the magic is in them. (pg 94)
Believe in them, invest in them, build in time for learning and growth, and watch the magic happen.
How do you convey to your staff that the magic lies within them?
Prompt #1
The solution to any school challenge or issue is never just a new program. It is a commitment to the people who are doing the work. It is building a sense of self efficacy in the individuals on your team and convincing them that the magic isn’t in the latest initiative or curriculum mandate - the magic is in them. (pg 94)
Believe in them, invest in them, build in time for learning and growth, and watch the magic happen.
How do you convey to your staff that the magic lies within them?
We try very hard to value every contribution made by every staff member in the team. We always seek input into new initiatives and often get contributions that may have an effect on the way we proceed, or the system that we are introducing. We in the Senior Leadership team do not profess to know all of the answers. We are modelling collaboration and collective wisdom just as we expect our teams to do. What we do endeavour to promise though is that together we will work out the answers to the tricky questions.
We are very fortunate that for now we are able to release two teams for three hours every week to enable them to find the magic together. In this three hours we have some time for: professional development; some for looking at practice and systems and how to improve; and also time for planning together as a team.
I am continually impressed by the quality of the professional dialogue that is at the forefront of innovative practices. In the last week of the term I sat with the year 5/6 team on planning day and I was so impressed with the open to learning conversations that were going on. As the team pondered over the driving question for the next project, they demonstrated good will, humour and flexibility throughout our discussions. They examined the driving question from all angles and looked deeply at what it was they wanted the children to understand, and how they would get there. They really did wrangle with the question. As one of the team commented "Who would have thought we would end up here from when we started to look at this idea?" There is definitely magic in these people...
We are very fortunate that for now we are able to release two teams for three hours every week to enable them to find the magic together. In this three hours we have some time for: professional development; some for looking at practice and systems and how to improve; and also time for planning together as a team.
I am continually impressed by the quality of the professional dialogue that is at the forefront of innovative practices. In the last week of the term I sat with the year 5/6 team on planning day and I was so impressed with the open to learning conversations that were going on. As the team pondered over the driving question for the next project, they demonstrated good will, humour and flexibility throughout our discussions. They examined the driving question from all angles and looked deeply at what it was they wanted the children to understand, and how they would get there. They really did wrangle with the question. As one of the team commented "Who would have thought we would end up here from when we started to look at this idea?" There is definitely magic in these people...
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