Leadership

A Decade in Headship

(Warning:  This post is unplanned.  As I wrapped up loose ends today, it just happened!  This is the first draft, unedited, and definitely without AI being used)

In 2014, at the age of 32, I was appointed as the Head of School/School Principal at The British School Caracas.  Although I have always enjoyed, and often seek out a challenge (the more challenging, the better!), I must admit, there was a huge sense of Imposter Syndrome when appointed.  This was mostly felt when I was introduced to members of the community as the new Head of School.  I had only been in education for eight years, and I was ‘only’ 32 years old!

I started the role exactly 11 years ago – on Friday 4th July 2014, ironically it started as I landed in Washington D.C. to attend a conference – 4th July being Independence Day in USA, I had to ask, “am I feeling independent?”  I had already taken the decision to work through the summer vacation period.

When I returned to Caracas a few days later, I sat in my new office for my first proper day of work as the new Head of School, and thought, “wow, you’ve made it Yasir!” How wrong I was!  I had a career goal of being a Headteacher at the age of 50 years old and now here I was, looking after a wonderful school with a warm, caring, dedicated, supportive, and dare I say, demanding (and, correctly demanding) parent body.  That first day was overwhelming to say the least – I had meetings with Board members, a few parents, administration staff, and faced a to-do list that felt insurmountable when the day ended.  Throw in the fact that it felt overwhelming without any teaching staff or students (the summer holiday period had started), I found myself wondering that evening how I will cope. I felt being promoted internally would make life easier, but how wrong I was.  “Have I bitten off more than I can chew?” was running through my head.  The next day I woke up early, went to work, locked the office door, asked not to be interrupted, and broke every task into small manageable chunks. I planned it out over the next six weeks, the next few months, and indeed, the next few years.  I felt much better and indeed, “it was fine”.

Following six great and invaluable years as the Head of School in Caracas, I have now completed four years as the Headteacher/School Principal at another beautiful and truly amazing school, St. Constantine’s International School in Arusha, Tanzania.  So, after ten years in Headship, and a few more white hairs, what have I learnt?  If interested, here are some thoughts and reflections one day after finishing my tenth year.

  1. Leadership is about people, not just policies:  Creating policies, systems, structures, processes is relatively easy I feel.  However, ensuring these are adhered to, implemented properly, and ensuring quality management systems are in place to check their effectiveness is the difficult bit, and the part I have needed to work on regularly.  The best systems fail without trust, positive relationships, and without empathy.  When things have worked, it is because there was genuine buy-in and trust from the staff body.  Taking the time to build this trust is worth it in the long run.
  2. Culture, culture, culture:  Organisational culture is key and once again, takes time to build.  Understand your context and be sure of the culture you want at your school.  Thereafter, work diligently daily to ensure this is put into place.  Your vision, mission, key goals and more, will become clear to all, a reality, and are more likely to stick. Ensure everything is always in line with the culture you are creating.
  3. You never stop learning:  At 32, I thought I was ready and prepared.  It did not take long to realise I was not.   After a decade, I realise how much I did not know, and have learnt, often due to being surrounded by talented, highly skilled colleagues.  Leadership is humbling – the best heads will remain curious, open to feedback (even when it hurts, probably more useful when it hurts), and are willing to adapt, but always sticking to, and without compromising on core principles (staff want a clear vision, with a plan towards that vision).  It is fair to say, from Imposter Syndrome at aged 32, I often feel a sense of the Dunning-Kruger effect!  Self-doubt never fully disappears and that is ok.
  4. Change takes a lot of patience and a thick skin:  Change takes years, and there will be many hurdles to overcome.  Remember the long-term goal (your vision), see beyond the trees and the forest, whilst making sure the journey is as smooth as possible, but don’t expect it not to be rough.  Some of my best decisions were unpopular at first, but I had the conviction and belief to know they will be ok in the end.  Choose these moments wisely.
  5. Remember the reason why we do what we do:  The answer?  The students and the school.  This core question – “what is the best solution for our students and school?” often drives me to the right decision easily and pretty quickly.  This is very much emphasised when spending time in classrooms with the young people who we wish to empower and develop into great human beings.
  6. The job changes you:  This job has definitely changed me, changed my identity, and some values, all for the better.  I have grown stronger, tougher, and more resilient, whilst softer in other ways.  
  7. It’s the position, not the person:  With great power comes great responsibility, and remember you are a temporary placeholder of the position you are in.  Take it seriously, remember the impact your decisions have on everybody, on the young people under your care, and always try your best. When choosing a new initiative, try the R-V-P method (What is your Rationale? What is your Vision? and What is the Process to get you there?) – I have found this has worked extremely well when new ideas have proven successful (thank you Howard Marshall!)
  8. There is no shortcut to hard work:  This job is relentless and never stops.  I have worked many long nights, weekends, and carried work home.  I have missed family events, often to great regret.  Over time, I have learned that “balance” may be unrealistic to achieve, but, through hard work it is possible to guard one’s personal time and have a decent work-life balance (by the way, make sure to exercise and stay healthy!).
  9. Remember your team:  You are just one cog in the machine.  You are not the smartest person in the room nor do you need to be.  Leadership is about fostering the conditions for others to shine, invest in others’ growth, and surround yourself with a highly talented staff body that will question you when necessary, but who in the end, are willing to say, “Let’s agree to disagree, disagree and commit.” 
  10. “It’s gonna be fine”:  A personal favourite of mine.  No matter what, it will be ok and things will be fine in the end – “it’s gonna be fine”.  

Last word, I reread my Top Twelve Tips post written in 2016 and to my pleasant surprise, all of them still apply and some have been touched upon above.

I hope this helps somebody out there.  I would love to hear from others – please comment below. 

Time to sign out (somewhat!) for the holiday period.

Yasir Patel

Profit over Pedagogy

Education is the cornerstone of economic and societal progress, including personal development.  However it has increasingly fallen victim to the clutches of commercialisation.  What is a noble pursuit aimed at enlightenment and empowerment, has transformed into a lucrative industry, driven often by profit margins, rather than by genuine pedagogical principles.  The moneymaking sham in education can be seen at every level, from nursery to university, and beyond.  It is reshaping the landscape of learning in ways that prioritises financial gain over educational integrity.

One of the most glaring example of this is the proliferation of for-profit educational institutions, companies and groups, often owned by cut-throat financial organisations. These establishments highlight the importance of a “student first” approach, market themselves as beacons of learning, but often prioritise shareholder returns over student success.  This is not a reflection on all such groups of course. The commodification of education has led to many unnerving changes and practices all with a relentless pursuit of student admission numbers, all aimed at maximising income.

Moreover, the rise of online education platforms, exploded during and post-COVID, has further exacerbated the monetisation of learning.  While online education has the potential to democratise access to knowledge and many do it extremely well, it has also become a breeding ground for dubious schemes and exploitative practices. From crazy course fees to misleading marketing tactics promising instant success, these platforms often prioritise sales over the quality of education delivered.  Then again, why wouldn’t they? It’s a business!  Tread carefully.

Textbooks are a particular source of agony for many schools, students, and families.  Textbook prices have increased in recent years, far outpacing the rate of inflation, and placing a heavy financial burden on students and schools.  Publishers frequently release new editions with minor revisions, rendering older versions obsolete and forcing students to purchase costly updates.  Furthermore, the commercialisation of education has seeped into the realm of academic research.  In an era where publications are currency, predatory journals and conferences prey on unsuspecting scholars, charging exorbitant fees for publication without providing adequate peer review or editorial oversight.  

Addressing the moneymaking sham in education requires a multifaceted approach.  Of course, businesses are well within their rights to sell products and make money.  It is up to the user and buyer to determine whether the product is sound.  Does it really work?  Is it a fad?  Do your research, ask for evidence and be sure.  

Charles Goodhart stated that, “When a measure becomes a target, it ceases to be a good measure”(Goodhart’s Law).  I would argue Education has become a target in many aspects and as such, there is a clear opportunity for individuals to cash in and who are we to stop them, or criticise.  That is the beast that has been created!

Thus, ultimately, the moneymaking sham in education is a symptom of deeper societal ailments, the commodification of knowledge, the prioritisation of financial gain, and the erosion of public trust.    

The idealists would love education to remain a beacon of enlightenment and empowerment for generations to come, however, maybe that possibility no longer exists?

Yasir Patel

Pseudoscience in Education

Pseudoscience: Can be defined as a collection of beliefs or practices mistakenly regarded as being based on scientific method. (Wikipedia)

All children get one chance at school, and it is our duty, our responsibility, to ensure we do our best for them.  Every minute counts and every second matters.  As such, any initiatives we roll out or teaching strategy we utilise should be based on sound scientific foundations.   We should rely on evidence-based practices to enhance learning and  student development. 

However, within the profession, there are many practices that quite frankly fall under pseudoscience.  These actions, initiatives and practices do not help a child’s learning.  Pseudoscience in education can take various forms, from teaching methods that are questionable, to unfounded theories on learning styles. These pose a significant challenge to the integrity and efficacy of educational systems worldwide.  Often these are unintentional and well intended.  

A common pseudoscientific belief in education (and one of the most widespread) is the concept of learning styles (each person has a particular learning style that makes them learn best).  Supporters of this theory suggest and propose that individuals have distinct preferences for how they receive and process information, such as auditory, visual, or kinaesthetic learning styles.  Despite widespread acceptance over the years among educators, the notion of tailoring instruction to match individual learning styles lacks scientific and empirical evidence. This theory has long been debunked.

Numerous studies have debunked the learning styles myth, revealing that learners do not benefit more from instruction tailored to their so called preferred style. In fact, evidence suggests that adapting teaching methods to suit specific learning styles may even impede learning by limiting exposure to diverse modes of information processing.

Other areas that have not been proven, or completely debunked include Brain Gym, Neuro-lingustic programming, brain-based learning, left and right brain dominance, lavishing praise, multiple intelligences by Howard Gardner, Gender stereotyping and many more!

We live in an era marked by technological innovation, educational products for every subject can now be found easily. These often promise the world to students and promise to unlock their full potential.  How could one turn such productive products away??  It is fair to say that many of these products lack evidence and rely on pseudoscientific claims as well as anecdotal evidence.  They prey on the anxieties of parents and students desperate to gain the best marks  possible.  There exists a deep lack of rigorous research and oversight in the development and marketing of such products.

So, how can educational leaders and educators navigate this path that is often swarming with pseudoscience? 

We need a concerted effort towards promoting evidence-based, science-backed practices. John Hattie’s Visible Learning is a great go-to resource.  We need to prioritise critical thinking and scientific literacy, equipping educators with the tools to separate fact from fiction within the educational arena.

As leaders, we should push back when necessary, especially when presented with a new idea that is not totally founded on sound scientific principles.  It can be easy to give the approval as waiting for research may take time, many years in fact.  However, the opportunity cost may be detrimental to a student’s education, who only receive one opportunity at school.  

Let’s foster a culture of inquiry and empirical scrutiny within our schools.  This can serve as a defence against pseudoscience.  By embracing the principles of skepticism and rigorous inquiry, we can uphold the integrity of the educational profession and protect the interests of our learners.

Yasir Patel

AI: Implications for Education

Many new ideas come and go in education.  Some stick and others disappear (often debunked).  It is always wise to wait for solid research to guide one’s decision with respect to any new initiative, though time is a valuable commodity in education.  I think it is fair to say that Artificial Intelligence is here to stay!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is revolutionising various sectors, and education is no different. AI can analyse various pieces of data, automate tasks and truly personalise the learning experience.  It is probably not a big stretch to suggest AI could be the biggest game changer in education for many decades.

Some of the major considerations and implications of AI in education are listed below (these are based solely on my own readings. experience and opinion):

Personalised and Individualised Learning Experiences

Differentiation and adaptive learning are common words used in classrooms worldwide.  These strategies aim to ensure every child is catered for and challenged, given the different abilities and learning needs in each classroom.  However, it does not ensure every student is truly getting a personalised education;  that would be impossible to achieve given the limited time teachers have at their disposable.  AI may indeed be the answer to truly achieving an individualised and personalised learning experience. AI algorithms, can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each student quickly, then create tailor made educational content accordingly.

There are already many adaptive learning platforms that utilise AI in ensuring the user remains appropriately challenged.  Through adaptive learning platforms, AI can deliver customised lessons, tests, quizzes, and tasks to students based on their ability level and progress.  This personalised and individualised approach not only enhances student engagement but also fosters deeper understanding of the content.

Improved and Enhanced Teaching Practices

In addition to being able to genuinely differentiate and personalise learning for each student, AI can provide valuable insights and support to optimise teaching practices.  A quick analysis of the performance data of each student by AI can help identify strengths and weaknesses of each student.  Furthermore, it can suggest possible interventions and/or alternative teaching strategies using research based and proven methodologies.

AI will also help with grading work and other administrative tasks, freeing up the teacher to focus more on their classes, delivering high quality lessons and provide individualised support for each child.

Access to Quality Education

A child in a remote part of the world, where there are few schools, if any, minimal number of teachers, and quality education lacking, could now be given a quality education online using AI.  Online learning platforms powered by AI can deliver educational content to learners anywhere, anytime, breaking down geographical barriers and socioeconomic constraints.

AI will also allow children access to educational resources in their native language.  This will foster inclusivity and hopefully close the inequality gap.  By making education more accessible and inclusive, AI has the power to empower individuals and communities worldwide.

Ethics

As with all new ideas and developments, one must consider the ethical considerations and challenges.  This is definitely the case with AI in education.  There are privacy concerns with the collection and use of student data.  Thought needs to be given to algorithmic bias and data collection.

The potential for replacing human teachers with AI technology is a serious point to think about, though not in the near future, it does need addressing. Will teachers be replaced by AI one day?

AI applications in education need to be ethically designed, transparent, and accountable. Robust data privacy policies are a must that promote algorithmic fairness.  Policymakers hold a key responsibility here.

In Summary

The impact on education by AI as it evolves will only deepen and increase.  AI will offer new opportunities to enhance learning, learning outcomes and empower educators.  It will allow access to quality education worldwide by expanding the availability to all learners regardless of geography, age or background.  We can harness the transformative potential of AI by embracing it responsibly and ethically.

(As written earlier, this article is solely based on my own readings, experience and opinion. Please leave your comments and thoughts)

Yasir Patel

5 Qualities of a Good Leader: Interview with Vawsum Schools

I recently did an interview with Aditya Maheswari, the co-founder and CEO of Vawsum Schools PVT Ltd as part of their Edutalk series.

Some links of the interview are below:

📑 Blog Link – https://vawsum.com/qualities-of-a-good-leader-vawsum-edutalk-yasir-patel/

🎙️ Podcast Link – https://anchor.fm/vawsum-edutalk/episodes/5-Qualities-of-a-Good-Leader—Mr–Yasir-Patel-e1et55f

📹 Full Interview Link – https://youtu.be/NIEkiMYSK94

Philosophy of Education

Somebody asked me recently for my Philosophy of Education (with a one page limit!). It really made me think deep and I am glad I was asked. My response is below. What is your Philosophy of Education?

All children can learn and be successful, and they all deserve the best education.

My educational philosophy stems from the above statement; a simple yet powerful statement.  Students are first, second and third in all my decision-making processes.  This should be for all aspects of schooling.  It includes timetabling, recruitment of staff, infrastructure considerations, retention of staff, legal questions, financial discussions and much more.  A question often used by myself, and one I encourage all stakeholders in the school to use is, “What is best for the students?”  The answer to this nearly always guides one in the right direction.  I keep this question at the forefront of all decisions that need to be taken on a daily basis.

The students are the most important members of a school community.  Under the correct conditions and with the appropriate strategies, all students can and will learn.  Every student must make significant progress in every lesson.  This goal and my personal definition of High Quality Learning should be of utmost importance and the top priority in all classrooms every day.  I believe the classroom is a living community and that everyone, from the principal to the students to the parents, must contribute in order to maintain a positive atmosphere.  I will not shirk from my responsibility as a leader to promote and enforce this aim.  Promotion of this involves developing and training the teaching body in ensuring the success criteria that make a great lesson are agreed upon, transparent and understood. Enforcement of this includes a clear appraisal system that takes into account all the aspects of a teacher’s job, and not solely one or two lesson observations, leadership is sufficiently trained to assess performance and follow-up is always done.  The ultimate goal towards teachers, as with students, is to encourage intrinsic motivation toweards their own personal development.

Children need constant support and guidance and their welfare should be a key focus at all times.  Happy and safe students are students who learn more effectively.   All children should be valued, respected, nurtured, encouraged, praised and supported. Children must learn and develop both academically and socially, and we must work hard to prepare them for adulthood.  This means creating well-rounded individuals who are not simply excellent at subjects such as Mathematics or Art or History, but who can hold a conversation, debate, empathise, care for others and all with humility, respect and modesty.  The world needs kindness more now than ever before.  It is our duty as educators to create these kind young adults.

As for the teachers who I am fortunate to work alongside with; I want to work with teachers who are academically well-qualified, who enjoy working with children, who are prepared to work really hard for those children, who have genuine humility, who are open to improving their practice for the entire length of their teaching career, who are idealists, who acknowledge the fallibility of the human condition, who always see the funny side of things, and teachers who teach for the love, not solely for the money.  In return I want to provide teachers with the very best opportunities for continuous professional development and learning, give them as much professional autonomy as I can over how they manage their working lives, treat them with respect, honesty and kindness, show them unqualified humanity, the highest level of integrity, acknowledge that they have a life to live outside of school, give them free tea and coffee on demand, and, even if they do it for the love, to pay teachers well.

Crisis…What Crisis?

Tuesday 30th April, 2019, 5am: “A coup is happening right now, switch on your TV” a parent informed me as I was getting ready for work. Indeed, an uprising by the Venezuelan opposition looked like it was taking place. “What do I need to do?”, “We have the IGCSE Mathematics exam today, does it go ahead?”, “Do we close school?” and many more questions needed answering, and needed to be answered quickly. Luckily, we were well prepared in managing crisis situations and were able to act, think and move ahead swiftly and effectively.

After seven years in Caracas, Venezuela, many have asked me to write a book about my time in what is probably the most volatile country in the world over the last decade. I was the school Headteacher/Principal for six years (2014-2020). This article is intended to discuss my experience of leading a school during what turned out to be, a constant crisis situation, through arguably the country’s most difficult period in its history. Maybe a book will follow one day… Please feel free to add comments, questions, suggestions or disagreements.

A school crisis is any traumatic event that seriously disrupts coping and problem-solving abilities of students and school staff. It is typically sudden, unexpected, dramatic and forceful and may even threaten survival. A crisis can cause a drastic and tragic change to the environment. This change is generally overwhelming and uncontrollable as well as unwanted and frightening. It may create a sense of helplessness, hopelessness, and vulnerability combined with a loss of safety.

A 2009 research paper titled, ‘Crisis Management in Schools: Evidence-based Postvention’, talks about crisis as being, “Critical incidents in or involving schools include shootings, stabbings, other forms of homicide, terrorist activity, suicide, road traffic accidents, major fires and natural disasters, which result or might result in death and/or serious injury to students and staff.” The NEA describes a crisis in school as, “School crises can be on a large scale, such as severe violence, hostage situations, and natural disasters that require an emergency response from the community.
Or, they can be more individualized, such as a car accident or the unexpected death of a student.”

All of these are of course, valid definitions of the word ‘crisis’ and what constitutes a crisis, however, a few more examples can and should be added to the list (these are very much based on my own experience over the last seven years):

  • Major civil unrest (protests on the streets).
  • Kidnapping.
  • Robberies at gunpoint.
  • Hyperinflation.
  • Currency devaluation.
  • Food shortages.
  • Water shortages.
  • Water rationing.
  • Gas shortages.
  • Fuel shortages
  • Medicine shortages.
  • Power outages.
  • International Sanctions.
  • Issues with travel (both a reduction in flights and issues obtaining correct paperwork).
  • Security (Caracas is the ‘murder capital of the world’).
  • Political instability (e.g. attempted presidential coup, fraudulent elections, two presidents operating in parallel etc)
  • COVID-19.

Situations such as the above spring up on you quickly and how a leader manages the situation is key in moving forward productively, and indeed in many cases, vital for school survival. Much of what is in this article can be used in various scenarios.

I would like to begin by emphasising one of my favourite quotes, “Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail.” As with most things in life, a plan will go a long way when faced with difficult situations. Yes it may be that the plan has to be changed, often drastically, but a plan will nevertheless guide ones decisions. Secondly, the WHO recently stated that in a crisis situation you have to think and decide quickly – a quick decision is better than no decision. Take a decision now that you will no doubt have to make later. And finally, “where crisis management plans exist, they might be based on ‘common sense’ or clinical judgement, risking worsening rather than improving outcomes.” By preparation and planning, a leader could improve outcomes instead of thinking intuitively. Furthermore, it allows quick and effective decisions to be taken, another vital aspect of managing crisis situations.

Below are some pertinent and key points with respect to handling a crisis situation based on my own experience.

1.  Communication, communication and communication:  this is ever so important.  Your stakeholders (I include employees, schools, students and parents here) need to hear from YOU.  By writing YOU, I mean the leader – the person they trust the most.  Many messages that have been sent during the current COVID-19 crisis have been empathetic, lovely and assuring – that is the way to do it.  Regular messages are necessary to avoid double guessing. If possible, face-to-face, whether virtual or in person, is the best approach. Be open, transparent and exude confidence to others.

2.  Transparency:  maximum possible transparency is required. This will help avoid distrust, anger, theories, gossip and speculation. Be clear, succinct and any plans presented, should be easily understood.

3.  Sympathy and empathy: Everybody wants to be listened to, and understood. A huge amount of sympathy and empathy is required to all stakeholders, taking into consideration they will most likely have their own issues in their personal lives that they are dealing with. Avoid messages that come across dry and soulless. 

4.  Human beings v Policy: Policies are of course important, however, the human being matters much more.  In all communications there needs to be assurance that you are aware you are dealing with human beings, young people, anxious parents, worried staff who have been stressed for many months, for many years in some cases.  Policies are just policies – dry and black and white, not considering the subtleties nor the nuances of context. Every individual has a story that needs to be listened to and acknowledged. Encourage your leadership team to put aside administrative tasks and talk to the staff body.

5. The Leader Leads:  YOU are the key.  YOU have to stand up and be counted.  Every school, parent and student is relying on YOU. If needed, a constant review of the processes has to be undertaken in fine detail, maybe with some objective unbiased lens – including people with a different angle.  If necessary, changes can and must be made given the evidence of any review.  It takes a strong and humble person to admit ones faults but that is what one does if that is the case.  Keep asking yourself, “has my organisation kept to its vision, its mission, its values and have we role modelled these?”

It is worth noting that in any crisis situation, a team should be formed quickly that can help guide your school through. Carefully select members on this team and be aware that too many will prove counter-productive. However, the leader must lead and it is fair to say, long days working with little sleep is to be expected in such a situation. Rise up to the challenge!

On a personal note, despite the challenges, my seven years in Venezuela were wonderful and will forever be remembered with fond memories. The troubles and obstacles faced may have been difficult, but were a great life experience. Both my daughters are Venezuelan and the country will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Please feel free to add comments, questions, suggestions or disagreements.

Sources:

Crisis Management in Schools: Evidence-based Postvention 2009: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251442974_Crisis_Management_in_Schools_Evidence-based_Postvention

NEA School Crisis Guide: http://www.nea.org/assets/docs/NEA%20School%20Crisis%20Guide%202018.pdf

International Teaching: Decisions, Decisions…

It is natural to feel anxious, even extreme anxiety when looking to work internationally. This can be the first time looking for a position abroad or even the fifth. After all, what do we really know about these schools and places? The online world only goes so far, inspection reports often give a snapshot at that particular inspection date, accreditation bodies are the same and leaders at schools no doubt paint a rosy picture.

This post proposes that there are simply three key factors to consider:

  1. Finances: Does it make sense for you on a financial level? What will your ‘take-home’ pay be? Take into consideration cost of living (various websites can help with this), benefit package (e.g. housing, flights home, insurance etc) and not just the salary. Does the currency of payment fluctuate with respect to your ‘home’ currency?
  2. School: Look at inspection reports, reviews online, speak with teachers and triangulate all that information to make an informed decision about whether you would ‘fit’ in that school.
  3. Location: What are your hobbies and will you be able to pursue them? Or pick up new ones? Is it safe? And if not, how secure will you be? Travel options, things to do, weather and safety are all considerations to be taken into account.

Finally, one strong, and probably the most important tip is to communicate with existing staff at the school. This will allow for a true opinion of the school, finances and location. Open (and quality?) schools would share all staff email addresses. Some would be selective but be very wary of the schools that do not share any. Why not? What is there to hide?

Communicating with staff currently at the school will give you a lot of information about the school, location and finances; The 3 key factors!

If anybody hits all three, please share!

Happy hunting!

Yasir Patel

Followership: Quality Teachers

Followership refers to a role held by certain individuals in an organization, team, or group. Specifically, it is the capacity of an individual to actively follow a leader.  Followership is the reciprocal social process of leadership.  (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Followership).  A note here that Followership was the theme of my dissertation for my MSc in Educational Leadership.  A simple overview can be seen HERE. A previous post (https://yasirpatel.com/2017/01/28/followership-a-new-stream-of-leadership/) expands on the notion of Followership in more detail.   (For the full dissertation with references shown, please contact me.)

This is not a post about entirely about Followership, although it uses many of its key features.  The intention within this article is to focus on the concept of quality teachers within schools (in Followership, this could be referred to as Exemplary staff), in particular, measuring ‘quality‘.

Is it even possible to measure it?  What cannot be counted/measured?  Or how do we count what can be counted?  How much weight do we give to each factor?  This post is a culmination of thoughts, a mix of research, experience and intuition.  Any comments, questions, thoughts, doubts etc are more than welcome to enhance the dialogue.

Educators are aware that teaching staff are multifaceted and various aspects make up the ‘quality’ teacher or the teacher we wish to have in our schools.  What are these precise factors?  It is hard to argue against the fact that the quality of teaching and learning is the key trait.  However, think of that teacher who was (or is) brilliant in the classroom, yet something or many things just stopped him/her fitting in to that school.  Why is this so?

Quality Teachers:  It must be possible to structure our thinking into a more scientific and logical manner so that decisions to be taken have justification, beyond just ‘gut feeling’ or as often happens, a surface level discussion.

Proposition:  A Scientific and Measurable Approach

In order of importance, the five criteria listed below are proposed as the key factors when defining quality teaching staff, in order of importance with a suggested Scoring Key after each one.  The terms used within the Scoring Keys would need to be agreed upon as they can be subjective if not discussed and maybe they even need expanding further.

1. Quality of Teaching and Learning:  Without doubt, the vital ingredient.  Within this, a school must define what it means by Quality Teaching and Learning.  Some examples are:

  • ‘Sensibility and doing the hard intellectual yards are what makes a teacher great – and memorable’ (Pringle, 2002)
  • ‘Quality of teaching is its fitness for the purpose of promoting learning.’ (Ellis, 1993)
  • Quality teaching is doing whatever it takes, ethically and responsibly, to ensure that your students learn and that they leave your unit with a passion for learning.
  • ‘Significant progress made by each student in every lesson‘ (TBSC)

Within these definitions and big-picture statements, schools may have rubrics that break down teaching into various areas (e.g. behaviour, assessment, instruction etc).  A clear, open, well understood (by everyone) definition and structure is key here.

Scoring Key:  Excellent = 10, Very Good = 7, Good = 4, Satisfactory = 1,  Poor = -2, Very Poor = -5, Unacceptable= -8.

2.  Impact on School Culture and Morale:   Organisational culture is defined as the collection of day-to-day habits.  This is the ‘feel’ of a school when you walk through it and a culture that all staff should fit into (in the ideal world).  Teachers that do not fit in, often affect the morale of the school negatively.  This can be difficult to manage and its effect on the teaching body could be irreversible, if not addressed.  However, often, listening and professional development does close the gap.

Think about the culture a school has or wishes to obtain.  Then reflect upon how particular teachers fit into this and thus, the impact on the general morale of the teaching body.  Are they positive to this culture or the worse-case scenario, are they toxic to staff morale and school culture?  This also includes professionalism outside school.

Scoring Key:  Exemplary Follower = 8, Positive = 5, Neutral = 2, Negative = -2, Toxic = -5.

3.  Input and effect upon School Improvement:  Initiatives rolled out should generally (and once again, ideally) be well-thought out, discussed with various teaching groups and implemented with a lot of time.  Often though, ideas need to be implemented quickly and without the desired checks and balances.  How does a particular teacher react to change and new initiatives?  “Yes let’s do it and give it a chance” is the answer you wish to hear.  “Here we go again, what a waste of time” is not what one wants to listen to.  Obstacles, constant rejection, argumentative, resistance to change etc result in a low score here.

Scoring Key:  Positive and willing to help in order to move school forward = 8, Positive = 5, Neutral/Passive = 2, Negative = -2, Negative, not willing to try, resistant and can result in negative school improvement = -5

4. Relationship with Parents:  Maintaining a pleasant and positive relationship with parents is important.  However, it has to be within school policies and guidelines.  This is an important trait that can affect the day-to-day operations if not taken into account.

Scoring Key:  Excellent = 4, Very Good = 3, Good = 2, Satisfactory = 1,  Poor = -1, Very Poor = -2, Unacceptable= -3.

5. Time Served:  In line with professional development, the above should be worked upon before a tough decision is taken.  For example, it is different to obtain a low final total score in the first year of service than in the fifth year.  Leadership has a professional obligation to work and develop staff, give them the time to improve and help all teachers fit in to the school.

Scoring Key:  1st year at school = 10, 2nd year = 5, 3rd year onwards = 0.

Add up the points.  Suggested final score and interpretation of the results:

  • <6 (RED) = Not the right fit for the school/Time to move on/Do not renew contract.
  • 6-10 (PINK) = Serious consideration to be given not to renew contract/Advise to look elsewhere/Not a good fit for school.
  • 11-15 (YELLOW) =  Serious discussion as to whether the school is for them/Consider not renewing contract.
  • 16-20 (Dark Green) = Can develop further/Worth retaining for now.
  • 21-25 (Green) = Retain and renew/A good fit to the school.
  • >25 (Light Green) = Retain and renew at all costs/Perfect fit for the school.

Try the above with a fictional (or real) personality.

To make life slightly more difficult for school leaders, they also need to ensure their recruitment policy and procedures pick up greens at the point of hire (again this is idealistic!), or staff are hired that will be give the correct professional development to guide them towards green (of course, a strong Retention Policy also comes in to play).  Recruitment is tough, getting harder by the day and needs a lot of thought.  See the post on recruitment for further details (https://yasirpatel.com/2016/11/19/recruiting-against-the-odds/).

Comments?  Amendments?  Questions?  Will this approach work for other organisations, outside of education?  What tweaks would be needed?  What is missing?  Ideas and opinions welcome.

Yasir Patel