Judith McClure would like to pass on the notes of the discussion points raised at the SELMAS Leadership Conference 2008. She would also like to express her heartfelt thanks to the excellent group of facilitators and to everyone who contributed. Just select this link to download the discussion questions and points raised.

Conference was privileged to hear the last public speaking engagement of Matt MacIver as Chief Executive/Registrar of the General Teaching Council Scotland.

Matt talked warmly of his professional contact with Judith McClure over the years, including their respective early roles in developing leadership in Scotland. Among the challenges highlighted by Matt were:

- Succession planning for head teachers and other leaders

- Changing the view held by some that Chartered Teacher is simply a career progression

- If we are going down the route of professional standards, why is there no standard for leadership?

- Revision of the Standard for Headship to meet the new leadership challenges

- Developing effective CPD for heads that encourages development of leadership skills

He spoke warmly of the leaders that influenced him from his early days as a young teacher in Kilmarnock through to his current position. Matt’s penultimate (and passionate) plea was for conference to go out and ‘talk up’ the noble profession of teaching.

Finally, Matt was fulsome in his praise of leaders as represented by SELMAS conference delegates, ““extraordinary people doing an extraordinary job!”

From Matthew MacIver on the profession

“We must talk up the profession because it is the most noble job in the free world”

This post is kindly proferred by Derek Allan, Depute at Glenrothes High School.

Tim Brighouse got proceedings underway after lunch with his eloquent and funny discourse on how we educate without unnecessary failure. After reminding us of the economic, moral and cultural purposes of education he delighted conference with a series of anecdotes that packed a heavy punch:

• Watching a teacher’s reactions when he asked kids “which teacher is the best marker?” and seeing her delight when one pupil named her!
• Visiting the maverick head teacher in London whose school was decorated with hundreds of favourite quotes from staff and pupils. The head teacher achieved this by paying “a quid for a quote”. It cost him over £1700 but worth every penny!
• Tim recited the Buscemi poem “The average child” to considerable effect
• He recounted a visit to a school senior management team in a small, cramped office who pleaded to him for more accommodation. His return visit after granting the request saw the team still in the same office and the extra accommodation used for learning!

He returned several times to the concept of “butterflies”, i.e. small interventions that make such a big difference, The ‘quid for a quote’ is an example of a butterfly as was his description of staff in one school who agreed four words to consistently use in lessons to remove barriers to learning. Many of these interventions can be found in Tim’s work online at www.timbrighouse.com.
You can get the gist of Tim’s presentation from the slides below. He ended by reciting from George Bernard Shaw:

“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; the being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.

I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no “brief candle” for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations”

Tim Brighouse on head teachers who are visible in the school

“They sit on the wall not on the fence”

Tim Brighouse made reference to 15 essential skills of leadership. These can be downloaded with other useful resources at www.timbrighouse.com.

Tim Brighouse recited Mike Buscemi’s poem which was first presented at the 1979 National PTA Convention in the US.

An average child

I don’t cause teachers trouble,

My grades have been O.K.

I listen to my classes.

I’m in school every day.

My parents think I’m average,

My teachers think so, too.

I wish I didn’t know that

’Cause there’s lots I’d like to do.

I’d like to build a rocket,

I’ve a book that shows you how;

Or start a stamp collection –

Well, no use starting now.

’Cause since I found I’m average

I’m just smart enough to see,

To know there’s nothing special

That I should expect of me.

I’m part of that majority,

That hump part of the bell,

Who spends his life unnoticed

In an average kind of hell.

From Graham Thomson’s group

“Head teachers need to look after themselves as well as colleagues!”

Judith McClure, convenor of SELMAS,  spoke last in Session 2 on the subject of succession planning

In her final year of headship, Judith reflected on the current problems of head teacher recruitment to a job that’s so rewarding.  Succession planning is about:

- Developing leadership skills all the time

- Realising that teamwork is so important and needs to be rewarded

She also urged conference to get the message across that it’s a privileged and rewarding job to be a head teacher. To help that process, we need to make sure there is support for head teachers:

- in dealing with press matters

- by making heads feel empowered

- by accepting that pay does matter when you are expected to shoulder such a leadership burden.

From Iain White of Govan High School

“Hire the Crazies! If you hire a dull person, you will get a dull department!”