Graham Thomson has been in touch with Malachi since his appearance at the Summer School and Malachi fed back how one headteacher in New Zealand is changing his leadership practice as a result of the Breakthrough Coach technique. The email is reproduced below

“Hi Malachi,
I was at your seminar held at the NZ Principal’s Conference in Christchurch last month.  I found your presentation the most challenging and inspiring.  It helped me see that by operating as a super technician I was not helping others around me be who they should be and I was not helping myself be who I should be.
I have already begun to roll out the changes based on what he has said by…

1. Changing the way that I think…this is the first and foremost important change.
2. Throwing out a large portion of my office…wow…what a liberating experience that was.
3. Having daily meetings with my secretary…(which I need to call my executive secretary)…to deal with the mail and to provide daily assignments for.
4. Looking at the current job description for our secretary which is so full of different roles (including receptionist, office manager, bursar, staff secretary, executive secretary, librarian, minutes secretary etc) and seeing how this can be relooked at to help her and me get what we need to be done…done.
5. Got kids to take up one of our office managers roles.
6. Closing my door way more often.
7. Begun to see the importance of the personal potential of each staff member so that they can become experts in their fields of passion and led the staff in them…our PD budget is going to go through the roof…but…funnily…I’m pleased about that.

What I need to do next is…

1. Schedule time in the classroom as I free up time from the office.
2. Develop a shared calendar so that my secretary can manage appointments.
3. Change the job descriptions and communicate this change to staff and parents.
    

I am seeing the benefits within me already as I am actually working less…talking more…and getting my head above the trees.

So…can I thank you for your contributions to my professional development.  It was timely, pertinent and liberating.

David McKenzie

Edendale Primary School

24 Salford Street

Edendale

Southland, 9825

New Zealand

(P.S: If I was being really good I would have got my secretary to type this message…but…still working on that.)

David Cameron (Director of Education in Stirling Council) finished the summer school with a roar! His talk on “Leadership in a time of opportunity and change” meant no let-up in the challenges for the conference delegates to the last.  Actually, talk comes nowhere near describing his unique presentational style – it’s more like ‘getting a doing’ from a particularly funny and insightful philosopher!

Partly, he used the session to take a magnifying glass to the other contributions of the week and zoomed in on a number of areas where clarity was required. Nor did he mind if his bright light through the glass burnt a few of sacred articles of faith along the way!

But mainly, David set out his own personal views on leadership and issued a few challenging statements and questions, such as:

• Are we talking about dispersal of leadership when we actually mean honouring responsibility and fulfilling roles? Is leadership making sure that everyone sees and honours their responsibilities?
• In a time of change, we need clarity, certainty (or at least confidence) from our leaders and we need them to see further down the road
• ACfE cannot be anarchic but nor should we prescribe it to death. David likened it to a Miles Davis jazz piece where everybody can recognise the tune but the real beauty is in the improvisation.

He took time to look at definitions of purpose and excellence and his words about the head teacher (Evlyn Allsop) and staff of Kennoway Primary in the ‘90s were particularly moving. If you only have time to look at 2 of the slides below make them numbers 11 and 12. These slides outline part of Kennoway Primary’s mission statement from that time.

He sounded the death knell for the school improvement plan, while recognising its past usefulness. Instead the school plan should be a combination of individual educator development plans within the school.

He went on to share some personal feelings about being a leader and including how to minimise the feeling you get from “distributing the leadership and keeping the guilt”

David ended with an impassioned, optimistic view of leadership in Scottish education as represented by the conference delegates.
Not one to forget!

This post was written by Deirdre Torrance of University of Edinburgh and summer school delegate.

Andy Hargreaves was given the challenging role of sustaining an entire day at the Summer School on School Leadership. He engaged delegates throughout the day with interaction and good humour. The subject matter was informed and informative, covering:

• policy development past and present
• features of sustainable leadership
• the 5 pillars of purpose
• the 3 principles of professionalism
• the 4 catalysts of coherence
• and the 3 outriders of reform

Lessons learned from 5 R&D initiatives across the globe were used to illustrate key points throughout and clear messages were delivered which challenge school leadership practice and Scottish policy development. His analysis of what makes Finland successful was particularly useful.

 It was a privilege to engage with colleagues in discussion and debate throughout the day.

Today’s quote of the day comes from Alma Harris

“Lord, if I die let it be on a staff development day when the distinction between life and death is imperceptible!”

Today’s clip features Fiona Hyslop (Cabinet Secretary for Education)

This post was written by Lynne Sinclair (professional adviser to Scottish Government) and delegate to the International Summer School on Leadership

Professor Harris shared with us that she arrived at the conference  during a thunderstorm. Her insightful and thought-provoking presentation ensured that she departed to thunderous applause.

She opened her comments by sharing that she is passionate about understanding how schools improve in order to maximize the life chances in all children.  This passion was obvious throughout her seminar as was her determination to ensure that research is relevant and informative in educational reform.

She covered a wide range of areas in the short hour and I could happily have listened far longer both to her wisdoms and her wicked sense of humour.  By drawing together highlights in research she delivered compelling messages in relation to school improvement and leadership .  She argued that distributed leadership is a common denominator in schools that have secured and sustained long term improvement. She highlighted that leadership is highly context dependent. She emphasised the importance of effective teaching. Flowing through her comments was her view that schools can improve themselves. She urged us to ask the question before any improvement initiative is introduced, “What difference will this make in the classroom?”

Professor Harris wondered aloud if we would only have listened to 10-15% of her presentation as this would be in line with some research. I for one would say no as I was thoroughly engaged and inspired. Maybe the next time we hear her will be at the signing of her forthcoming book….

PS Alma referred during her presentation to the OECD report on school leadership.

The Cabinet Secretary got things going on day 3 with a passionate and packed address. Her commitment was to outline her vision for the education of Scotland’s young people in reference to the Curriculum for Excellence and to focus on the importance of leadership in delivering that vision. She spoke of the crucial importance of the early years, of the need for closer partnerships between Faculties of Education and teachers, of the new relationships between central and local government and the opportunities these bring, and of CfE and qualifications.

She gave an overview of some of the leadership activity which is happening across the country and paid tribute to the wealth of experience and the excellent practice that she had seen in many different areas. She reminded delegates of her intention to produce a paper on leadership as evidence of her belief that great leadership is fundamental to the programme of transformational change that we are currently undertaking.

Many delegates were still talking and thinking about Malachi’s session yesterday, and she informed us that in the 14 months that she had been in post, she had spent perhaps only 30 minutes at the computer screen. ‘Nuff said!

I am delighted to be able to join you here today at the 2nd Scottish Government International Summer School on School Leadership.  The excellent turn out during the summer holidays is a clear indication of the significance that this event has for educational leaders.  I am pleased to see that we have wide representations from within schools (headteachers, deputy headteachers, principal teachers, chartered teachers and classroom teachers) and from local authorities and other stakeholders.  I am also glad that the summer school has again been able to attract interest from abroad.  I am sure you are all enjoying your week - it certainly looks an interesting, varied and challenging programme. I want to do two things as I speak to you this afternoon. 

This post was written by Margaret Orr of the National CPD Team. You can find out more about Malachi Pancoast’s  work on his web site, the Breakthrough Coach

Following the lunch break at any conference is always a challenge but Malachi rose to it very well and energised the group, including a very good stress buster exercise – just breathe deeply! He also managed to make housekeeping an attractive proposition. I am sure that all delegates undertook a voluntary (or involuntary) visioning exercise of their own office. Maybe they also envisioned whose office was going to be grateful recipient of all their treasured possessions!

It would be easy to remember Malachi’s session for the above but miss the core message. In whatever context we work, there is potential and capacity to reflect on organisational practice and change. However that is managed will be based on the leader’s knowledge and understanding of the context in which they work.

The success of Malachi’s strategy is clearly dependent on the leader having a high calibre support machine (both admin and classroom-based) – factors outwith the direct control of school managers? How many of us have Ronaldos on our staff?

His invitation to be open to change by reflecting on our current practice is valid – echoing the emphasis of self-evaluation promoted by HMIE and chimes with the aspirations of a Curriculum for Excellence. The translation of his 7 steps to producing a breakthrough will be determined by internal and external factors and the encouraged expectations that our customers and clients have of the system.

While the open door approach does have its dangers if not carefully managed, there is an obligation on school managers to respond to the needs of pupils and parents – both legal and professional. Often, these imperatives cannot be ignored, no matter how impeccable your office or strong-willed your secretary!

All of us will have tuned into different aspects of Malachi’s vision. The degree to which it applies is also for each individual to determine. I wish you luck with your duster!