Leading Learning in the Social Sciences

1. Leading Learning in the Social Sciences MARGARET LEAMY National Coordinator Social Sciences Te Tapuae o Rehua Consortium margaret.leamy@otago.ac.nz

2. He waka eke noa A canoe which we are all in with no exception

3. Outcomes for the day: • To identify ways that leadership can make a powerful difference to student outcomes • To explore the use of pedagogical knowledge to lead teacher learning for success • To examine the leadership of effective inquiry and mentoring of teachers • To explore the concept of leading change

4. By the end of today, you will: • Have an understanding of leadership that works and why • Have an effective Teaching as Inquiry model for middle leadership • Understand what your data says, and have ideas around what you can do about it • Identify ways to lead change

5. Leadership can make a powerful difference to student outcomes Leadership = An activity, not a position!

6. An effective middle leader… I need to I do this give this well more thought and often • Share your reflection with someone else AND • Discuss the strategies and actions you could use to give aspects more consideration • How will I know I have progressed?

7. Strategic planning – identifies and prioritises actions to be taken • Strategic goals – Social Science goals – subject specific goals - are they all aligned? • What does your school consider important? • Priority learners – who are they? Why? How are they being supported to improve student outcomes?

8. Leadership dimensions 1. Establishing goals and expectations 2. Resourcing strategically Dimension 3. Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum 4. Promoting and participating in teacher learning and development 5. Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment Effect size Figure 1. Relative impact of five leadership dimensions on student outcomes

9. Teaching as Inquiry – possibilities…

10. Why inquiry? To raise achievement levels of priority learners: • Shifting the focus to student-centred learning • Knowledgeably implementing a responsive and rich curriculum • Using assessment information to know about, and plan for, students’ learning ERO – ‘Evaluation at a glance’ www.ero.govt.nz/National-Reports

11. What should I teach next, how should I teach it, and what do I base those decisions on? How do you lead this inquiry in your Social Science department?

12. What can inquiry look like? • Undertake meaningful inquiry projects into the impact of teaching on students • Inquiry is central to teachers’ professional learning • Reciprocal sharing of inquiries with other teachers • School-wide professional learning Leading inquiry at a teacher level www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Middle-and-senior-leaders

13. Consider the data… • What conclusions can you make based on the data today? • What could this mean for your department? Which areas may need to be the focus? • What data is available at school for you to use? Is there other data that could be useful? Use assessment data to inform practice

14. Effective practice to Inquiry • Focus group of students • Evidence about what is happening for these students • Identify an aspect that you act as an effective agent to help students improve • Take actions & apply teaching interventions to create improvements for students • Quality thinking about the value and effectiveness of actions

15. Effective practice to Inquiry cont… • Inquiry is based within a suitable timeframe • Meet and share regularly with your colleagues • Include as part of appraisal • Clear direction for professional learning

16. Examine the leadership of effective inquiry and mentoring of teachers Leading Inquiry • Inquire into effectiveness of teaching and its impact on students • Help teachers improve their knowledge of the inquiry process • ‘Leading learners’ – the more leadership is focused on teaching and learning, the greater the impact To what extent do your teachers use teacher inquiry to improve the learning for students?

17. Use of pedagogical knowledge to lead teacher learning for success • Who is effective in your department or school? • How do you know? • How is effective teaching and learning shared? • What does this look like?

18. BES Leadership Case studies for Professional Learning to improve student outcomes As part of an expert group: • Identify 2-3 key ideas that will make a difference in your department – Why? • What good leadership practices come out of this case study? • How will this impact on my priority students? • Share your findings and ideas with your home group.

19. ‘Crossing the landscape several times’

20. Enhancing teaching and learning Learning logs exemplar www.educationcounts.govt.nz/topics/bes/bes-exemplars • Discuss how this exemplar could be used to promote effective feedback to improve student outcomes in your particular area within the SS. • What needs to be considered?

21. Instructional Strategies may include… • Modelling – reading texts, processing information, writing, using exemplars, discussing... • Scaffolding towards independence • Connecting texts and tasks – purpose and relevance – Why am I reading this? What do I focus on? • Linking between modes – link practical activities to discussing, reading, writing, presenting • Critical thinking (perspectives, connectivity, relationships)

22. Providing sufficient opportunities to practise literacy skills. Practise using the language of the subject • Building vocabulary – oral, written, visual • Selecting relevant information and evaluating information • Critiquing sources • Using evidence, integrating evidence when writing…

23. Analysing student writing Consider: • Audience and purpose • Content/ideas • Structure/organisation • Language • Surface features

24. Making it manageable… • RTCs • Tataiako • Appraisals

25. Learning relationship process… • Set focus for observation of teaching or learning Reflective interview – explore goals and intended outcomes Observation • Self-assessment by partner Partner highlights strengths/missed opportunities/areas for development Coach listens without interruption or discussion • Coach gives evaluative feedback Coach gives a perspective of strengths and areas for further focus or development • Coach and partner engage in discussion and reflective interviewing

26. Exploring the concept of leading change Teachers have greatest influence on student outcomes How to promote teacher professional learning Learning from data becomes an integral part of practice Promote conditions which teachers use data to inform practice Leaders – your promotion of and participation in teacher professional learning

27. On reflection… Reflecting on today's workshop: • What will you do differently? • How will you lead this? • Consider individuals that may take longer to influence – how will you work with them?