Hi Colleagues,
I hope this week’s edition finds you well.
QUOTE
“Most people think of demanding and supportive as opposite ends of a spectrum. You can either be tough or you can be nice. But the best leaders don’t choose. They are both highly demanding and highly supportive. They push you to new heights and they also have your back.
What I’ve come to realize over time is that, far from being contradictory, being demanding and supportive are inextricably linked. It’s the way you are when you believe in someone more than they believe in themselves.”
FUNNY OF THE WEEK
TWEET OF THE WEEK
I’ve recently joined the world of Instagram to share resources, thinking and what’s going on in education. I would love for you to follow me @education_enclave.
STUDENT WORK SAMPLES
One of the most powerful tools we can use in the classroom is student work samples. In the craziness tied up with the end of the year we can miss the opportunity to capture all of the work our students have completed across the year. We don’t want to just capture the ‘best’ pieces of the work, but the full spectrum.
Hard copies are always preferable, but scanned copies (or photos) might be the more realistic option.
Worked examples, bump it up walls, and rubrics are more effective, and authentic when using actual student work samples.
Try and find time before the start of next year to capture what you can. Your future self will thank you for it.
WHAT’S THE BEST THAT COULD HAPPEN?
All five episodes are now available of our Study Group around Debbie Miller’s, What’s The Best That Could Happen? New Possibilities for Teachers and Readers.
What a fantastic text! While I would recommend this book to all primary educators, those educators who employ the workshop model in their classroom/school will get the most out of the text. Reading is the lens that Debbie Miller employs throughout, but it is easy to make connections to other areas of the curriculum.
A big thank you to my colleagues who joined me across the five episodes. It started out as a bit of an experiment, and I really enjoyed the deep thinking and ideas that you all generously shared.
There has been a suggestion that we might find another text to study next year. First off, we will make it to the end of term, have a relaxing holiday break, and then start thinking about running another book club!
While you can listen to each episode as a stand alone, the best experience will be if you’ve read the book, as well as listened to each episode in sequence.
I’ve included the links to the podcast for each chapter below.
LEADING LITERACY
Applications for Leading Literacy for 2023 have recently been opened.
It might sound dramatic, but Leading Literacy literally changed my life.
I was a participant in the first ever intake way back in 2010, before becoming a principal the following year, and now heading into my seventh year as a facilitator of the very same course.
The key elements to the course are the content being research based, but importantly practical.
The activities we engage in help us learn as adults but are also very relevant to the types of learning our students should be experiencing.
We make no apologies that this is an ambitious course. Many schools that have sent team after team to the course have been acknowledged for the growth they have achieved, as well as award nominations. Many educators enrol in the course more than once.
Thankfully next year we have the option of the course running face to face for the first time since COVID hit.
I’ve included links below to the intakes that I’m facilitating, as well as the online options.
HOLIDAYS
I hope that when the holidays arrive you are able to switch off, enjoy time with family and friends, and recharge your batteries.
INBOX
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Thanks!
Thanks for reading and see you next week, Danny. P.S Feel free to provide me with any feedback regarding the newsletter, or anything for that matter via email.
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