Posted in Communication, Learning and teaching, Management, Planning on Dec 5th, 2007 4 Comments »
In was in Elphinstone Primary School this morning and managed to watch all four classes - nursery (3-4 year olds); P1/2 (5-6 year olds); P3-5 (7-9 year olds); and P6/7 (10 -11 year olds) - in that order.
Elphinstone only has 70+ children in the whole school but it enabled me to move up through the [...]
Posted in Communication, Consultation on Nov 25th, 2007 No Comments »
I attended the fourth Leaders of Learning Network meeting in Musselburgh this week.
These meetings are an opportunity for members of staff who do not hold promoted positions to contribute their own ideas towards the development of education in East Lothian and to have direct access to the Head of Education about any matters of concern.
The meeting went [...]
Posted in Communication, Culture change, Ideas, Parental Involvement, Partnerships, Personal Lessons, Public Services on Nov 24th, 2007 3 Comments »
You know that niggling feeling that you get when you’ve got an idea bubbling just underneath the surface and can’t quite express it - then again perhaps you don’t but it’s one with which I’m often afflicted. It’s like that for me at the moment with this business of parents and children as customers. I just can’t [...]
Posted in Accountability, Communication, Public Services on Nov 13th, 2007 2 Comments »
Guilt at missing work was compounded this week by having to pull out of an important public meeting scheduled for this Thursday evening in Dunbar to discuss the plans for the new primary school provision.
I’d been e-mailed last week by a parent who’d read that I was off work and I’d assured them that I [...]
Posted in Communication, Corporate, Finance, Public Services, School visits, honesty, professionalism on Oct 3rd, 2007 1 Comment »
It’s accepted practice to give anyone who works for local authorities abuse and criticism.
The picture of petty bureaucrats and people who are not good enough to get jobs in the “real world” is rarely challenged.
When I met recently with David Spilsbury, our Head of Corporate Finance, to discuss issues relating to the education budget I asked [...]
Posted in Admin, Communication, ICT, Ideas, Management, personal on Oct 3rd, 2007 2 Comments »
Spot the likeness?
Actually I’m talking about a skill I’ve developed over the last few years which probably saves my life.
I’m referring to the ability to dictate correspondence. I was out of the office all day yesterday and then had a meeting from 5.00-6.00, followed by a parents’ event at a primary school.
When I rolled into [...]
Posted in Communication, Learning and teaching, Uncategorized on Sep 11th, 2007 1 Comment »
We held our first Leadership Development Network meeting this evening at North Berwick.
The aim of these meetings is to give people who are not in promoted positions the opportunity to meet me, share ideas and express their opinions.
If today’s meeting was anything to go by they are going to prove exceptionally useful in helping us to [...]
Posted in Communication, Head Teachers, Ideas, Leadership, Personal Lessons, Words on Sep 3rd, 2007 4 Comments »
It was during a conversation this afternoon about how leaders communicate with colleagues that I used a completely throwaway remark about “pinging” and listening.
What I meant by this was that we need to engage with our colleagues if we are to really understand the impact that our strategies are having.
However, on saying the words the [...]
Posted in Communication, Performance Indicators, Social media, Using data, Words on Aug 23rd, 2007 No Comments »
So often in education we focus upon the hard data - figures -statistics - numbers.
So it’s really useful sometimes just to stop and listen to people’s stories.
If you want to read an interesting story about a mother’s perspective on her child sitting his Standard Grades a year early tune into guineapigmum.
Posted in Blogging, Communication, Culture change, Ideas, Leadership on Aug 21st, 2007 4 Comments »
I’ve just finished reading and can recommend Wikinomics, by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams.
The strapline for the book reads: “How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything”
The dustcover describes the book as follows :
In the last few years, traditional collaboration—in a meeting room, a conference call, even a convention center—has been superceded by collaborations on an astronomical scale.
Today, [...]
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