Cultivate Leadership to Multiply Teacher Learning

What can a school leader do to create an environment of continuous learning? How can you build leadership in order to multiply learning?
A school leader has the ability to impact student learning by cultivating an environment conducive for teacher learning.  A key to developing this positive learning environment is to build leadership within the school in order to multiply learning. 

The article below discusses the three components that will help to multiply learning. 

Cultivate Leadership to Multiply Teacher Learning article

Collaborative Leadership that Multiplies Learning: 2015 Teaching and Learning Presentation

Come and see Arlington High School's presentation at the annual 2015 Teaching and Learning Conference in Washington D.C.


http://teachingandlearning2015.org/speaker/paul-fanuele/

Speakers & Presenters

Sessions

• Collaborative Leadership that Multiplies Learning
  

  Friday March 13, 2015 11:30 - 12:45 pm

Paul Fanuele

Executive Principal, Arlington High School

Biography

Mr. Paul Fanuele is the Executive Principal of Arlington High School located in LaGrangeville, New York. He has over 20 years of experience in education serving as a coach, teacher, assistant principal, house principal, principal, and executive principal. Mr. Fanuele has served in both a large school setting (3400 students) and a small school setting (600 students). He also presently serves on the Executive Committee for SAANYS. Leadership and learning have been his passion and he is currently completing his doctoral studies in Educational Leadership. All of these roles have been rewarding including being a husband and father of two.

 

Collaborative Leadership that Multiplies Learning

Administrators and teacher leaders need to partner and work together in order to multiply learning.  Gone are the days of isolation when teachers and administrators focused only on the business located within the four walls of their office or classroom.  Today’s educational issues are complex and require the attention of a team of educators. This team of educational leaders needs to utilize the intelligence around them to solve the complex issues that currently face education. 

 
This interactive workshop will explore how our team uses professional books such as Mindset, Drive, Grading Smarter Not Harder, Notice and Note, to collaboratively lead professional development that multiplies learning. 

The Importance of a Growth Mindset

Have you ever wondered why some students respond to failure better than others? How would you feel if the students and staff in your school building thought that failure was good? How can you foster resilience during these challenging times? Administrators need to focus on creating a positive climate that emphasizes the benefits of failure in order for students to succeed; a climate that will enhance the abilities of their faculty and students and focus on what Carol Dweck (2006) calls a “growth mindset.”

The article below discusses the importance of a growth mindset in education. It highlights how Arlington High School (NY) utilized Carol Dweck's concept of a growth mindset.

The Importance of a Growth Mindset article

Drive Discussion: Final Session

We had our final discussion on Daniel Pink's Drive last week.  This session concentrated on Type I ideas for parents and educators.  A lengthy discussion occurred over the appropriate use of homework.  The concept of "guided autonomy" and student choice were major points.  Below is a handout I provided to facilitate the discussion.

Drive

Discussion Points

Type I for Educators page 174

          Homework

          Allowance/Chores

          Praise

          Big Picture

          Students as Teachers

PLC on Superintendent's Conference Day

On Tuesday, November 2, 2010, high school teachers participated in a Professional Learning Community activity led by the principal.  The two hour block consisted of a discussion and strategy session on the Common Core State Standards.  We viewed the website http://www.corestandards.org/ to learn about the standards.  We began the session by watching a video clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeeT1_P1hAI of NYSED Commissioner David Steiner.  We discussed the importance of the "Triangle" which consists of standards, curriculum, and assessment. 

Our teachers next analyzed student achievement data from regents exams over the past eleven years.  We worked in groups to list teaching methods that differ today in comparison to the late 1990's.   We followed this discussion by brainstorming what we can do differently today and in the future.  Both discussions were thought provoking and worthwhile. 

Our closing activity consisted of two steps.  First, we grouped by department to create department goals for the current school year.  This led to great dialogue in each group.  The second step was for each teacher to create a set of individual goals for this school year.  Our teachers worked individually on this task and will keep a written copy in a safe place.  We will use the individual goals for self-reflection throughout the school year.  All of the other lists generated including department goals, will listed on our common drive.  The day went well and I was impressed by our teachers' level of engagement.