Pause and Reflect

Around this time each year, I pause and reflect on the goals that I set back in January. I have realized for the first time that I actually follow quite a predictable pattern. With different projects at various stages of development and implementation, plans and initiatives underway for the following year, recruitment and the constant flux of relationship management across the school, the weight of the year can tend to weigh heavily on your mind. You can fall into a trap of letting the small number of negatives outweigh the many positives.

As I review the goals I had set for myself, I realize that I have achieved far more than I even set out to achieve. Given that I usually set quite ambitious goals, this period of reflection is a chance to look back on what I have accomplished in the past twelve months and to give some much-needed self-congratulations.

I look back on the successes (and failures), the wins, the moments of learning and the significant areas of personal and professional progress. As I reflect, I ask myself what I would do differently given the opportunity. I do not dwell on it, however. I pause and savour the moment, and then move on.

Each year I collect some data to help inform my future directions. In 2015, I completed the Genos Emotional Intelligence (EI) 360 survey, the Seven Habits of Highly Successful People 360 survey and a self-assessment using Paul Browning’s rubric for assessing trust and transformational leadership practice. I also used this rubric in 2016 and 2017. I have scheduled a Genos EI 360 survey for February of 2018 and it will be interesting to see how I have progressed.

My goals this year were on three areas – Developing Relationships and Trust, Enhancing Learning Culture and Personal Development and are listed below.

Developing Relationships and Trust

• Visit classes for thirty minutes every day
• Attend morning tea daily rotating across the three schools
• Timetable fortnightly meetings with key people
• Spend time equally across the three schools
• Empower the Leaders of Learning and build a cohesive team to lead the different priorities of the three schools
• Embed the GROWTH model of coaching into my daily interactions with others
• Ensure accountability by always having actions after each meeting or conversation
• Ensure graduates are supported throughout the VIT full registration process
• Seek ways to affirm and thank staff members, publicly and privately, every day

Enhancing Learning Culture

• Continue to provide permission to innovate
• Engage staff in a managed process for focused collaborative review and improvement using both our Vision for Learning and Rubicon Atlas
• Streamline and improve professional learning administrative processes
• Develop a leadership development program informed by a coaching way of being
• Drive the Centre for Learning, Research & Innovation’s strategic priorities and vision of success (See CLRI strategic plan)
• Implementation of a new LMS that supports ongoing assessment and reporting and pastoral and data tracking across the College
• Support staff in further developing an understanding of a Reggio-inspired approach in the Junior School
• Develop the year seven model of contemporary team teaching and learning
• Examine VCE data and engage key staff in determining an improvement strategy
• Lead an elective review at year nine
• Enhance experiential learning opportunities
• Continue to drive Digital Portfolio rollout strategy
• Meeting structure review in conjunction with Heads of School and Leaders of Learning
• Develop an improved process for the placement of pre-service teachers across the College.
• Conduct twenty-four recorded video observations of teaching practice and engage staff in dialogue

Personal Development

• Sit colloquium for PhD candidature and begin collecting data
• Collect 50% of data for PhD
• Gain Growth Coaching International Accreditation
• Train for a base level of fitness for Nepal Trek in December
• Spend more quality time with family

Whilst I am happy with the progress made in most of these areas this year, being visible remains the biggest challenge of having a multi-campus role. One strategy for being visible that I recently come across was a Principal who every morning writes and hand delivers birthday cards to every student and staff member. A big commitment but one that quickly becomes non-negotiable through community expectation.

What strategies do you use to remain visible?