How Leadership Works Workshops

Workshop Descriptions

Workshop 1: Leading Teaching

This one-to-two-day workshop focuses on the foundational aspects of leading teaching. You will dive right into the mindframes essential for instructional leadership, and then explore research-based practices that have the highest impact on student learning outcomes. With these foundations in place, you will then focus on two highly impactful practices that go hand in glove for student learning—teacher clarity and student engagement. These practices provide a powerful 1-2 punch in improving the learning of both staff and students. Finally, you will examine practical examples that will reveal strategies for determining impact of both teaching and leading practices. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Analyze the 10 leadership mindframes and determine your own strengths and opportunities for growth as an instructional leader
• Describe the practices of leaders which have the greatest impact on student learning
• Assess your own sense of self-efficacy for instructional leadership and take steps to strengthen it
• Weigh the benefits of the teacher clarity process and take steps to lead the work for deep implementation with staff
• Assess levels of student engagement in learning and apply effective practices to improve
• Assist teachers in using pre and post data to make decisions about improving learning for all students
• Incorporate the use of evidence to assess and improve your impact as a leader

Workshop 2: Leading Learning

During this one-to-two-day workshop, you and your team will focus on practices that create conditions for quality learning for both staff and students. School culture and climate play a significant role in the overall performance of teachers and impacts students’ motivation and engagement in learning. After exploring the supporting research, you will learn practical strategies for creating a culture for learning and climate for error-making and risk-taking. You will also discover how to effectively support PLCs and create a culture of feedback where all school community members seek, give, receive, and act on feedback for improved performance. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Describe the difference between school culture and climate
• Use your leadership skills to build a learning-focused school climate
• Describe the elements of high-functioning PLCs
• Put the right supports in place to strengthen the work of teacher teams
• Harness the power of effective feedback for improved learning of staff and students
• Leverage the 3 feedback questions for school improvement:  Where are we going?  How are we doing? Where to next?

Workshop 3: Leading Change

During this one-to-two-day workshop, you and your team will explore change management and change leadership. Although leading schools through change seems like a daunting task, there are tried and true leadership practices that ease stress on staff and provide long-lasting results for leaders. These research-based practices will empower you and your leadership team to embrace the role of Change Agent enthusiastically. Diving deeper, you will examine de-implementation and implementation science practices—essential to deep, successful change, learning how and when to apply these processes will strengthen your leadership of change. By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Describe and apply 10 principles of leading school change
• Assess your current change practices and make adjustments to be a more effective change agent
• Predict and work through staff resistance to change through the 3 phases of the change process
• Use the planning template to create an inventory of current initiatives in order to remove, sustain or add change projects
• Create conditions and understandings in your school to accept and leverage de-implementation and implementation science work