Leadership Interactions: Is School Real?

We think about a school as real but it actually exists because all who take part in its activities implicitly agree to act as though it does. Clearly the buildings and furnishings are real but students come each day expecting to meet with teachers who will guide their activities and their thinking. Teachers for their part expect that someone will ensure that an agreed payment will regularly reach their bank account and that the buildings will be adequately resourced to enable them to function effectively. Parents and others expect a certain standard of care and the guided access to a range of knowledge. Legally there is some support for this activity but essentially schools exist because individuals interact with each other according to some social and moral parameters. It is the interactions that confirm the existence of a school[1]. 

It follows, therefore, that leaders within schools should pay careful attention to the interactions that occur within their sphere of influence. To increase effective student learning may require individuals to adapt both the kind and form of their interaction with each other. A focus on interaction may reveal insights, intentions, and effects that have the potential to transform the learning milieu.

 The study material offered on this site is provided for individual and group use, focuses on interactions, and suggests a sequence of:

            gathering a sample of what you currently do; [Perhaps with this template]

            critiquing this, probably with some trusted others;

            comparing what you do with the available literature;

            making some decisions about ‘what next’; and

            evaluating the effect of this activity on teaching and learning.

We wish you well.

Please click on the arrow below to open the first module.