Changing Role of the School Principal as outlined by Michael Fullan Part 1
The Principal: Three keys to Maximising Impact
Manywill have read Michael Fullans previous books about school leadership such as The Six Secrets of Change: What the Best Leaders Do to Help Their Organizations Survive and Thrive (2008), Change Leader: Learning to Do What Matters Most (2011), Professional Capital (2012), or Stratosphere: Integrating Technology, Pedagogy, and Change Knowledge (2012), The Principal (2014) in contrast to previous publications explores and discusses in detail how and why (and as outlined in the preface "why so urgently") the principals role itself must change. This post is part 1 in a series summarizing each chapter and drawing out some points for my own learning.
While the book is largely US centric, as outlined by Fullan the key issues taken up are applicable in any country in the world. With his promise of "how life could change markedly for the better for the principal" who wouldn’t be drawn in.
Of particular interest to me is how I "can enhance and improve learning for students" in my own school but also the responsibility we all have as leaders in schools to work together to "strive for whole system change" through a "collaborative effort".
Chapter 1 Outmoded
Fullan opens by charting the learning fate of principals, teachers and students - all keeping pace with each other but as he outlines in the wrong direction. Students are bored as they reach and progress through second level education. From once happy "kindergartners" they are alienated by grade 9 (about 1st/2nd in the Irish context). This also resonates with research in Ireland by Dr Emer Smyth, ESRI and the NCCA particularly Moving Up (2004) and Pathways through Junior Cycle (2006). Fullan suggests that teachers have less job satisfaction and Principals are becoming "increasingly stressed".
Fullans says if you ask teachers what school they would most like to teach in or whether they would want to stay in teaching, you will hear of two things that will top their lists: the quality of their colleagues and the quality of school leadership.
The heart of the book as outlined by Fullan is to reposition the "direct instructional leadership role" of the principal which is "not the solution", to one of "overall instructional leader" so that the principals role clearly, practically and convincingly "becomes a force for improving the whole school". This changed role promises to maximize learning for all teachers and in turn of all students. The new view of leadership Fullan outlines is more in harmony with the human condition. We (humans) Fullan suggests are fundamentally motivated by two factors:
doing things that are fundamentally meaningful to ourselves
working with others in accomplishing worthwhile goals never before reached.
If principals can get the knack of stimulating and enabling these powerful organic forces then fundamental changes will occur in accelerated time frames. For anyone that has read some of Fullans recent collaborative work with Maria Langworthy on New Pedagogies for Deep Learning (https://twitter.com/NewPedagogies) you will see some of the aspects of a new role principals emerging. Central to this new role is
"learning leader-one who models learning, but also shapes the conditions for all to learn on a continuous basis".
This is flanked by two other parts:
System player
Agent of change
Maximizing Impact
Fullans outlines that throughout the book he will detail what principals should do if they want to lead learning in ways that clear the path toward improving student achievement in demonstrable ways. He promises that he "will make no claims for the role that cannot be linked to measurable impact deep and wide."
End of Chapter Action items and discussion points with colleagues
I suggest that my teachers and students reflect on their learning and practice on a regular basis as a source for continuous improvement (Kaizen - more about this in another post when I get the time - the work of W Edwards Deming, is a must read, that’s my inner engineer coming out but relative to much of Fullans writing).
What Fullan does at the end of each chapter is to also give the reader some homework and reflection tasks
Some Action Items include
What signs do you see among your more advances students of growing love or dislike of school?
What roles do you play now as principal?
Discuss with colleagues includes
Where is your school headed right now and what implications does this have for how teachers can work more effectively together?
I can see from my own experience how Fullans redefinition of the role of principal from instructional leader to leading learning in a school,
someone “who models learning, but also shapes the conditions for all to learn on a continuous basis” how great an impact it has had and can continue to have not just on my own professional practice but on that of the the teachers in our school. This is something I have been trying to adopt in my own practice over the past two years in Coláiste Bhaile Chláir and indeed previously as principal in Gairmscoil Mhuire. We have exceptionally able and gifted teachers in all of our schools. They should be celebrated and encouraged to continually develop themselves both professionally and personally.
Refreshingly Fullan highlights that this isn't simply theory informing practice rather "practice producing better theory". It is based on the work is engaging with in schools throughout the world.
