In our debate about school reform some of the main features that are gaining acceptance nationally (and internationally) include a curriculum and standards framework covering all years of primary and secondary schooling, the local selection of staff to match priorities among learning needs, the decentralisation of the education budget to schools, and a framework for accountability that includes regular reporting and review against intentions in development plans.
Within this scenario headteachers play a central role since leadership in the school is the single most important factor in improving student learning. Schools today are in the middle of examining the proper work for teachers and the proper work for students. As we redefine what teachers do as professionals, we must, by necessity, redefine how school leaders operate.
More than ever before, the key role of the contemporary headteacher is to serve as an instructional leader. Ultimately, it is teachers who are called to teach and the head has to trust them.
However, while this may have been the case in the past, the contemporary head needs to help teachers to identify instructional goals and offer his/her support as they work towards achieving those goals. The head needs to observe teachers in the classroom and provide constructive feedback. He/she needs to encourage and create opportunities for teachers to watch one another teach, to learn from one another. The head needs to ensure that teachers have the support and the resources necessary to do their job better.
Naturally, once heads have a clear vision of what the education programme is all about then one can develop strategies of how to get there. Yet, to get to that vision is not easy. Heads need not only have a good and clear understanding of what the education authorities want to achieve and understand their vision but also know what student learning looks like and know what instructional approaches would support that vision.
School leaders must determine the learning needs of the school's population and then create an instructional programme to meet those specific needs. School leaders must not be afraid to suggest changes if and when particular approaches are not working. Heads need to be more nimble, more agile if we truly believe that we should help all children to learn. Within this context, change is seen as inevitable and positive.
Many will argue that this is what a lot of heads are doing or trying to do. Definitely, most heads have managed to articulate the vision and create a sense of mission and probably many would say they managed this with little fuss. What they would argue is that the major challenge is that of empowering others to carry out that mission, of bringing people together, of harnessing that collective energy.
Particular activities can help school leaders learn how to identify the natural leaders among the staff who can help bring other teachers along. If improving reading is a goal, for example, heads are encouraged to find a teacher leader with strong skills in reading instruction who can share his/her effective strategies with others. In this way, developing the staff is not the sole responsibility of the head. The head's role here is that of identifying potential, praising it and using it to nurture the potential within others.
Thus, while heads may be held accountable for what the school does, he or she is not solely responsible for success. For, while heads know and identify particular development needs of their staff they cannot conduct or see to all of it. Similarly, while they can identify certain instructional decisions that need to be made they cannot undertake them all.
Headteachers need to have the ability to share power, to trust in the abilities of others to do a good job. Heads need to build the confidence of staff by being there, responding to their needs, asking challenging questions, helping teachers to overcome their uncertainties; act as a sounding board for their ideas, praise and celebrate their efforts and successes. Let your dreams challenge and drive people forward. You need to be the visionary one and help teachers to take risks - succeed and fail.
If teachers want to try something out and it does not work, we need to learn to ask, "What did we learn from that?" Teachers may have answers but may not realise that they have them.
The leader's job is to encourage teachers to test their ideas while always monitoring student progress. Teachers must become the scientific explorers of their profession as the NMC upholds. When the Apollo astronauts went to the moon, they were on course only about 10 per cent of the time. They knew where they were going, but they had to keep making adjustments along the way. No one thought of those adjustments as failures, and educators should not either. There is no failure, only feedback. This is one of the principles behind our school development plans.
As ideal as it sounds, establishing a culture that supports teacher leadership and shared decision-making is easier said than done, as many a researcher and practitioner will attest to. Today's leaders have to establish school cultures that help teachers feel that they are equal. The problem often results when heads and teachers have a rather vague notion of what shared decision-making is.
In brief, it implies a willingness on the part of all parties to be involved in determining the way things will unfold. It implies a level of participation that can lead to particular decisions (and not others) being taken. Yet, this is often interpreted as meaning that what is shared determines what takes place. This, in itself implies that members have not really understood the process of sharing and participating. Leaders need to explain the role, process and outcomes of shared decision-making. If time is not devoted to this, teachers who give their input may end up disappointed if the head's ultimate decision does not reflect their thinking. Teachers are then less inclined to engage in the process.
Such disillusionment can be avoided if heads learn to do just two things: listen and communicate. Sounds easy, but let us admit it, listening is not truly typical of our nature. And, often heads and teachers do complain about the lack of open communication that exists in their school. To be effective heads have to have well developed human relations skills. These take time to develop and require effort and sacrifice.
Listening is one of the most crucial skills any leader can develop. Listening conveys caring, and when people know you care, they begin to trust. Once they begin to trust, they open up and take risks. A head should always listen and show teachers that he/she is willing to help others. It is all too easy to become distracted and overcome by day-to-day events as they unfold. Be there for teachers, create structured time for them to share with you and each other.
Establish a time during meetings or ceremonies to celebrate success. Note that ceremonies and celebrations are about focus and purpose. Extend these to involve students, parents and other community members. In this way you will gain the attention, interest and support from parents.
Leadership, among other things, is about these things that I have shared with you. It is a tough job and it is essential that you enjoy doing it. Constantly ask yourself why you are doing it. Remember that heads do and can make a difference in the quality of education provided to our children. Are you one of them?!
Dr Bezzina is a lecturer within the Faculty of Education where he lectures in educational management and leadership, classroom management and is a consultant in school improvement and quality assurance.