Presentation on how to improve instructional leadership in our schools

1. Bobby Dodd
TheEducationalLeaders.com
2016 NASSP National Digital Principal of the Year

3. Visible Learning for Teachers (2012)
by John Hattie
• Hattie uses a “.40 hinge point” meaning there
is an impact of at least a year’s growth with a
year’s input.
• The larger effect size, the larger impact on
growth
• Instructional Leadership has a larger impact
on growth than we previously thought

4. What Will We Cover Today
• 5 key ways to improve as an instructional
leader
• Resources to use to improve as instructional
leaders
• Mindset to use to improve as an instructional
leader

5. • As leaders, we need to provide
resources and be a resource for
our staff
• There is no excuse not to share
resources with teachers and not
to be a resource

6. • Use different resources to find information for
your staff:
– Flipboard
– Medium
– Twitter
– LinkedIn
– Pinterest
• Resources that allow you to find information and
share it with your staff to help them get better.

7. • As leaders, we need to be resources as well.
• We need to educate ourselves
• We need to be curious
• We need to be involved in professional
development with our staff
• We need to be role models as learners

8. Educational Leadership Activity
• To be a change agent, we must model change
1. Create groups of 4-5 people.
2. Each person in group reads article Willingness to Be Disturbed by Margaret
Wheatley and identifies passages that they feel may have important
implications for their work
3. 1 person at a time responds to each level:
1. Literal: read passage aloud (indicate place in text)
2. Interpret: What does this passage mean to you?
3. Extension: What are the implications of this passage on my work? How will I
apply it?
4. The group responds to what has been said by each group member (2 minute
response time)
5. Repeat steps #3 & #4 for each group member
6. We have a whole group discussion – Take away? What do we believe? What do
we model?
7. How are you willing to be disturbed? What will you do about it?

9. • As leaders, we need to support our
staff
• We need to communicate with staff
• In order to know what good
instruction looks like and what your
staff needs, you need to be in
classrooms

10. • Create a plan/schedule for visiting classrooms
– Use Google Calendar to visit rooms
– Don’t go back to your office to start the day – start the
day in classrooms
– Provide feedback to your staff on what you saw
(either create a form or use eTPES)
• All administrators need to be instructional
leaders
– Make sure all administrators in building focus on being
instructional leaders

11. • Are you communicating your message to
staff?
– Share what you value regarding instruction
– Celebrate great instruction and use of resources
• Make communicating a large part of your
leadership
• Share instructional vision with students and
parents as well
– Use weekly newsletters to share with parents
different instructional methods used in school

12. • It is our obligation as leaders to help create
more leaders
• Share high expectations through the building
• Share leadership responsibilities with staff
members

13. • Teacher leader teams need to have a voice
• Convince your best teachers to share and
celebrate their instructional successes
– Share during staff meetings

14. • Instructional leaders build relationships
• There are relationships with not only staff
members, but also their Professional Learning
Network (PLN) and parents

15. • Conversations with staff regarding instruction
goes a long way
• Meeting with staff members from different
departments helps you stay aware of what is
going on

17. • Hattie does a great job of explaining the
difference between Transformational Leaders
and Instructional Leaders
• The IMPACT of instruction, methods used,
curriculum and other tangibles is what we
need to focus on

18. Educational Leadership Activity
1. What are your most rewarding experiences as an
instructional leader? What are the critical characteristics
of the leadership experience for you as a teacher, learner,
or leader?
2. Write down 3-5 one-word descriptors of the qualities that
are most important to you as an instructional leader (5
min)
3. Gather in groups of 2-3 and each person share a
rewarding experience. Reflect on elements of being an
instructional leader had in your experiences (5 min)
4. Take a few minutes to think about an instructional
leadership issue you are struggling with now. How might
you use what you learned today to respond to your
dilemma? (2 min)
5. Share as a group

19. 1. Focus on Being a Resource
2. Communicate and be a Presence
3. Help Create More Leaders
4. Build Relationships
5. Know the Impact on Instruction

21. • Email: robertdodd43783@gmail.com
• Twitter: @bobby__dodd
• Voxer: bobby__dodd
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-dodd-8258542/
• Website: www.TheEducationalLeaders.com