This was a presentation given to the staff of Sullivan Heights Secondary on November 8th, 2013. The purpose of the presentation was to have them engage in a conversation to identify the school's strengths, challenges, and for the staff to provide guidance to their professional development committee. My role was as a keynote and facilitator of that process.

1. Nov. 2013

2. Overview

Keynote kick off

Discussion: Developing personal goals to move forward
as a cohesive and collegial staff to create powerful
learning environments for all.

coffee

Focusing the conversation: Continuing on from our
discussion in the morning, this process is designed to
create an action plan and identify things that we as a staff
want to do to move forward together.

Lunch

3. Agenda
8:30 – 9:00
 9:00 – 9:15
 9:15 – 10:00
 10:00 – 10:30
 10:30 – 10:45
 10:45 – 11:15
 11:15 – 11:30
 11:30 – 12:00
 12:00 – 12:15

Welcome - thoughts
Introduction to The Matrix
The interviews
Summary Sheets
Coffee
Report out
Carousel - priorities
Advice to pro-d committee
Closing comments

4. Keynote – a challenge

Just try to give us something a bit
inspirational.

I live with an 8 year old boy…

5. So what to do?

6. Perspective on…your students

You have champions in your midst

7. Perspective on…leadership

8. Perspective on…leadership

9. Perspective on…research
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
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John Hattie
Influences on student learning – 1999
Teachers make a difference – 2003
A meta-analysis (synthesis of over 50,000
studies) of what made a difference.
Why did he do this?
 “Everybody I ever met in the education business told
me what the answer was, and they were all
different,” he says. “It didn’t make sense to me that
everybody had evidence and could claim they were
right. In the early days meta-analysis was a new
concept, and I started wondering if I could use this
method to put every educational intervention on a
scale and measure them against each other.”

10. Perspective on…research


Students -- which account for about 50% of the
variance of achievement. It is what students bring to
the table that predicts achievement more than any
other variable.
Home -- which accounts for about 5-10% of the
variance – considering that the major effects of the
home are already accounted for by the attributes of
the student. The home effects are more related to
the levels of expectation and encouragement, and
certainly not a function of the involvement of the
parents or caregivers in the management of schools.
Teachers make a difference, 2003

11. Perspective on…research


Schools - which account for about 5-10% of the
variance. Schools barely make a difference to
achievement.
Principals --are already accounted for in the
variance attributed to schools and mainly, I would
argue, because of their influence on the climate of
the school. Principals who create a school with high
student responsiveness rather than bureaucratic
control, who create a climate of psychological safety
to learn, who create a focus of discussion on student
learning have the influence. The effect on learning is
trickled through these attributes rather than directly
on learning.
Teachers make a difference, 2003

12. Perspective on…research
Peer effects -- which accounts for about
5-10% of the variance. It does not
matter too much who you go to school
with, and when students are taken from
one school and put in another the
influence of peers is minimal.
 Teachers – who account for about 30%
of the variance. It is what teachers
know, do, and care about which is very
powerful in this learning equation.

Teachers make a difference, 2003

13. Perspective on…research
Teachers are the biggest game changer.
 Feedback (formative assessment) is the
most powerful mechanism as an
instructional strategy.
 Leadership matters, but it matters in
developing a safe, professional and
collaborative climate with a focus on
learning – the relationship to learning is
through the teachers who are
empowered and supported.


14. Teaching is a gift
It is a sacred trust.
 And with that trust comes an obligation.
 We (the profession and public) hold you
to a high standard.


15. Standards for Educators in BC

Educators engage in career-long
learning.
 Educators engage in professional development
and reflective practice, understanding that a
hallmark of professionalism is the concept of
professional growth over time. Educators
develop and refine personal philosophies of
education, teaching and learning that are
informed by theory and practice. Educators
identify their professional needs and work to
meet those needs individually and
collaboratively.

16. Standards for Educators in BC

Educators contribute to the
profession.
 Educators support, mentor or encourage
other educators and those preparing to enter
the profession. Educators contribute their
expertise to activities offered by their
schools, districts, professional
organizations, post-secondary institutions or
contribute in other ways.

17. Just like student
champions…

You have staff members with various
gifts and strengths.

18. Perspective on…teachers

Doctors, social media and public trust

19. My job today…



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To do what you invited me to do…
Tap into your expertise and strengths
Tap into your personal (professional) goals
Help identify themes that capture those
strengths
Help identify both opportunities and
barriers that exist in your work
Help you to provide advice and guidance to
your colleagues on the Pro-D committee

20. How?
Talk to each other on questions you
helped design
 Summarize themes
 Prioritize directions
 Summarize advice to your committee
 Eat lunch.


21. The Questions…
The importance of clarity
 In developing themes, the difference
between professional autonomy and
themes that help guide your collective
pro-d offerings.
 A handout…


22. Today’s process
This is a conversation about you and
your school. The strengths, challenges
and possibilities that exist.
 Each person will be an expert in 1 of 4
questions.
 Each person will be given an opportunity
to speak to 4 questions.
 Through an “Interview Matrix” everyone
will be heard.


23. My Job – Your Job
My Job
Your Job
Timekeeper
Facilitator
Task master
Record what people say
Summarize their thoughts
Connect ideas
Setting the stage for your
voice
Speak your mind

24. Individual responsibilities
Listening, not defending
 The task is about hearing voices not
about responding
 The end goal is to have a list of priorities
– as defined by you, from which to plan
and act.
 You do NOT have to fill in all the blanks
on all the sheets that you have.


25. Move into groups, number
off

Move yourself into groups of 4. With people
you don’t normally hang around with
(please).

Not even 4’s?
If 5, - form a group of 5 with two #1’s.
If 6, - form a group of 6 with two #1’s and
two #2’s.
 If 7 – form a group of #1, #2 and #3



26. The Matrix
7 rounds of 5 minutes each.
You will interview and be interviewed
about the 4 questions.
In round 1 – person #1 interviews #2
and person #3 interviews #4. Same
pattern continues every 5 mins.
Round 1
Round 2
Round 3
Round 4
Round 5
Round 6
Round 7
1v2
2-3
2-4
3-2
4-2
2-1
Personal
Summary
3v4
4-1
3-1
1-4
1-3
4-3
Interviewer – Interviewee
Each round – 5 mins

27. Java Jive…

Back at 10:15 please…
15 mins
 Bio break


28. The group summary
Each question expert gathers around
sheets to summarize their feedback.
 1’s together
 2’s together
 3’s together
 4’s together


Recorder, reporter…..Summarize!

29. Summary Etiquette
Focus on what matters
 Contribute your best thinking
 Speak your mind and heart
 Listen to understand
 Link and connect ideas
 Listen together for insights and deeper
questions


30. After the summaries…

Everyone back on stage with your large
sheets so that we can hear a report out
from each of the 4 questions.

31. Summary Report Out
Recorders (or others) will report out on
each of the areas.
 What did people have to say about your
question?
 What were the highlights?
 Please give context for your
conversations and summaries.
 The context is crucial for the next step.


32. Carousel - from recording to
advice
Four stickers – colour is irrelevant
 One each - priorities from questions 1, 2
 One each - priorities from questions 3, 4
 A “staff snapshot” of the top issues to be
considered in the short or long term.
 You have heard the summaries, you
have an idea of what you feel is most
important.
 Four votes. Four different priorities.


33. Closure

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Reporting out on carousel – what themes
emerged?
What guidance did you give to your pro-d
committee?
Hopefully we’ve had an opportunity to move
from awareness to engagement.
From this comes an opportunity to form a plan
based on your priorities.

34. Teaching is complicated

35. The importance of culture
Ursula Franklin
 The value of voice
 The culture is you
 Your interactions with each other are
what defines “the way we do things
around here”


36. We all change over time…
Andrew Johnston
Paul Potts

37. Thank you
Blog: jordantinney.org
 Twitter: @jordantinney
 Email: tinney_j@Surreyschools.ca
