Amazon.com: ISBN13 -978-1948334730 / Impress (April 17, 2024)/ 212 pages

• Instructional Leadership - Effective instructional leaders are deeply knowledgeable about curriculum and pedagogy. They work closely with teachers to improve instructional practices and create an environment of continuous learning for all.

• Management Leadership - While not the sexiest part of the job, principals must still be skilled at managing school operations, budgets, schedules and resources effectively and efficiently.

• Relational Leadership - Perhaps most importantly, great principals build strong relationships and view their school as a community. They connect with and support students, teachers, parents and the wider community.

• Innovative Leadership - The best principals aren't complacent. They embrace change, encourage new ideas, and aren't afraid to take calculated risks to better serve students.

Through a mix of research, relatable examples and practical advice, the authors make a compelling case that integrating these five pillars is crucial for creating positive school cultures and driving student success. While targeted primarily at principals, the book offers valuable insights for any current or aspiring educational leader.

Overall, "What Makes a Great Principal" is an insightful and actionable guide for cultivating the mindsets and practices needed to lead an effective 21st century school. The authors' passion for great leadership shines through.

Reason #1: A lot of professional learning is "sit and get".

The report is clear. This does not usually work, unless it is to kick off follow-up active PD sessions.

In the report they identify seven factors of effective PD. Five out of the first six are specifically about active and hands on learning.

Using the methodology detailed in Appendix A, we identify seven characteristics of effective PD. Specifically, we find that it:

1. Is content focused

2. Incorporates active learning utilizing adult learning theory (can't do this in sit and get)

3. Supports collaboration, typically in job-embedded contexts (can't do this in sit and get)

4. Uses models and modeling of effective practice (can't do this in sit and get)

5. Provides coaching and expert support (can't do this in sit and get)

6. Offers opportunities for feedback and reflection (can't do this in sit and get)

We see that each characteristic is slightly different, but almost all of them cannot be successful in a "sit and get" type of learning environment. This is why the most effective PD is often an "Earn to Learn" session where both the facilitator and the learner are working to create authentic meaning out of the experience.

Reason #2: A lot of professional learning is "one and done"

The seventh characteristic of effective PD is "sustained duration". This means it cannot be a single session on a single topic. When we do this there is no research to support it being effective in any way, and is often a waste of time.

If you are leading professional learning, try to filter the experiences and sessions between these two reasons and see how it stacks up.

If you have to do a sit and get session, follow it up with a hands on experience like a design sprint, rapid prototyping session, or empathy mapping experience.

Then follow up and continue the focus of your professional learning for a sustained duration to make it effective.

Source: Learning Policy Institute & A.J. Juliani Blog