This week has been characterised by a series of seemingly unresolvable dilemmas. Situations where there is no right reasoning, nor easy decision to take.
Take for example the issue of requests for additional supports at meetings around the child. A technicist approach would say no to additional demands as there are no additional resources. However my values, commitment and orientation to ‘meeting needs of all learners’ challenges me as Headteacher to find a way.
In one situation, not wanting to let others go without, I took on additional duties to support our learners who need more.
The dilemma here is whose needs do I meet? The child’s as it has been identified at a meeting they require more? The class or other children from whom I may take away some resource to support this newly identified need or myself? As headteacher my time is precious and if I take on too much I can’t help anyone…
In the end I found myself taking on that little bit extra… that can’t go on.
Another dilemma has been what to make the focus of a strategic change initiative. This particular piece of masters level learning has been key in getting me to think long term, rather than day to day which is so easy to fall into.
Short-termism, or thinking operationally is especially prevalent given the current educational landscape, where some days are filled with staff juggling and supporting learners with their challenges. Also crucial is supporting and promoting the health and wellbeing of a weary workforce.
As I’m just getting to know my school it’s easy to be dragged in to trying to strategically address everything… and that’s actually not strategic.
With my team we are going to have to choose. With choosing comes prioritising… and not everything gets done, and not everyone’s needs can be met.
The dilemma here is how do we know the right area to choose for strategic change? Is it the widest change, so that everything gets a chance – or does that dilute the process and render it ineffectual? Do we choose a really tight focus to do one thing really well? In choosing this course of action will we establish a sustainable a process, drill down into what matters and in so doing protect our own health and wellbeing?
If we do that, what implications does that actually have for future school improvement planning? Could we refine the process more? Could our school become the best it can be with tight foci and manageable goals? And staring me in the face is have I been looking at school improvement wrongly?
As always I have more questions than answers, however in voicing questions, answers start to be generated.
Malcolm Gladwell says in his book The Outliers it takes roughly 10,000 hours to achieve mastery. At only about 500 hours into my first headship I have a long way to go, and many more dilemmas to face.
I need to do what I tell all our children … “Have courage and be kind”.
The Enquiring Head Teacher 