Misneach1 setting_sail1_web

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SETTING SAIL 1

Leo Hogan & Ed O’Donovan

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• Tuning in to School Culture

• ‘Big Ticket’ Items for 2017/2018

• Staff Meetings

Topics

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• WSE and inspection reports

• Mission Statement and other policy docs

• What’s celebrated – photos, Newsletters, website and other social media

• Parent Council & Student Council agenda

• Get to know staff – family issues, areas of involvement in school

• School role in the community

Tuning In

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• Minutes of recent Staff Meetings

• Minutes of recent BOM Meetings

• Records of the School Self-Evaluation (SSE) process and the School Improvement Plan (SIP) that was published

• LC Results

• Summer Exam Reports – pay close attention to the teacher comments

Tuning In contd

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Are there other ways of

familiarising yourself with

the school’s culture?

Think/Share

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Big Ticket Items

1. Looking At Our School 20162. Framework for NJC 20153. Wellbeing Guidelines4. School Self-Evaluation 2016-

20205. Circular 0040/2016 –

Continuing SSE6. Circulars 0024/2016 and

0015/2017 –Implementation of NJC

7. Circular 29/2017 – Junior Cycle Resources (Professional Time & Admin Grant

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• These (LAOS, NJC, Wellbeing & SSE) are not 4 separate projects

• SSE should be used to implement Wellbeing, which is part of NJC, and develop LAOS

• The appendices to the Wellbeing Guidelines are excellent SSE tools

Big Ticket

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A set of clear, definable standards in two dimensions:

• teaching and learning

• leadership and management

To be used selectively

• choose what is relevant and useful

• do so reflectively and collaboratively

What is in LAOS?

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Leadership & Management (LAOS)

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Teaching & Learning (LAOS)

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Teacher Questionnaire (Wellbeing Guidelines)

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• You are required to publish the school’s SIP and its Wellbeing Programme to the school community – probably through website

• Use SSE and the Wellbeing Questionnaires to (further) develop the Wellbeing Programme

• Use SSE to examine aspects of the domains in LAOS

• JCT and PDST will support you and your school• Your BOM has a role here also – you’re not

alone

SSE/LAOS/NJC Links

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• Check if the school has started the process of developing and publishing a Wellbeing Programme, with input from students, teachers and parents

• Is there a Wellbeing Team in place?

• Has the use of Croke Park hours been decided and ratified by BOM? How much of this time allocated to SSE/LAOS/NJC? How will the 22hours/teacher be used?

Next Steps

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• The school may use the old syllabus for each of PE, SPHE and CSPE for its WB Programme but….Appendix I

• Recommend using new specification for each because the work already done and you may assess as short courses if >100 hrs

• The decision between syllabus/spec should be reflected in published programme

Syllabus or Specification?

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It is likely that you are at a table with principals from ETB schools who have already been involved in aspects of NJC and have availed of 3 days of inservice.

1. What has your school and other schools done to date, in relation to SSE/LAOS/NJC & WB?

2. Where will you start in your school?

Think/Share

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• Teaching & Learning on agenda of every Staff Meeting (& BOM Meeting)

• In secondary schools, your Trust may expect the charter to feature regularly

• Check current systems for:– Minute-taking and recording – who, where?

– Chairing meetings

– Deciding the agenda

– What’s recorded? Emailed or posted on board?

Revise/change, if necessary, through discussion

Staff Meetings

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• Venue

• Protocols – punctuality, mobile phones, confidentiality,

• Prayer/reflection to begin

• Managing the strong/vocal staff, creating a safe environment, democracy

• Create independence – you don’t have all the answers

• Did you promise to do something in particular for this meeting? Is it done?

Staff Meetings

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• Split items into

– Information

– Discussion

• Consider group-work for the items requiring discussion: Selecting groups?

• In advance of the meeting, look at the agenda and ask yourself, ‘what would be a good outcome?’ This helps you to steer the meeting towards a decision.

Staff Meetings – The Agenda

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• Seating arrangements – shouldn’t be an area where a group always sits

• Self-aware: watch your personal triggers

• Begin to recognise indicators of impending conflict

• Respect and other basic protocols

• Leadership is about positive influence

Staff Meetings - Other

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• Check minutes of last Staff Meeting

• Check the agenda and minutes of last year’s first staff meeting when drafting this year’s agenda

• In your letter to staff, invite items for agenda

• Finish with lunch, provided by the school?

• Remember: your enthusiasm may not be matched by staff

Your First Staff Meeting

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In your experience of Staff Meetings:

1. What works well?

2. What factors contribute to a poor

meeting?

Think/Share