A leader nurtures and sustains a culture that supports evidence-informed teaching and learning.
Please check out my classroom blog, The Becker Buzz, where I communicate with parents regarding assignments, learning activities we are doing in class and school current events/agenda items. This is a tool I have found very useful in my leadership position as I can easily update it on the go and leave it for a sub if I am called out of a classroom and they can pick up where I have left off. It is also a great place for me to store digital resources from year to year and helps me to stay organized!
Developing a shared responsibility for the success of all students
At A.B. Daley School we believe that all staff members play a role in the growth and development of all our learners. We use a collaborative response to supporting students by communicating about students who are struggling by referring to learning support or administration through our referral process. Our Learning Support team, comprising administrators, LST and FSL meet weekly to review new referrals and to check on progress of students and teachers who require support. Staff are then followed up with and included in these meetings, and a plan is made by the team. These plans are sometimes shared at staff meetings, especially when we are supporting a student during unstructured time where the homeroom teacher may not be present or when safety concerns arise.
Cultivating a culture of high expectations for all staff and students
An example of expectations laid out with staff at the start of the school year during our first meeting. With administration changes, and new staff being introduced, this was a great time for us to connect with staff and ensure that they were clear on our standards and know that there is support for them to meet these. I have tried to ensure that expectations are laid out clearly as we have moved forward with planning for the year, and also seek out feedback regarding initiatives so that I am aware if clarifications need to be made.
Creating meaningful, collaborative learning opportunities for all teachers and support staff
This year as part of our PLC planning, teachers have been engaged in ongoing PD and collaboration time which is embedded into their schedules. Teachers choose 2 additional sub days. At our staff meetings, we take turns having our teacher leaders present to us on different topics. Most of these topics this year have been around our school goals of numeracy/literacy and we also are integrating FNMI resources and learning into our sharing time. We believe in the concept of distributed leadership, and staff has really enjoyed presenting to each other and taking a more active role in their own PD.
Creating an environment for the safe and ethical use of technology
Teachers are responsible for instruction of Digital citizenship which we have included as part of our health curriculum and in our CTF for grades 4-6. Many teachers utilize sites such as Everfi and Career Crusing to address these outcomes. Students also sign Network User Agreements at the start of year, and teachers review expectations. If students are not using technology properly, they will be refered to the office or EBS room and their privileges can be removed for a period of time. Excerpt from our Student Handbooks: At A.B. Daley School, we believe that technology can be a powerful tool to enhance learning. In order to providequality education to rural students in a dynamic learning environment, LRSD provides network resources that support learning for students and staff. “Network resources” refers to all hardware, software, services (e.g., e-mail or Internet) and information resources accessed by authorized users of the LRSD technology network. Having our students learn responsible use of the Internet as an educational resource and maximizing its potential as a learning resource, depends on the coordinated effort, involvement and commitment of the student, the school and the parents. One aspect of that commitment is for parents and students to review this Network Responsible Use Agreement and accept its terms and conditions. Students must follow the rules on the Network Responsible Use Agreement when utilizing network resources, on school computers or personal devices, including accessing the Internet or using e-mail. Network use is a privilege, not a right. Failing to follow these rules may lead to loss of privileges.
I have been collaborating with my school council committee on finding a Digital Citizenship Social Media expert to present to parents. April 8th, I went to a session in Calgary in the evening with my parent council chair person. The presentation was fantastic and we have booked the speaker for January 2020 for our parent council. I have contacted Chad Kuzyk and we are hoping to partner to offer it to all LRSD parents who are interested in attending at our school! Below is the speaker, Paul Davis giving a Ted Talk! We are super excited to be able to offer this opportunity to our parents, it is such a great message and he outlines lots of practical tips to help inform parents about what they can do to ensure their family adopts safe internet practices.
Collaborating with community service agencies to provide wrap-around supports for all students who may require them, including those with mental health needs
We have partnerships with a variety of community organizations and divisional resources including:
LRSD Behaviour Support Team
LRSD Numeracy Support
LRSD Early Learning/PUF Coordinator
Alberta Health Services- OT/PT
Speech Language Pathologist
Porcupine Hills Early Learning Coalition
Partnership with Boys and Girls Club & Preschool
Alberta Mental Health
Children's Services
JT Foster Learning Team, including Admin team, FSL and Learning Support
Town of Nanton
Recognizing staff and student accomplishments
We have been making a habit as an admin team to celebrate staff and student achievement whenever possible. Our Friday Focus highlights staff and student celebrations each week and often includes pictures of classroom activities that we observe as we make our way through the school each week. We also have made it a priority to send personalized thank you notes to staff members on a regular basis, and to recognize teachers and support staff in different ways. Below is an example of a surprise left in mailboxes after a long week of report cards and interviews.
Mrs. Gillespie created the "Cool Cat" award to recognize teachers going above and beyond. We start our staff meetings by a staff member presenting to another staff member. This has been a really fun way for teachers to recognize each other's special talents and contributions. There have been lots of laughs and some tears when receiving the award. It has been a really neat addition to our meetings.