Collaboration for improved student learning Recently my school welcomed Dr. Ben Jensen from the Grattan Institute. Dr. Jensen presented a summary of his findings into top tier Asian schools, based on his 2012 report. One of the more revealing aspects of Dr. Jensen’s report (and a little reported on aspect) are the collaboration strategies employed…
You should read this if you are leading change
Switch – Chip and Dan Heath Chip and Dan Heaths excellent ‘Made to Stick’ has already been reviewed here, now their next major book, ‘Switch, How to Change Things When Change is Hard’ is a standout read in the ever growing canon of change management books. Drawing from a wide array of research in psychology…
You should read this if you want to become a true instructional leader
Leverage Leadership Paul Bambrick-Santoyo Paul Bambrick-Santoyo is managing director of the high performing North Star Academies in the US and an instructional leader to be admired. He is also the author of Leverage Leadership, a practical, hands on guide to leading school improvement, which demonstrates clearly and decisively the actions school leaders should be taking to…
On the humanity of leadership and legacies
On the humanity of leadership and legacies Recently the foundation Principal of my school Mill Park Secondary College, Adrian Bennetto passed away at the age of 74. I was tasked with writing the notice for our College newsletter. Opening in 1992, I count myself lucky to have been one of the original cohort of students…
You should read this if you want double the capacity of your team
Multipliers: How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter – Liz Wiseman with Greg McKeown Across your career in teaching, there have probably been school leaders that you have loved working with and others that you have loathed working for. With some leaders you will have felt smarter, valued, supported, challenged and loved your work while…
You should read this if you want to instil your students with character and grit
How Children Succeed – Grit, Curiosity, and the hidden power of character Paul Tough In ‘How Children Succeed – Grit, Curiosity and the hidden power of character’ Paul Tough identifies the character strengths that make a difference in education and tells the stories of the leaders and schools that are making a difference. Tough highlights…
You should read this if you want to make better decisions
Decisive – How to make better choices in life and work Chip and Dan Heath Leading a school is complex, and the multiple decision making choices we are faced with are no less so. In the same day we may have to make a strategic decision like which teacher to hire on an ongoing basis,…
The Bookshelf
Our You Should Read This bookshelf to get you started on some reading. Click image to enlarge. Click here to view the bookshelf as a PDF the bookshelf youshouldreadthis Further reading: For more on the Bookshelf, read these reviews → ‘Think’ Edward De Bono, ‘Tribes’ Seth Godin, ‘So Good They Can’t Ignore You’ Cal Newport, ‘Made…
You should read this if you want to think better, teach better and understand people better
Think! Before it’s too late Edward De Bono It is not for this review to outline the decades of influence on education and thinking that has made Edward De Bono’s career. However, if you are looking to improve your students’ depth of thinking and creativity, enhance your own thought processes, and understand school, work and…
You should read this if you want to be a better boss
Good Boss, Bad Boss Robert L. Sutton Following on from his hugely successful, zeitgeist-grabbing book “The No Asshole Rule”, Robert Sutton delivers again with his book “Good Boss, Bad Boss”. The genesis of this book is in the hundreds and thousands of emails Sutton received after the publication of “The No Asshole Rule”. Startlingly many of…
You should read this is you want to sharpen your skills as a classroom teacher
Teach Like a Champion – 49 Techniques that Put Students on the Path to College Doug Lemov Doug Lemov has fast become a leading name in educational practice. His instant classic ‘Teach Like a champion’ provides teachers and school leaders with over 40 simple, yet highly effective strategies that can be incorporated into any classroom,…
Rules for analysing your student learning data @ysreadthis
Rules for analysing your student learning data From youshouldreadthisblog.wordpress.com Data causes teachers to react in many strange ways. Many teachers gleefully dive into reams of data, poring through pages intent on finding every nuance, detail and wrong answer. Some put their head in the sand, hiding their data in the dark recesses of a…
