Colorado Staff Development Council

"Thanks to Sharon Daxton-Vorce and Michele Turner for planning and facilitating the outstanding PLC meeting on February 15th. Time was spent in small groups revisiting the seven principles of sustainable leadership as presented by Andy Hargreaves at our November Conference. Using that information as a basis for discussion, participants learned a powerful new strategy called Open Space Technology. In Open Space meetings, participants create and manage their own agenda of parallel working sessions around a central theme of strategic importance. For example, as a whole group we generated a list of 4 or 5 topics around sustainable leadership that were important to us. Then, participants chose a topic of interest to them, and became part of that particular discussion group. At any time individuals could move to another discussion group if their needs were not being met or if they had learned enough about that topic and were ready to move to another discussion topic.

It was an extremely valuable process, with great information and time to network with colleagues. For those of you who were not able to attend, we hope to see you at our next PLC meeting on April 11th."

Sustainable Leadership (Andy Hargreaves): Principle #1

For the next several weeks you will find information on our website about one of the seven principles of Sustainable Leadership as generated at our February 15th Professional Learning Community meeting. We will start with Principle 1 and continue with one principle per week, until we all seven principles have been covered. We hope you will find the key questions and thought-provoking responses about each principle helpful to you and your work.

Principle 1: Depth

Sustainable leadership matters. It preserves, protects, and promotes deep and broad learning for all.

Key Question:

Andy Hargreaves talks about the benefits of “slow learning.” People who are slow learning:

Like to dwell on details that do not fit or immediately make sense
Are willing to explore without knowing what they are looking for
See ignorance and confusion as the ground from which understanding may spring
Are receptive rather than proactive

Slow learning means: People will accomplish great things, if given time. How can we create slow learning experiences for both students and adult learners?

Participant Responses:

Have laser like focus vs. 1,000 foci.

Be comfortable with science.

Education has a history of the “newest” every 18 months – how do we build in sustainability.

Reduce our obsession around time and remember each person has control of time. It, time, is a manmade concept.

How do we know if we’re in “slow learning mode” that will lead to greatness as opposed to just being stuck and unproductive?

FOCUS… Things will be distracters…FOCUS

Provide time and permission for “robust” and in-depth thinking.

Honor process. Resist rigid timelines. Designate plenty of processing time.

Challenge both students and learners with meaningful problems and situations.

First understand that learning is a process and that deep reflection is needed for in-depth comprehension.

Give students enough time to have a depth of understanding – don’t rush through the curriculum.

Ask good questions.

Provide opportunity and for guidance, reflection and means of response/feedback to take next level and/or honor.

Be open to alternatives. Use “thinking hats” strategies. Don’t move to solution before you’ve defined the problem well.

Establish focus, provide time, and be willing to take things off of people’s plates.

Watch for Principle #2 coming to this space next week.