Think Forward Conference 2013 Building a Better School by Using the “Vibe”

1. Think Forward Conference 2013Building a Better School by Using the “Vibe” Breens Intermediate School Est 1976 Who are we? Our context – two schools / 80 weeks

2. Brian and Nikki • Our background – The school with personality but Soul???? • Useful to get two things out of a workshop so hopefully you will have two things to take back to your context and help build a better school. • Why ‘the Vibe?’

3. Day One • State of the school. • Collected information • Collaboratively established the characteristics of a moving school and a failing school. • High trust and low trust environment. • Sand Brick and Seed schools. • Qualities of a brilliant classroom. • Qualities of a brilliant school. • Transformational leadership / conformist leadership. • Board operation. • Getting on the Bus. • Mr Peabody’s apples – purpose.

4. So when did the Vibe start? • Interviews – who has the power? • Understanding the context of the school. • Dynamics and purpose for being at Breens. • What was the sacred Cow? Culture at Breens and what defines this school? • What was our Bus going to be ???? • ICTPD contract – NZC – values our entry point. • Values and Vision – the ah hah moment!

5. The Tree • We needed an event. • We needed something that would that built upon what was happening in our feed schools. • Collective, collaborative evening – the sketch - the creation of our bus. • BEST was born this evening – the realisation that this was the moment when the feeling of collaboration and unity was right. The vibe. • The design – the debate – the right words – the timing - the story • The evolution until now. • The Breaton Story – the test of the values. The need to have a story or soul. • The MihiWhakatau – preschool – why this was so easy to achieve. • So the ‘vibe’ measure arrived! That’s not how we show Bravery! Show me where on our tree the behaviour fits? On the sports field, presentation of work, that’s just what we do here – the tree became the code.

6. Leadership structure • Need for outside facilitation – Teachers need to be empowered – AtoL – Reading. Every teacher needs to know that what they do is making a difference to the children they teach. Don’t know what they don’t know. • Had to focus on what we are good at – ‘What we focus on will flourish’ • It’s not about what we are doing wrong – what are we doing right and why is that happening? • Adoption of some key philosophies and leadership structure responsibilities. • Herrmann Brain – whoops! • Predict and Prevent philosophy adopted for both learning and behaviour. • Strengths approach – build on our capacity. • These are significant shifts for us – we needed to change our behaviour and change our approach – the leadership vibe had to change.

7. Physical challenges • Fullan’sDeprivatisation. • Coaching approach. • Transparent learning environment and learning philosophy. • This change reinforced that the values became the vision for the school. • The appraisal system adopted the five ‘B’s for each staff member. ‘The vibe’ again. • Adoption of Bishop’s thinking and Best evidence. • Establishment of MATEs • Re branding – refreshing and rewarding the school’s development. • 24 / 7 youth worker introduction.

8. Sustainability – How to live the tree • Like any living thing we realise the need to nurture and care for our tree. • The lessons of 2011 were learnt – both good and bad. The vibe was slipping away at the start of 2012. New staff / challenges of the earthquake / starting the school three times / Yr 8 knew it, Yr 7 didn’t! In some classes behaviour slipped and values lost definition. • We adopted saying it, feeding it, planning for it, protect it, reward it. • Goal being - It is just the way we are. • Servant leadership philosophy introduced. ‘You might give up on yourself but we are not giving up on you’. The Apollo 13 story – we will do what ever it takes.

9. Curriculum journey • Inquiry dropped • Values introduced as an underpinning term theme. • Inquiry into the values definition. • Tight modelling of planning, themes, strong interchange, silo affect and timetable driving the curriculum, targeted teaching • Teacher teaching as robots and focus on coverage – what was our curriculum. Control from the top down. • Curriculum responsibilities – same unit designs. • Solo introduced but needed to restructure the teams so as to ensure collaboration. • Change in curriculum responsibility – Nikki decided to flip the classroom and curriculum. Gave a freedom licence. Know your kids well, plan with creativity to teach to point of challenge. • Conceptual curriculum.

10. Breens Licences • Realised our curriculum needed something special which would link stage and age, authentic, embrace the specialist areas, strengthen home and school partnership. • Licence concept became a year long leadership inquiry. A in depth involved programme which missed the vibe. (the need for buy in) • Values grouping of activities. • Needed to be altered and a new set of eyes on the licence programme. • Student leadership for ownership. • The introduction of badges • The passport to success – authentication. • Full integration into the curriculum • So far it’s been a 4 year journey …

11. Development of Leadership ability • Charismatic leadership – change agent, from the front. Two years to turn a school. • Distributive leadership – timing • Evidence based transformation • Appraisal shift – move away from positional power – move coaching and mentoring. Solution focussed – bring 2 / 3 solutions to any problem. Values based. • Teaching as Inquiry. • Move away from Charismatic to distributive to student voice. • Flipping leadership from top down to bottom up.

12. 2012 – re-setting the Tree • Time to re-set – Getting all staff on board – the oldies knew the tree, the new ones – didn’t – it was simply left for chance – whoops. Vibe again. Shared with the staff – challenge. • The Tool used – Tātaiako – Cultural responsive practice – the time of the Whakatauki – re -defining the definition of the five ‘B’. The challenge came via the voice of our Maori students. • ERO arrived. • Enter the MLE approach. • Enter the power of three.

13. Start of 2013 • Freedom of the curriculum. • Everyone taking on the power of three. • Shifting of targeted students ownership. • Block teams given time together. • Blocks re named with purpose – Hereora, Pouakai, Aoraki. Each with their own Whakatauki. • Curriculum re-design.

14. The current situation • The vibe of the school presented. • The Power of Three evolving – real distribution. • Google docs – planning and tracking real time monitoring, student reflections. • Priority of targeted students in meetings. • Behaviour comparison. • 2007 – stand downs, staff complaints, violence, smoking, drugs, TA texting, property damage, staff to scared to do duty, 5 applications for Head position. Roll 176 • 2013 – roll 267, Behaviour – nil, Use of TA’s empowered, skilled able to run specialist intervention programmes, Team leaders reporting directly to Board, respect from the children for each other and the school property. High trusted chn work on devices everywhere. Celebration of Brilliance.

15. Where to next? • Curriculum frame work is currently shifted to conceptual – the values and Whakatauki form the basis. • Extension of the Licence Programme. • All students being taught at the point of challenge. • Topics which are rich and responsive. • Teaching like a Pro. • Change – the Vibe – it’s all about looking over your shoulder to see how many are with you. • Being prepared to give up some things and knowing what your sacred cow is.