Education Leaders

Exploring effective professional development in international schools through the Education Endowment Foundation's 14 mechanisms, with a focus on gamifying PD. Additional mechanisms cater to unique challenges in international schools for sustainable improvement.

GUEST EPISODEWelcome to the Principled podcast.In this episode, Matt Hall and Naomi Ward of Making Stuff Better are joined by Shane Leaning, international school leadership and organisational development coach, and creator and host of the Global Ed Leaders podcast for leaders shaping education on a global scale.They discuss cultural differences in communication, decision making, authority and criticism; lessons from a valuable and little-known resource; and the power of a coaching-style approach to leadership. How can we foster organisational health in international schools where cultural differences might result in vastly different approaches to crucial elements such as decision making or authority? What measures can we implement to overcome barriers presented by these differences? And how powerful can adaptability and curiosity really be?Resource mentioned in episode: Autobiography of Intercultural Encounters: https://www.coe.int/en/web/autobiography-intercultural-encounters --------------------------------------To get in touch with Shane, you can find him online here:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leaningshane/Website: https://www.shaneleaning.com/Global Ed Leaders Podcast: https://www.shaneleaning.com/podcastThank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arran Hamilton, Author and Group Director of Education at Cognition Education, discusses the concept of doing less to achieve more in education. He highlights the process of de-implementation in schools, emphasizing the need to prioritize high-impact initiatives. The conversation explores the challenges of unlearning ingrained practices and offers valuable guidance for school leaders seeking to streamline their practices for better outcomes.

This is a recording of Global Ed Leaders LIVE, a live Space hosted every week on X. Our theme this week focused on the relevance of music education in schools. I was delighted to co-host with Dan Guerrard, and we were joined by some outstanding voices from across the world.Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Exploring the transformative role of social media in education, with a focus on X and LinkedIn. Discussing unique features, community dynamics, and meaningful interactions for educators. Highlighting the benefits of short interactions, hashtag conversations, and live audio spaces. Exploring the concept of an 'everything app' and the competition in the social media landscape.

(REPLAY OF EPISODE 1)In this episode, I spoke to Julian Fisher, the co-founder of Venture Education, a market intelligence consultancy focusing on education in China. If you're an international education leader, you won't want to miss this fascinating discussion on the Chinese education system including the challenges of maintaining a strong school culture in a diverse and constantly changing environment.Here are some of the key takeaways:The Chinese school system is not uniform and varies from school to school, with some using more open teaching styles and group work.The best schools in China are arguably government schools where Chinese families prioritize their children attending good schools and universities in China, rather than international ones.The traditional model of international schools is seen by some with a somewhat neo-colonialist nature, and the transactional nature of the engagements.A school with a strong culture that lasts beyond any one leader or any one member of staff is crucial.Bilingual or international schools offer an advantage in terms of individual support for students.Chinese families have historically been brave and willing to explore opportunities, such as studying overseas.To learn more about Julian’s work and Venture Education, visit their website at https://www.ventureeducation.org/.Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on X (@leaningshane), and LinkedIN. My website is shaneleaning.com.For international school leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter here. About the hostShane Leaning is a passionate organisational development coach with over 14 years of international teaching and leadership experience. His approach to coaching and professional development is all about approachability and attentiveness to the unique strengths and contexts of schools and educators. Shane believes that empowerment fosters growth and success for both educators and students alike.Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this special bonus episode of Global Ed Leaders, streamed live on X Spaces, the conversation centers on AI in International Schools. My co-host was Paul Matthews from Tasmania and CEO of https://www.myteacheraide.com/.The episode features a diverse panel of educators from around the world.Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast discusses the importance of coaching, setting goals, and building global connections in the education world. Topics cover embracing bravery in education, reflections on growth in international schools, preparing for a basketball trip, the power of instructional coaching, and the comprehensive role of coaching in education.

In this episode I explore how to handle difficult as a school leader. This discussion is particularly pertinent for school leaders, teachers, and anyone in a managerial role who grapples with the challenge of providing feedback that is both impactful and compassionate. I start by sharing my experiences as a department lead, reflecting on the anxiety and uncertainty I faced when addressing a colleague's underperformance. This personal story leads into an in-depth look at the COIN framework, a structured approach developed by organsational consultant Anna Carroll, which is designed to help leaders deliver clear, effective, and non-confrontational feedback. The COIN model, which stands for Context, Observation, Impact, and Next Steps, is broken down with practical examples. I demonstrate its utility in various difficult situations, like discussing unmet responsibilities and dealing with sensitive issues such as sexist language in the workplace. Throughout the episode, I emphasise the significance of this framework in turning challenging conversations into chances for growth and mutual understanding, thus nurturing a more positive workplace atmosphere. Key Quotes:"Life is full of difficult conversations. We've all had them, we've all squirmed through them.""Using a framework or system makes these challenging conversations feel a bit more manageable.""The COIN model is an acronym for Context, Observation, Impact, and Next Step.""This framework... helps free up some of your cognitive space, which is crucial in these challenging situations." References:Anna Carroll, Organizational Consultant and Creator of the COIN Framework"The Feedback Imperative" by Anna Carroll Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on X (@leaningshane), and LinkedIN. My website is shaneleaning.com. For international school leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter here. About the hostShane Leaning is a passionate organisational development coach with over 14 years of international teaching and leadership experience. His approach to coaching and professional development is all about approachability and attentiveness to the unique strengths and contexts of schools and educators. Shane believes that empowerment fosters growth and success for both educators and students alike.Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rachel Lofthouse and I explore the challenges and nuances of coaching and mentoring in education, particularly in the context of international schools. We discuss the potential drawbacks of implementing coaching at scale without proper consideration and support, emphasising the need for a nuanced, teacher-centered approach. The discussion also touches upon the CollectivEd award, which provides a framework for schools to evaluate and enhance their professional learning and development practices. This is part two of our conversation so if you haven’t listened to part 1, go there first.Key Quotes:"coaching is really an inside out process. It starts from the inside.""If you can do something well, then really hone that talent, really make that work to the very best of your ability. Don't ignore it or deliberately sideline it because somebody's come along to say, well, this seems to be the thing that will get you a 0.5 additional score regardless of who you are.""And it's not just a gut feeling of what will bring benefit, but an informed sense of what will bring benefit in their setting. So it's not just about coaching, it's also about mentoring and putting both of those in the wider context of professional learning. And I do think it's important to remember professional learning is not the same as training."" I think that word sustainable is the word that we perhaps need to most grapple with in education. We think about innovation and we think about change and development, and we probably don't think about how we create a sustainable workforce, a sustainable system that doesn't constantly undermine itself and compromise the outcomes that we're looking for."Links:CollectivED: https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/collectived/New Guide to Teacher Coaching from CollectivED at Leeds Beckett University https://www.leedsbeckett.ac.uk/research/collectived/guide-to-coaching/Here be dragons - myth busting Instructional Coaching for teachers | Leeds Beckett UniversityThank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on X and LinkedIN: @leaningshane. My website is shaneleaning.com.For international school leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter here.About the hostShane Leaning is a passionate organisational development coach with over 11 years of international teaching and leadership experience. His approach to coaching and professional development is all about approachability and attentiveness to the unique strengths and contexts of schools and educators. Shane believes that empowerment fosters growth and success for both educators and students alike.Thank you for tuning in, and if you found this episode useful, please share. You can find me on LinkedIn and Bluesky.Shane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports international schools globally. Passionate about empowering educators, he is currently co-authoring 'Change Starts Here.' Shane has extensive experience in the UK and Asia and is a recognised voice in international education leadership. Learn more at shaneleaning.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.