Education Leaders

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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or 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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Global Ed Leaders, I engage in a dialogue with Rachel Lofthouse, Professor of Teacher Education at Leeds Beckett University and founder of CollectivEd. We delve into the nuances of coaching in educational settings, exploring its definition, application, and impact. Rachel's extensive experience offers a unique perspective on the evolving role of coaching in education, making this episode a must-listen for international schoo educators and leaders seeking to integrate coaching into their practice.Key Quotes:The Impact of Brief Coaching Sessions: "And it doesn't mean that if you just have one really thoughtful, focused coaching conversation that it will do no good. If in that moment the focus is sustained, the purpose is sustained, the attention that the people give each other is sustained, it can still have quite a considerable impact."The Cycle of Educational Trends: "This tends to happen to all sorts of phenomena in education, particularly nowadays, where social media helps things spread so quickly... And we're absolutely in a surge phase."The Rise of Executive Coaching: "If it looks like coaching for executives in business is a good idea, then we've got a huge growth in the role of executive and education. Well, they all want a coach as well."Interdisciplinary Approaches in Education: "Something up and running in a hurry doesn't really acknowledge that slow and emerging knowledge base. And of course, the other thing that we're not generally good at, is connecting the different knowledge bases."The Evolution of Professional Terms: "Nothing stays unified and uniform. Nobody's got a trademark on the word instructional coaching. It's not copyrighted to anybody. So, of course, over time and in different locations, people have legitimately chosen to use similar language to describe things that."Time and Resource Constraints in Coaching: "we haven't got an infinite amount of time and an infinite resource."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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or 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 international school trends. The episode features a diverse panel of educators and experts who share their insights into the growth of international school groups, the impact of these institutions on global education, and the evolving role of technology in learning environments. The panel also addresses significant challenges such as teacher recruitment and retention. This live discussion is not only informative but also interactive, engaging a truly global audience in real-time. Link to Full Recording:Watch the full X Spaces recording hereJoin Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, host Shane Leaning explores the theme of New Year's resolutions with a unique twist, focusing on leadership and professional development in the education sector. Shane shares five innovative ideas for educators and school leaders to enhance their practices and better support their teams. From mental health initiatives to embracing cutting-edge technology like generative AI, this episode has insights for those looking to make impactful changes in their educational environments. Shane begins by emphasising the importance of mental health checks for staff, suggesting regular reflection sessions or online forums. He then moves on to discuss professional development, proposing a grant system to encourage staff autonomy in their learning journeys. The episode also delves into cognitive science, urging educators to integrate its principles into teaching strategies. Furthermore, Shane introduces the concept of 'deimplementation' – streamlining and reassessing current practices for more effective outcomes. Lastly, he highlights the necessity of engaging with generative AI, a rapidly evolving field with significant implications for education. Key Quotes:"Do you have a system of checking in on the mental health of the staff that you serve?""A professional development grant system... puts autonomy in staff and gets them really thinking about their professional development journey.""How are you using the latest research in cognitive science to enhance your practice?""Set 2024 to be your year of deimplementation not implementation.""Engaging with generative AI... plan it into your PD sessions or into your weekly staff newsletter." Links:"The Well-being Toolkit" by Andrew Coley"The ResearchEd Guide to Cognitive Science" edited by Kate Jones"Making Room for Impact: A Deimplementation Guide for Educators" by Dr. Aaron Hamilton, John Hattie, and Dylan WilliamEduaide episode from the archivesThank 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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cindy Adair, Assistant Principal at Bangkok Patana School, discusses innovative professional development strategies like instructional coaching and growth conversations. She emphasizes the importance of teacher ownership, evidence-based education, and continuous improvement. Cindy also talks about fostering a culture of professional development, leveraging partnerships with educational consultants, and creating a positive learning environment.

In this episode, I discuss the tragic case of Ruth Perry’s death, OFSTED and its implications for the international school sector. I explore the need for a compassionate and reflective reevaluation of school inspection systems worldwide, taking lessons from Ruth's story to advocate for a more humane approach to educational oversight.Overview of the Episode:In memory: Understanding the circumstances leading to the passing of Ruth Perry, a head teacher in Reading, UK, and the role of OFSTED inspections in her experience.Impact of Inspection Systems on Mental Health: Examining how the current school inspection processes can severely affect the mental health and well-being of education leaders.Global Perspective on School Inspections: Discussing the relevance of Ruth Perry’s case for international schools and the various forms of quality assurance processes they undergo.Rethinking Quality Assurance: Reflecting on the traditional methods of school inspection and the shift towards more empathetic and growth-oriented approaches.The Role of Self-Evaluation and Internal Assessments: Highlighting alternative methods such as self-evaluation, with insights from John McBeath’s work on the evolving relationship between inspections and self-evaluation.Coaching in Educational Leadership: Exploring the potential of coaching and structured self-reflection in transforming school evaluation systems.Challenges of Implementing Self-Assessment: Addressing the potential difficulties in shifting to self-assessment, including cultural mindset changes, maintaining consistency and fairness, and balancing accountability with improvement.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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, my guest is Richard Reid, a former principal who has transitioned into being a much-sought-after coach for school leaders. We unpack the transformative power of having an outside voice in leadership challenges, celebrate the importance of self-belief, and explore the impactful practice of peer coaching in educational settings.Overview:- Richard journey from principal to leadership coach.- The critical role of coaching in bolstering school leaders' confidence and self-belief.- A deep dive into a successful team-building exercise: principals sharing wins and engaging in peer coaching.- The significance of group coaching sessions and their structure to inspire and empower school leaders.- The transformative effect of recognizing successes and achievements within schools.- A first-hand account of a principal's breakthrough in redefining his role beyond the title of "acting principal."- Advice from Richard on how school leaders can incorporate external perspectives into their practice.Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on Twitter, LinkedIN and Instagram: @leaningshane. My website is shaneleaning.com.For international school leadership tips, subscribe to my newsletter here.About the host:Shane 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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, I explore the vital role of English as an Additional Language (EAL) in international schools. I'll share three strategies that are key to supporting our multilingual students and promoting linguistic inclusion. Drawing from my experience in EAL, I offer practical tips from embracing an additive mindset to implementing scaffolding techniques and integrating language structures throughout the curriculum.Key InsightsCelebrating Linguistic Diversity: I discuss how multilingual students bring a wealth of diversity to our schools and why it's essential to shift from a deficit to an asset-based mindset.The Power of Scaffolding: I emphasise scaffolding learning to match students' cognitive levels, rather than simplifying content, allowing them to engage with complex ideas.Embedding Language Structures: I advocate for consistent language support in all subjects, highlighting how this can improve overall communication skills for every student.Strategies DiscussedShifting Mindsets: I reflect on the importance of viewing multilingualism as an enrichment rather than a challenge to overcome.Building Up, Not Watering Down: I talk about the necessity of providing students with the tools they need to grasp higher-level concepts, ensuring that all students can succeed.Language Across the Curriculum: I explore the benefits of reinforcing language structures in every lesson, aiding EAL students and their classmates alike.Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please leave a review on your podcast platform. You can also find me online on Twitter, LinkedIN and Instagram: @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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Education in Thailand. I am joined by Festival Directors, Iain Henderson and Shane Mann. We delve into the festival's mission to encourage dialogue, inclusivity, and diversity, shedding light on controversial sessions, powerful experiences, and the much-celebrated blend of in-depth talks and lively atmosphere. Not to mention, we touch on plans for expansion, offering an exciting peek into the impressive global journey of EdFest.Overview- An overview of the Festival, shedding light on its aim to foster a balance of ideas among its participants. [00:06:00]- Criticism and Controversy: We discuss the events that sparked controversy on social media, focusing on Eddie Izard's call for kindness and the backlash that ensued. [00:14:20]- Lessons to Remember: We explore some powerful and memorable sessions - including those by Chris Packham, Patrick Foster, Dan Willingham, and Jassa Ahluwalia - that spanned topics from autism to mixed heritage. [00:28:50]- The Bigger Picture: We talk about the decision to bring speakers from outside the education space and the broader impacts these sessions can have. [00:44:30]- Looking Ahead: We reveal the international journey the Festival of Education is embarking on, with future festivals planned in Shanghai, UK, USA, and potentially India. [00:58:20]Resources- Festival of Education Thailand: https://educationfestthailand.com/- Festival of Education UK: https://educationfest.co.uk/Thank you for tuning in, and as always, if you found this episode useful, please share your experience. You can find me online on Twitter, LinkedIN and Instagram: @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.Join Shane's Intensive Leadership Programme at educationleaders.co/intensiveShane Leaning, an organisational coach based in Shanghai, supports school leaders globally. Passionate about empowment, he is the author of the best-selling 'Change Starts Here.' Shane is a leading educational voice in the UK, Asia and around the world.You can find Shane on LinkedIn and Bluesky. or shaneleaning.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.