Leadership:

Bringing about Change –More than Standards, PLC’s

& Coaching

Hank Kepner, UW-Milwaukee

Beth Schefelker, South Milwaukee Schools

Joe Giera, South Milwaukee Schools

May , 2017

Pathways to Teacher Leadership in Mathematics Project

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Session Forecast

Understanding Schools as a System

Characteristics of Schools that Learns

Developing a Shared Vision

The role of Mental Models

Tools to Understand Mental Models

• Ladder of Inference

• Inquiry vs. Advocacy Protocols

THREE NESTED SYSTEMS OF ACTIVITY

Who Creates a School That Learns?

Senge, P. et. al. (2012) Schools That Learn: A fifth discipline fieldbook for educators, parents, and everyone who cares about education. Crown Business, New York.

▪ Leadership of Self

▪ Leadership of Others

▪ Leadership in the Extended Community

The Classroom – Leader of Self

Senge, P. et. al.. (2012). Schools that Learn

School/District – Leader of Others

Senge, P. et. al.. (2012). Schools that Learn

Leader in the Extended Community

The development of children depends on the

development of all adults in the system (Senge, p.19)

Senge, P. et. al.. (2012). Schools that Learn

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)

Change

– Is a process, not an event.

– Is made by individuals first, then organizations.

– Is a highly personal experience.

– Entails developmental growth in feelings & skills.

Implementation Strategies

– The people first.

– The innovation second.

Characteristics of Schools That Learn

Always focused on student learning

A School that Learns: Five Disciplines

Articulating Aspirations

– Personal Mastery

– Shared Vision

Reflective Thinking & Generative Conversation

– Mental Models

– Team Learning

Recognizing & Managing Complexity

– Systems ThinkingSenge, P. et. al.. (2012). Schools that Learn

Articulating Individual & Collective Aspirations

Personal Mastery

• Vision

• Current Reality

• Commitment

Shared Vision • strategically built on individual Personal Mastery which are created, shared and made explicit.

Shared Vision

Shared Vision is strategically built on individual

Personal Mastery which are created, shared

& made explicit.

Mental Models:

Ladder of Inference- to deepen understanding of Mental Models leading to a Shared Vision.

The Ladder of Inference

The Ladder of Inference is a tool to help us delineate the cognitive steps that lead to our belief system.

- The Art of Coaching, p. 38

Understanding Each Step in the Ladder

Work with another person.

1st person Shares Ladder of Inference story.

2nd person Maps the story using the

Ladder of Inference steps.

Work together to paraphrase the story in order to clarify steps on the ladder.

Switch roles and repeat.

Reflecting on the Learning

How might the Ladder of Inference help you come to a better understanding of your actions and the beliefs that drove those actions?

Shared Vision

Shared Vision is strategically built on individual Personal Mastery which are created, shared & made explicit.

Mental Models: powerful tools–Ladder of Influence - to build Shared

Vision–Advocacy/Inquiry Protocols – to enhance

generative conversation

Generative & Reflective Thinking Conversations

Generative & Reflective Thinking Conversations

BalancingInquiry & Advocacy

Advocacy or InquiryAdvocating for your view

Lay out your view & assumptions -explicitly

Encourage others to challenge it.

Inquiry into others’ views

Inquire about the reasoning and assumptions of others.

Use to walk others down the ladder of inference.

Advocacy or Inquiry: Identifying the Difference

Advocacy: “Here is my view, and here is how I arrived at it.”

An improvement:

“Here is my view, and here is how I arrived at it. How does that sound to you? Do you see any ways I can improve it?”

Inquiry: Can you help me understand your thinking here?

Testing

Skillful Discussion

Dialogue

Politicking

Testing

Dictating

Asserting

Explaining

Interrogating

Clarifying

Interviewing

Bystanding

Sensing

Withdrawing

Low Advocacy

High Advocacy

LowInquiry

HighInquiry

Building Shared VisionAlignment vs Agreement

Alignment – arranging a group of scattered elements to function as a whole

• A common awareness of each other, their purpose, and currently reality.

• Starts with the ability to see and respect each other and to establish some common mental models about reality.

• Even though members retain their individuality, their efforts will move in a common direction.

• Even if they don’t agree, they know each other well enough so that any of them can speak for the group as a whole – without having to check first.

Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM)

Change

– Is a process, not an event.

– Is made by individuals first, then organizations.

– Is a highly personal experience.

– Entails developmental growth in feelings & skills.

Implementation Strategies

– The people first.

– The innovation second.

Enhance Team Learning & Decision-Making

A systematic processes – teachers working together –interdependently – to analyze and impact professional practice to improve results:– for students

– for teachers

– for school/district.

Use the tools of Advocacy/Inquiry, Ladder of Inference to – unpack beliefs, – deepen conversations, – establish collaborative practices, and– build trust

Build and sustain collective inquiry into everyday experiences

What is a team?

A team is not a group of people who work together;

A team is a group of people who trust each other.