Exploring Learning

One of the patterns that continues to emerge in my classroom visits is the distinction between students’ ability to explain what they are doing and their ability to explain what they are learning . This is not a deficit in the learners themselves, but rather a reminder that clarity is not simply about tasks; it is about making the purpose of learning visible. Fisher and Frey (2021) remind us that clarity of goals, instruction, and success criteria is one of the strongest accelerators of learning. When students articulate not only what they are doing, but why it matters, we see the shift from compliance to ownership. This challenge of articulation, of moving beyond task to learning, has been mirrored in the professional learning experiences across our school this week. Clarity in the Maths Work Over two days with our maths consultant, we engaged deeply with how we design lessons that bring conceptual clarity to the surface. The conversations touched on the same themes I have noticed i...

In the evolving landscape of education, schools must respond to the growing complexity of factors, including rapid technological changes, shifting pedagogical expectations, and diverse student needs. These demands call for increasingly adaptive leadership models. Distributed leadership is a compelling approach, shifting leadership from hierarchical structures to a shared responsibility that leverages the expertise of multiple stakeholders. International schools offer a vibrant context for this, as their structural and pedagogical complexity, paired with diverse student populations, requires consistently agile and inclusive leadership. Middle leaders, in particular, are well-positioned to enact this vision by fostering collaboration in curriculum and assessment planning, as they straddle leadership while remaining firmly rooted at the chalkface.  This review examines how middle leaders in international schools can enact distributed leadership as a foundation for collaborative practi...

As I continue to enhance my own practice as an instructional leader, the process of getting into classrooms consistently reveals what an invaluable opportunity it provides to gain a broader perspective and to create conditions for growth. My approach is not accidental. It is grounded in continued research and practice, most recently exemplified by Justin Baeder’s (2022) structure, which emphasises that instructional leadership is best built on many short, frequent observations - six or seven minutes at a time - conducted consistently and repeatedly throughout the year. It is through this rhythm that meaningful patterns emerge and leaders deepen their knowledge of teaching and learning. This resonates with City’s (2011) reminder that improvement comes when leaders identify persistent patterns across classrooms, not from one-off observations. Bright Spots  Building on prior knowledge. A consistent pattern continues to emerge: learners are often able to connect new skills and ideas...

One of the greatest joys of this process has been the conversations. Teachers and students have welcomed me into their classrooms with openness and trust, and our discussions have been equally generous and insightful. This culture of dialogue, where wonderings are met with reflection and opportunity, is a bright spot in itself. It reflects our shared belief that we are already strong educators and learners,  and  we can continue to grow together. When we plan, we give shape to an intended curriculum . In our context, this sits in Stage 1 of our planners (learning goals) and Stage 2 (assessment criteria). From this, we design the taught curriculum  - Stage 3 - where sequences of learning engagements and classroom experiences bring those goals to life. But between these stages, a gap often appears. This is not unique to us; it is a familiar challenge across schools. The Balcony View In conversations with colleagues, one theme that surfaced is how easily we, as teachers...

This week marked my second cycle of Looking for Learning visits. One of the greatest joys of this process has been the conversations that follow. Teachers have welcomed me into their classrooms with openness and trust, and our discussions afterwards have been equally generous and insightful. This culture of dialogue, where wonderings are met with reflection and opportunity, is a bright spot in itself. It reflects our shared belief that we are already strong educators and  that we can continue to grow together.  Across classrooms, several patterns of strength emerged: Clarity of learning: Many students were able to explain what they were learning and how it built on what had come before. They were not only describing the task but also connecting it to prior knowledge, showing they were constructing new understanding. Intentional design for collaboration and concept formation: I saw varied and purposeful groupings, where students were supporting one another’s learning....