The School Corridor Tatler

I know, I know... this blog has been in hibernation for a loooong while. I finally found a new way of reaching out to you. The School Corridor Tatler is really a super communication channel, but I have upped my game. I have taken the plunge and now I am the proud creator of... Drum roll please... The School Corridor Youtube Channel! I hope you enjoy this very first video of the School Corridor Channel. I am super excited to have you there as well. Let's learn and have fun together! The School Corridor Channel is here to grow, inspire and empower you as leaders at schools or anywhere else. School Corridor Youtube Channel Focus The content will cover three streams: Talks and presentations on leadership research, qualities of great leadership and how you can help yourself grow to become a great leader. Personal well-being will also be a focus. The second stream will focus on Q&As, interviews and book reviews. The third stream will focus on instructional vi...

I am always full of admiration for teachers who attend holiday courses. Today I loved engaging a group of mainly deputy principals who are putting up their hands and saying: i want to lead a school and make an impact." If you create an environment for people to learn from peers, they share freely. During our session today, participants eagerly shared tried and tested strategies on how to build school libraries, how to manage safety and security at schools and so forth.  What I pick up during these presentations is that schools don't provide enough opportunities for SMT members to engage financial management issues at schools. Another oversight is that SMTs don't really study circulars and share their insights with the staff and themselves.  If we want to cultivate well informed principals and senior management staff, we need to expose them to the high level organizational and management structures and systems. This is what mentorship and sposorship are all about. I hope th...

Sun Valley Primary School SMT members and educators with Michael Hager, Subject Adviser When you speak to Sun Valley Primary School teachers about their shift away from conventional homework, they are unstoppable. Here is a transcript of our conversation. Why has the school decided to stop giving homework assignments as we know it? We felt that giving general homework was not helping to improve learners' performance. We wanted the homework that they received to be more focused and personalized. Not the 'one size fits all' activity that stressed both the parents and the children. Children also have a full programme besides their classroom teaching. They are involved in sports and extra-mural activities. When they finally get home, they are tired of the long day. Most parents work and there are also parents who aren't able to help their children with the homework so stress levels rise. Parents need to spend quality time with their children. They need to bo...

The HIV/Aids Day and 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence Arts programme at  Levana Primary School. The format of Levana Primary School's HIV/Aids Day celebrations was typical of school-themed festivals. There were drama skits, poetry reading, singing and dancing by the children. Because we also celebrate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence, the school made this campaign part of their festival. The impact of  Levana's show was the delivery of the  social message that was driven home by these young, unschooled actors. When these children dramatize their lived experiences, they blur the lines between fact and fiction. They are inadvertently sharing something far deeper with us. Principal, Andre Lamprecht and teachers at the programme. There is no doubt that the children absorb the traumas of their neighbourhood. The children effortlessly slipped into their roles as violent, domestic abusers, gangsters and aimless, drug-dependent  dr...

While I was waiting to convene a grievance meeting at a school, I had an interesting conversation with two school management team leaders - a deputy principal and a head of department. The main topic of our conversation was the difficulty to get their own children into schools of their choice. The head of department was disappointed because her daughter, a high achiever (95% average), was not accepted at the school that was their first choice. She spoke about the competition to get into good schools and bemoaned the powers that these schools wield. Is the school principal responsible for the school's success? Inevitably, the conversation turned to the difference between poor schools and wealthy schools and the role the principal plays in managing and leading the school to success. Here is where the conversation became interesting. There was definitely a sense that the two senior management members believe that  only the school principal is accountable for the success of...

I was SO excited when I saw how Hillwood Primary School In Lavender Hill has beautified their entrance to the school.  The clinical look was gone and in its place, an inviting space that welcomes you as soon as you set foot into the administration block of the school. From left: Ms Powell, Ms Johannes, Ms Williams and Ms Adams, the SGB chair. Three teachers - Ms Powell, Ms Johannes and Ms Williams were the project managers. Mr Klein, the caretaker principal at the school explained that these three teachers worked after school and over weekends to complete the project. I wanted to know what prompted the makeover of the foyer area. "The area looked drab. We wanted a bright, sunny colour and wanted the foyer to be warm and welcoming," said Ms Powell. "We recruited painters from the community, via Ms Adams, the school governing chairperson, and roped in Tarno, a talented artist who is employed at Levana Primary School. It is the first time that he has attempted t...

Sasha and her friends celebrating the fact that they have survived the traumatic Grade 12 year. No Grade 12 class should be without a deep care and support programme for the duration of their final school year.  The Grade 12s need a sustained programme that focuses on their well-being alongside their hectic academic schedule. Their emotional state can often help them achieve or hinder them from being successful in their final NSC examination. Grade 12 is the most vulnerable group in the system. Grade 12 students are probably the most vulnerable group in education, in terms of the high levels of stressors that they are subjected to.  The Grade 12's are in the systems pressure cooker from the day they set foot in their Grade 12 class. Suddenly they are placed in the spotlight by the media and the public. They now have to prove to the nation that they are worthy of the Grade 12 certificate. These students have to contend with an academic year that is shorter and t...

SGBs are a rich, untapped resource at poor schools. School Governing Bodies of poor schools are an untapped resource to help our schools become high performers.  I know there are many valid reasons why SGBs cannot perform their duties effectively; there is ample research and anecdotal evidence to support this. However, I believe that if we view the capacity-building of school governors as a key deliverable, we will be amazed at the profound richness that SGBs will bring to schools. I  work closely with School Governing Bodies when I have to act as the resource person during the filling of School Principal or Deputy Principal posts. If you are a regular reader of the School Corridor Tatler blog, you will know that I serve schools in poor, depressed communities in the Lavender Hill-Steenberg belt. The parents who serve on the SGBs of these schools are mainly unemployed folk who have not completed their high school education. Negative attitude towards SGBs may be biggest...

Generally, every school has a vision statement.  The problem is that the vision statement is exactly that; a well-written document only. Sadly, in many cases, the SMT and the teachers themselves do not know the vision of the school. Why would schools disregard their own dream for their organization? What then, is a vision? What is a vision. A vision is what gives an organization purpose. A vision statement captures what your school wants to be and where the school sees itself in the future.  Your core values will be the foundation on which your vision is built.  Your vision is your BIG dream, the destination that you want to reach. Your vision is there to guide you and to inspire you to work towards the future that you see for all the learners at the school. Think of President Nelson Mandela's closing lines  of his speech in 1964: "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have carried the ideal of a democratic...

It is 6h00, Saturday, and I am sitting here in my room with bags under my eyes, waiting for the dawn to lift. The world is quiet out here at the Kromm Rhee Conference centre in Stellenbosch and the faint barking of a dog strains in the background. Here are five school leadership teams who are messing with my system and - wait for it - I am celebrating! I am here at a 1,5 day SMT Leadership conference with five school leadership teams from Zerilda Park, Delta, Harmony, Sullivan and Lourier Primary Schools. Our presenters are heads of the neighboring schools:  Prince George, Square Hill, Steenberg and Floreat Primary Schools. These four school heads ( Lameez Rabbaney, Lavinia Davis, Cassy Dick and Noel Isaacs ) will share ideas on systems thinking and leading in a culture of change. A health representative,  Physiotherapist Levona Johnson,  has been invited along. She will take us through targeted team building activities to underscore systems thinking and lifelong ...

Facebook is one of the most common logos that appear on big business brands Schools that host Facebook pages are aware that social media helps to build the school's image, the brand and it improves communication. Schools are reaching far more parents, students and communities via their Facebook pages. These schools are moving with the times. Facebook is the leading social network According to the latest  Social Media Landscape 2015 repor t, Facebook is the largest social network in South Africa.  There are 11,8-million South Africans that use Facebook.  Of this total, 8,8-million users access Facebook via their mobile phones. Schools can choose to ignore this information and stick to their traditional communication systems. Or, schools can embrace Facebook as a strategic tool to enhance their current communication  and marketing strategy. I propose the latter route. School  need to adapt their communication strategies  Schools and thei...

The issue of giving homework at primary schools is a hot potato. Generally, schools believe that homework is an important learning activity. This is where the similarity ends. At wealthier schools,  homework is an embedded whole school practice. At the other end of the spectrum where we find poor schools, homework as a school-wide learning activity is practically non-existent. Why is this so? Homework culture at poor schools Teachers at poor schools tell me that giving homework is a waste of time. They say the homework is never done because the parents are not interested. Teachers will list other issues like the following:  parents work long hours, the caregivers of many of their children are grandparents or parents are unable to help children with their homework. Teachers respond  by not setting homework assignments at all. Sadly, this decision is not shared with parents and in the main, parents do not question this either. Homework culture at wealthy schoo...

The STAR interview technique is used by interview panels nowadays to assess the candidate's competency for the job advertised.In the previous post  here  , I discussed the concept of competency and underscored the fact that schools need highly competent senior management team members. It is for this reason that many SGBs have shifted to the competency-based tests to help them find the most suitable person for a senior post. Dilemma: What if the Interviewee outsmarts the Interview panel? That article generated a healthy response amongst my Facebook friends, particularly those who are teachers or heads of schools.The key thread of the comments was that interviewees may be so well rehearsed that a false picture may be painted. The interview panel would then be faced with a dilemma: how much of the interview responses would be factual? What if the interviewee outsmarts the panel? Would those who have rehearsed well not have an advantage over those candidates who are too ...

2014 Grade 8 Achievers with Adele Poggenpoel I was invited to Crestway High school's Awards Ceremony today. The Awards Ceremony was supposed to take place a week ago, but the weather was not suitable for the outdoor event. Crestway High School does not have a school hall and thus the Whole school awards ceremony must be done in the school's quad.  Today, the weather was equally unforgiving, but the school had decided to push ahead. In my speech, I highlighted the following points: According to research, there are two key ingredients to become a successful organization: Everybody at the organization must be A-level people. A-level people are passionate, committed and disciplined people. Everybody at the organization must be be focused on the one single defining goal that drives the organisation. 2014 Grade 11 Achiever In a school context, the A-level people are the students, parents and teachers. If each of the members in these groups is passionate about ...

Crafting a relevant CV is hard work. You will have to spend hours brainstorming and rewriting your CV a few times until your CV is a crisp, accurate profile of your knowledge and skills sets for the jobs you want.   I have seen many poor CVs of teachers who apply for Senior Management positions at schools. Many of these CVs reflect that not much thought was given to the relevance and the impact of the CV, especially in the area where the applicant has to demonstrate his (her) knowledge and experience in relation to the job requirements. Most of the applicants fill their CVs with fancy words and lists of experiences that are meaningless for the specific job. In short, there is more fluff than substance.   Elements of a good CV Your CV is your sales pitch. It is your ‘voice’ that will engage with the Selection committee who will decide if you are worthy of that sought after interview. Your CV should be job specific. Tailor your CV to match the job requir...

Today we are going to show you how to create your web-based curriculum vitae on the Western Cape Education Department's e-recruitment website. Are you ready? When was the last time you updated your curriculum vitae? Now that the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) has its e-recruitment system, you can finally have your own web-based curriculum vitae. Because your curriculum vitae (CV) is stored on the E-recruitment portal, you will be spared many headaches trying to revise your personal profile. You can update your skills, experience and knowledge regularly. And should that desired post become available online, you will be ready to press the 'send' button in a flash. Many teachers may argue that they don't need a relevant CV because they are happy in the post or at the post level they currently occupy.  I can think of three reasons why you should have a CV or a personal profile. Three benefits of creating your own web-based curriculum vitae. 1.     ...