Team 13B URL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=pCbpg_RtRsA
18036116 Assessment 2: Critical Reflection

In the introductory meeting for this unit, team 13B voiced the opinions on what is good
leadership and how we can achieve effective meetings by eliminating “consulting babble”
(Reeves, 2012, p. ix). In implementation we allocated tutorial activities as the end product of
what our meetings will explore. Although in reflection our learning objectives and opinions
led towards off-topic discussions. In the following critical reflection, I will discuss the
journey of becoming a change agent through collaboration with fellow colleagues in reaching
the end product of our proposed project.

Our journey as a collaborative community is defined by two models known as

‘teachers as researchers’ and ‘teacher-led development’ (Frost, 2013). These two models
explore the perspective of the individual and collaborative environment towards
implementing change as leaders within the school community. In discussion our group
concluded that the most effective model was the teacher-led development. This is due to the
promotion of leadership for change through ‘three dimensions’. For example, “managing
change through collaboration, gathering and using evidence and experimenting with practice”
(Frost, 2013, p.9). These dimensions assisted in directing our professional knowledge
towards a whole school approach in promoting ethical understanding in our future project.

Throughout our experience as Team 13B, we challenged our own beliefs and
assumptions of what leadership is, and how we as educators affect the implementation of
change within the school context. We referred to Northouse (2010, p.3) on the action of
leadership within a group environment to achieve a common goal. Whilst implementing the
teacher-as-researcher model (Frost, 2013) to read, record, reflect and review our perceptions
in planning for school change. We considered the following methods of HERTSCAM (Frost,
2013) and “four ways of educational change” (Hargreaves & Shirley, 2011) in professional
understanding of our personal goals as new educators. In discussion we analyse the
importance of contributing to school improvement by improving ourselves. This is done
through aspects of both methods that identify the need for innovation, accountability,
collaboration and problem solving capabilities.
 In becoming change agents, O’Brien (2007) mentions the importance of personal,
intercultural and professional agency in ongoing improvement of the end product. Our
breakthroughs that we achieved in our project was our ability to personalise the learning
materials to the experiential strand of ethical understandings. As educators we referred to the
3P’s (Fullan et al., 2006) through our ability to personalise the learning content to the strand.
Our assessment of student understanding provides feedback for ongoing conceptual and
instructional change. With continuous improvement reflecting upon the teaching and learning
methods in the program to develop the school culture.

We explore our ability as change leaders to promote school improvement through our
action research proposal. This can be viewed through the scaffolding of our project plan in
order of ‘creating deeper understanding, meaning and integration of ethical knowledge’
(Broemmel & Whitsett, 2016). Each curriculum area in the projected proposal identifies the
syllabus outcomes that students will achieve. Teachers and staff implementing the project
proposal will notice the use of contemporary teacher leadership. As explored by Lee et al
(2012) through distributed perspectives on instructional leadership. For example, cross-
program activities and articulation of strategies. This can be justified through the
incorporation of our curriculum subjects within the project. As each subject highlights ethical
understanding of society, to improve the life skills of the students preparing them for life
outside of the school culture.

Achieving the required outcomes involves improving the quality of teaching (Hairon
& Dimmock, 2012). This can be examined through the approach of ‘teachers as learners’
(Earl et al., 2013). Where the collaborative setting provides teachers with the access to their
own feedback on their current mindsets, suggestions, achievement, growth and ongoing
professional practice. Working amongst Team 13B has provided me with the opportunity to
work cohesively with colleagues to improve the school environment. This experience has
developed my understanding of a change leader that directs learning through problem or
project-based learning. Whilst this experience has incorporated a variety of strategies in
working with teams towards an end goal. It has emphasised the need of continuous
improvement by accepting and implementing industrialised methodologies through a
contemporary approach. As fixed mindsets can upset the implementation of change through
leadership. They can also support the school’s effectiveness in achieving cultural assets by
utilising fixed mindsets to incorporate new pedagogical approaches.
 Pedagogical strategies are vital in creating change as we constantly refer to our past to
improve the future. Explicit strategies used by teachers can assist students in identifying their
own profound beliefs and assumptions on learning. Whilst widening the student perspectives
on the different experiences that people face daily (Ingvarson et al., 2014, p 42). When
designing the delivery of contextual information for my curriculum area of music. I struggled
at first to identify the ethical concerns that could be explored. Although with the assistance
from my team my challenges of creating content for our project proposal became limited.

I’m proud of what we have achieved as Team 13B. Together, we worked

collaboratively to provide a sound program that identifies the school context to explore the
experiential strand of ethical understanding. Through project-based learning, teachers and
students should develop an engaging learning environment by moving away from
standardised textbook practices. Using the collaborative context, students will interact with
colleagues to reach end products that allow interest, variety and flexibility in the way that
student participates within their learning. Through the project plan, the school culture now
promotes the ongoing improvement of teacher leadership and agency. Taking into
consideration that the project itself will need to be reviewed. In order to identify further areas
for development as part of the continuous improvement of the school culture. Our future
challenge as a team will be to incorporate the ideas and actions of collaborative teaching and
learning methods within future school environments that we apply ourselves to. As newly
graduate teachers our journey does not stop here in being leaders of change but will continue
to develop our knowledge and understanding of ourselves incorporating the teachers-as-
researchers model.
References:
Broemmel, A., Whitsett, B. (2016) Learning to be teacher leaders: A framework for
assessment, panning and instruction. New York: Routledge., p.68-77. Retrieved from
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/uwsau/reader.action?ppg=68&docID=3570369&tm=15
32663125035

Earl, L., Hargreaves, A., & Ryan, J. (2013). Schooling for change: Reinventing
education for early adolescents. Routledge. Retrieved from content.taylorfrancis.com

Frost, D. (2013). Teacher-led development work: a methodology for building

professional knowledge. University of Cambridge faculty of Education & HertsCam
Network. p.1 -21. Retrieved from http://www.hertscam.org.uk/publications.html

Fullan, M., Hill, P. & Creyola, C. (2006). Breakthrough. Thousand Oaks California.
Corwin Press. Retrieved from
http://www.motionleadership.ca/images/handouts/BreakthroughUnit_A4.pdf

Hargreaves, A & Shirley, D. (2011). Principles of the Fourth Way. Retrieved from
Youtube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NresL_05Rg

Ingvarson, L., Reid, K., Buckley, S., Kleinhenz, E., Maters, G., & Rowley, G.
(2014). Best Practice Teacher Education Programs and Australia’s Own Programs.Australian
Council for Educational Research. Retrieved from
https://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/best_practice_teacher_education_progra
ms_0.pdf

Lee, M., Hallinger, P., & Walker, A. (2012). A distributed perspective on

instructional leadership in International Baccalaureate (IB) schools. Educational
Administration Quarterly, 48(4), 664-698.
DOI: 10.1177/0013161X11436271

Northouse, P.G.(2010). Leadership: Theory & Practice (5th Ed). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Sage.

O’Brien, T. (2007). Building Professina Capital through Teacher Leadership. Fourth

International Conference: Catholic Educational Leadership Sydney. p.10-26. Retrieved from
http://www.acu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/89887/Building_Professional_Capital_thr
ough_Teacher_Leadership.pdf

Reeves, D. (2012). The learning leader: How to focus school improvement for better
results. 1-17. Retrieved from
https://keithdwalker.ca/wpcontent/summaries/qz/The%20Learning%20Leader.Reeves.EBS.p
df

Salleh Hairon & Clive Dimmock (2012) Singapore schools and professional learning
communities: teacher professional development and school leadership in an Asian
hierarchical system, Educational Review, 64:4, 405-
424, DOI: 10.1080/00131911.2011.625111