Effective Staff Meetings at School

"We are regularly talking of schools becoming a business or work as corporates, but we forget that poor raw material in business is rejected at once but not so in schools. Poor schoolmasters! No doubt, schools and schoolmasters have to be as organised with systems and with a sense of order - and predictability - as a corporate house. These balances have to be kept".  
~ AN Dar, former Principal of The Scindia School and Advisor www.SchoolEducation.com

Thank you, Mr Dar, for mentoring not only students but teachers and managements too. My focus today is on how Staff Meetings at the School can become effective, and this is where we do have lessons to learn from corporate culture and sectors that deliver professional services. Some basic points to start with:
  1. Use an Agenda
  2. Keep Minutes and Logs
  3. Punctuality is the key
  4. Appropriate facilities 
  5. Have a chairperson or a leader
"School leadership matters. During the past decade, there has been a growing recognition among educators and policymakers that school principals must be instructional leaders who ensure that high-quality teaching occurs in every classroom. This view is backed up by a solid body of evidence showing that leadership places second only to teaching among school-related influences on learning".
~ The Principal Story, Learning Guide

It all starts with the Leader and thus I think best we first explain the Leaders' role. The role of the chairperson is essential for running meetings with effective outcomes. Avoid common mistakes and learn how to run more effective meetings. The role of a Chairperson is time consuming, with work between meetings, external representation of the organisation, and work with staff. Chairing a large organisation requires diplomatic and leadership skills of a high level. "Business work, especially in an office setting, demands a certain degree of collaboration. For instance, important decisions often call for more than one person's perspective and important work often needs the expertise of multiple people to get done. Meetings are one way to make collaboration structured and organized, but without a sense of purpose or control, meetings can easily become overlong and inefficient. Knowing how to plan, prepare, and lead a meeting that you're chairing can make the difference between an effective meeting and a wasted one".
~ How To Chair A Meeting (www.wikihow.com)

Leaders Role
1. Inform all members to prepare: the teachers like their students must come prepared to the meeting, they need to do a bit of research and find out what they are going in for, this is the most important starting point .
2. Start with the end in mind: the goal of any game is the key for winning. We may meet to find a solution for a discipline challenge at a school or why the students are not performing or even why the school administration is challenged to manage the finances, the end of the meeting or the goal is very important.
3. Follow an Agenda: time management is the key and this can only happen when we follow an agenda. Items of the Agenda must be listed and the group focus on an item at a time will lead to effective outcomes.
4. Round-robin process: A round robin is an arrangement of choosing all elements in a group equally in some rational order ... This is often described as round-robin process scheduling. The Leader must identify the strengths of the members present and involve them in the deliberations, teachers inherently like being involved and are willing to take leadership when given true responsibility.
5. Keep Discussion on target: Meetings can become a 'talkathon' or a prolonged discussion or debate, "a day-long talkathon on artistic freedom".
6. Build consensus: we need to come to a general agreement about something: an idea or opinion that is shared by all the people in a group. At a staff meeting, this is very useful way to build action teams to deliver better.
7. Resolve conflict: reasoning, opinions and personal egos often need to be considered and when the time nears it is imperative we work to resolving any conflict. The burden of conflict will often undermine the full purpose of the meeting.
8. Revisit Action Plans: the action plan is usually based on the school needs, to take ahead the plan with the team we need to work on a principle of shared leadership, and ensure that the student needs are kept in mind. Action plans will always work best with a good team, and have in place the right leadership. 
9. Share Comments: all the inputs of the teachers must be given due considerations and their comments must be reflected in the proceedings, this will get them more involved and is a small step in giving regard to their effective participation.
10. Ensure all are very clear about the decision: the outcome of the meeting must be clearly communicated and an action plan or things-to-do must he made in the concluding time of the meeting. In a well-planned meeting the concluding minutes are most important and this should never be hurried through. 

Dilbert.com Funny example of an ineffective meeting
Staff meetings can be the most important and productive professional development opportunities of the school year; on the other hand, they can be the most dreaded and squandered time a teacher will spend. So, what makes the difference between wonderful and wasteful meetings? That's the question we posed to Education World's Principal Files team. We asked team members to tell us about their best-ever staff meetings.

According to Ed World's P-Files team, successful staff meetings are a function of the purpose, the planning, and the pace of those meetings.

"For me, the best staff meetings are those in which there is active participation, a lot of give and take, and a consensus," said Debbie Levitz, principal at West Elementary School in Stoughton, Massachusetts.

"I love staff meetings because I try to go into each staff meeting as a student -- a student of administration and leadership," added Uwe C. Gordon, principal at Hennessey (Oklahoma) High School. "I don't have many staff meetings, but I try to make the most of each one. I try to keep an open mind and open ears to the messages that my faculty is sending."

Here are some more ideas:
1. Do not keep them any longer than you have to.
2. Do not tell them everything they need to do, but then give them more time to do it.
3. Do focus on stories, design, and decision making.
4. Do encourage the staff to do anything creative.
5. Do not single out “great teachers.” Good teaching should be celebrated. The fact of the matter is, the best teachers either know they’re good, or are happy to have their skills celebrated in 1-1 meetings.
6. Do not warn them of the impending trials that will challenge them next year like never before. Nothing is more putting off at the end of a long year than telling teachers how much worse next year will be!
7. Do not force staff to watch inspirational videos. Instead, ask them to find their own and share them in their own networks.
8. Focus on the people, not the positions.
9. Let staff tell their personal stories.
10. Focus on teaching and learning.
11. Stick to a small handful of ideas.
12. Let them brag about one another.
13 . Promote their capacity. Do something that initiates a process that will continue after the meeting is over. Connect people to networks. Show them what’s possible. Light a fire.
14. Give them time to collaborate

Finally... And don’t ruin it with a bunch of rules and regulations.

The author of the article Sandeep Dutt takes the onus of the content and the opinions expressed are his alone. You may please email the author on sd@ebd.in for comments if any.
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References:
1. www.diycommitteeguide.org
2. www.skillsyouneed.com
3. www.wikihow.com
4. www.learningforward.org
5. www.whatis.techtarget.com/definition/round-robi
6. www.pinterest.com/aaccservelearn/meeting-ideas
7. Schools Can Change - Dale W. Lick, Karl H. Clauset, Carlene U. Murphy
8. www.educationworld.com
9. www.teachthought.com/
10. www.thefreedictionary.com/talkathon

People, Process and Outcomes

Effective change will only come about when we have the right leadership and put in place a process to achieve our outcomes. Schools can change and this is only possible when we have a 'change sponsor' or 'change agent', the next step of course is the target of change and how we advocate this. There will be the continuous need for playing different roles by the same people in changing circumstance.

How do we bring about the change?
1. Leaders must become aware of the concepts of limited assimilation capacities of individuals.
2. Before we set out a new project, involving major change, a thorough analysis of all existing projects should be undertaken.
3. Projects should be prioritised.
4. All but the highest-priority projects should be considered for termination or reduction in scope.
5. A plan should be developed and implemented to eliminate and reduce scope of lower-priority projects.

For teachers to deliver the change in the school process, we have to make our priority list and ensure we are realistic in the projected outcomes. A process is only as good as the people who deliver. Effective sponsorship of change in schools needs significant commitment.

"Leaders throughout the pre-K12 education comity recognise effective personal learning as a key strategy for supporting significant school and school system improvements to increase results for all students. Whether they lead from classrooms, schools, school systems, technical assistance agencies, professional associations, universities, or public agencies, leaders develop their own and others capacity to learn and lead professional learning, advocate for it, provide support systems, and distribute leadership and responsibility for its effectiveness and results'. ~ Learning Forward

To overcome resistance to change, we  must win over the teachers, and this only possible when as trainers and managers we are able to explain to them that the school is simply an ecosystem for their personal and professional development. When we look at the most successful schools in India, we find they succeed only because they have a 'teachers first' policy. This is akin to the retail mantra of employees first. Most people often have a short term view and are reserved at the outcome of any process. When it is made very clear that the outcome of the change will indeed be their personal and professional development, we will be able to successfully overcome the resistance to change. 

The good school must have a 'people first' philosophy, and any organisation is as good as the people they have. No amount of money spent on infrastructure will be able to build a good process, unless we work to train and develop a good staff team. Every school must have a Teachers Centre and when the school becomes the best training institution will they achieve the outcomes of delivering quality eduction. The schools sector has to look at the hospitality and the medical sectors for innovating ways and means to serve the community better. In the hospitality industry on-the-job training is the key to better delivery, the Hyatt way or the way Taj delivers the experience and learning are good examples how they treat people first. These organisations work very hard to raise the bar for their people to deliver and offer customer delight. We need to make sure that all teachers – new recruits as well as those already in classrooms – are well-trained, have access to ongoing training and are treated as professionals – with decent pay and conditions.
  • Without teachers, a school is just a building.
  • Without trained teachers, schooling is not education.
  • Without trained teachers for all, education for all will never be a reality.
For the best outcomes, we have to look at schools as training grounds for teachers and ensure they are looked after very well. There are many examples of successful schools, where almost 75% of the school operating cost is the amount paid as teacher salary and their cost of training and development. To have the best people, beyond just training we must value them as an invaluable resource too.  I sometimes get carried away and say 'a good school is like a teacher factory', this is indeed true and at the risk of humans being called robots and being misunderstood, the emphasis is on the fact that most leading schools work to empower their people, and a school like say The Doon School takes pride in the fact that after a few successful years in the institutions their teachers go out as vice principals and leaders to other institutions. The school process has to be good and must deliver to the aspirations of the people the school employs, we must note it is happy people that make a better institution. For the process to deliver the outcomes, it is people alone who can do it.

People, Process and Technology work to create the ecosystem of quality delivery, and we must have a people first policy in all schools and educational institutions. For a country to develop, it is the quality of schooling that must improve, and this is only possible by having the best of people and good processes to deliver our outcome to quality in education. 

 John F. Mathias states "The respective roles of people and processes form one of the more intriguing relationships in quality work: Quality improvement efforts frequently reveal viewpoints emphasizing either people or processes, which can be challenging to manage simultaneously". 

It is worth asking should I manage the people or manage the process. Make sure you think about both, and see which are the genuine issues and which are the misleading issues, before you make a decision. We live in the place where people, process, and technology come together to create innovative solutions for schools. Everything we do would be impossible without the brilliant minds working tirelessly behind the scenes.  People, process, and technology are at the heart of any good institution.

The Human Face of Change
In dealing with the natural human reactions inherent in school change, says Robert Evans, a Massachusetts psychologist who has helped train many of the Coalition's National Faculty, leaders would benefit from orienting their efforts not around techniques but around a few key predispositions or biases:

1. Clarity and focus. Concentrate on one or two big and achievable changes at a time, then pay attention to them at all levels. If there are six big tasks, prioritize and sequence them to give them a chance of succeeding. "Watch where you spend your time when you have an extra twenty minutes here or there," Evans says. "That is sending a powerful message to your staff."

2. Recognition. The best low-cost improvement is to recognize the effort adults make, as well as their successes. "If you consistently deny people confirmation that their efforts are adequate, you demotivate them," says Evans. "We reward kids for hard work and effort; why can't a faculty do that for each other?"

3. Participation without paralysis. The challenge of adopting radical changes in classroom practice grows even harder when it goes along with adopting a whole new process of sharing decisions. "Most schools lose themselves in endless procedures to the point where they don't get around to results that have to do with kids," remarks Evans. "You won't have a consensual system, remember, until you share a belief system. Getting there is very time-consuming and intense-and you can't use consensus to do it!" As long as they make sure that ideas are continually flowing in both directions, Evans says, leaders should not be kept from acting on the change agenda for which they are being held accountable.

4. Confronting entrenched resisters. Once a school change priority is clear, the overt or covert resistance of those opposed to it can lower morale among supporters in very harmful ways. "First in private and then in a faculty meeting,the leader must challenge this, mounting a stout defense of the school's values," says Evans. "Ask other supportive voices to do their part, too. You are not a sheriff dealing with outlaws by yourself."

We know that effective teacher training is essential, by providing the school staff with leadership positions and opportunities to grow their careers in education, is the best way to have our process deliver better. As a business model the schools work to create cash surplus for development and expansion, this often makes them cut the budget for human resources and staff training. Low wages will give you low returns, and this is where the outcome will never be achieved. Need to not only hire good people, but offer them the best environment for their personal and professional development. Yes, the school business must be sustainable and work to the outcome of the personal and social development of a student, this will only be possible when we adopt a 'people first' policy and ensure that the people who run the process are not only well looked after but enjoy the work they do. Often said right people at the right place alone will delivery heart warming service and process delivery.

The author of the article Sandeep Dutt takes the onus of the content and the opinions expressed are his alone. You may please email the author on sd@ebd.in for comments if any.
Like us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Ebdedu
Follow us on Twitter @brewknowledge
For more about the author www.sandeepdutt.com
References:
1. Schools Can Change: A Step-by-Step Change Creation System for Building Innovative Schools and Increasing Student Learning 
by Dale W. Lick , Karl H. Clauset , Carlene U. Murphy 
2. Good Schools of India 
www.goodschoolsofindia.com
3. Learning Forward - Professional Learning for Student Results
learningforward.org
4. Image courtesy - familytreecounseling.com
5. Every Child Needs a Teacher: Closing the Trained Teacher Gap www.campaignforeducation.org
6. Quality in the first person - What Comes First—People or Process? ~ J F Mathias
7. Coalition of School Essentials - www.essentialschools.org
8. Elementary school teacher ~ wwwcarmenwiki.osu.edu
9. Image courtesy www.diamondstarcoconsulding.com

Choice Of Curriculum

In ancient times, India had the Gurukula system of education in which anyone who wished to study went to a teacher's (Guru) house and requested to be taught. If accepted as a student by the guru, he would then stay at the guru's place and help in all activities at home. This not only created a strong tie between the teacher and the student, but also taught the student everything about running a house. The guru taught everything the child wanted to learn, from Sanskrit to the holy scriptures and from Mathematics to Metaphysics. The student stayed as long as she wished or until the guru felt that he had taught everything he could teach. All learning was closely linked to nature and to life, and not confined to memorizing some information.

The modern school system was brought to India, including the English language, originally by Lord Thomas Babington Macaulay in the 1830s. The curriculum was confined to “modern” subjects such as science and mathematics, and subjects like metaphysics and philosophy were considered unnecessary. Teaching was confined to classrooms and the link with nature was broken, as also the close relationship between the teacher and the student.

The Fabindia School in Rajasthan
The central and most state boards uniformly follow the "10+2+3" pattern of education. In this pattern, study of 12 years is done in schools or in colleges, and then 3 years of undergraduate education for a bachelor's degree. The first 10 years is further subdivided into 5 years of primary education, 3 years of upper primary, followed by 2 years of high school. 

The National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) is the apex body for curriculum related matters for school education in India. The NCERT provides support and technical assistance to a number of schools in India and oversees many aspects of enforcement of education policies. Other curriculum bodies governing school education system are:
  • The state government boards, in which the majority of Indian children are enrolled.
  • The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). CBSE conducts two examinations, namely, the All India Secondary School Examination, AISSE (Class/Grade 10) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination, AISSCE (Class/Grade 12).
  • The Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE). CISCE conducts three examinations, namely, the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE - Class/ Grade 10); The Indian School Certificate (ISC - Class/ Grade 12) and the Certificate in Vocational Education (CVE - Class/Grade 12).
  • The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) conducts two examinations, namely, Secondary Examination and Senior Secondary Examination (All India) and also some courses in Vocational Education.
  • International schools affiliated to the International Baccalaureate Programme and/or the Cambridge International Examinations.
  • Islamic Madrasah schools, whose boards are controlled by local state governments, or autonomous, or affiliated with Darul Uloom Deoband.
  • Autonomous schools like Woodstock School, The Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education Puducherry, Auroville, Patha Bhavan and Ananda Marga Gurukula.
In addition, NUEPA (National University of Educational Planning and Administration) and NCTE (National Council for Teacher Education) are responsible for the management of the education system and teacher accreditation.
School Boards Compete for Better Academics
Several city schools are switching from Secondary School Certificate (SSC) to Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE), to International Baccalaureate Programme and/or the Cambridge International Examinations, citing “excessive meddling” by the state’s education department as the reason. Meanwhile, Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) is offering new subjects and courses for its students and also promising ‘no bag and no homework’ to primary students. ICSE, too, has been making similar announcements over the last few years. As reported by TNN (Times News Network), would like to share some observations and views of heads of schools.

Curriculum: 
Most academicians believe the SSC board syllabus is ‘textbook oriented,’ while ICSE has a “wider outlook for all-round development of students,” Nandita Jhaveri, Vice-Principal of New Era High School says the ICSE curriculum has more practical application than both, CBSE and SSC. Educationist Kavita Anand adds schools affiliated to ICSE have the liberty to choose from the large variety of books and authors available in the market for their students, whereas CBSE and SSC schools have to stick to books issued by the board. Some years back the Times of India carried this news and the TTN news service caught up with educationist all over the country to solicit their views.

Quality / Relevance of text books:
SSC text books have remained unchanged over several years, whereas ICSE books are more relevant to contemporary times, say school principals. CBSE updates text books every year as part of its ‘frontline curriculum,’ : 10 per cent of irrelevant or outdated material is replaced with more pertinent matter, says Vrinda Malse, Principal Naval Public School.

Exams and evaluation:
“In ICSE, students are evaluated in a variety of ways across the year. For instance, 20 marks are allotted for project work,” says Jhaveri. SSC still encourages rote learning and the test papers are essentially based on textbooks. Thus, qualitative evaluation of children as done by ICSE and to some extent by CBSE, is not possible with SSC, says Ramakant Pandey, Principal of Bansidhar Agarwal School. ICSE also scores on popularity charts among educationists, as it encourages students to do research and “get into the habit of finding out and not just learning”.

Extra Curricular Activities:
CBSE has a well-networked state and national-level sports activity set, according to Malse. While SSC schools can not recruit teachers for such activities, ICSE gives a free hand to schools to recruit trained teachers.

School Affiliation
CBSECentral Board of Secondary Education
SSCState Secondary Board
CISCECouncil for Indian School Certificate Examination
IBInternational Baccalaureate
IGCSEInternational General Certificate Examination, U.K.
(X)Class 10
(XII)Class 12
(A)A Level, equivalent to Class 12
A comparative study of CISCE and CBSE 
CISCECBSE
MediumEnglishEnglish or Hindi
Pattern10+2+310+2+3
Pass Mark35% in ICSE in each subject.
40% in ISC in each subject		33% in each subject
BooksAllows schools to select textbooks except for languages and other resource materialDefines Scope of SyllabusNCERT books
CandidatesOnly Regular candidates are permitted to take the examination.  Private candidates not permitted.Regular and Private candidates permitted.
Course of StudyEducation aimed at enabling students to acquire comprehensive knowledge leading to enhance performance in competitive examinations.Examination based Curriculum
AssessmentHas an effective evaluation which adapts to external changes (Flexible)Has a traditional exam pattern (Rigid)
Please note: This is a very abbreviated and objective comparison. There are 16 subjects offered by the two boards. Parents, while selecting schools should be aware of the Board Examinations, their scope, limitations and their differences. Further information can be had from the respective offices.

The choice of a school curriculum, further adds to the agony of choosing a school by parents for their children. Beyond just plain simple economics and the way the Boards compete to market themselves, the parents and guardians are often influenced by peer pressure and by the fancy of the children themselves. At secondary level, the choice of a school probably looms large in a child’s mind too. He or she may have firm opinions, perhaps based on where friends are going. Discuss it together. Try to get your child thinking in terms of his or her own needs which may be quite different from someone else’s. Talk to your child’s teachers. They will have much to contribute and will be able to make certain recommendations. However, they cannot make the decision for your child. Begin by considering these simple questions:
  1. What are your child’s academic abilities?
  2. What is he or she interested in?
  3. What are the things he or she is particularly good at?
  4. What are the things he or she struggles with?
Schools for me are real temples, only when we look up to this great place with due regard and purity will we ever develop as a nation. Wish I could visit a school every day and be with children as they really make life more meaningful for all of us. As the best of our growing years are spent in a school, the choice of the school curriculum is even more important than the physical infrastructure and the geographic affinity. We pay for the services and the facilities, the schools curriculum are standard and duly prescribed. The learning environment thus matters even more, the schools that work to deliver the curriculum with a 'child first' philosophy are more successful and capture the imagination of many parents.

CBSE vs ICSE: 
Often parents are confused between CBSE and ICSE. Which board to choose? What are the differences between the CBSE and ICSE? Which board will be better for the development of the student? These and lot many questions are there to haunt us parents. You will find here the most comprehensive set of answers to these questions.

1. Spread or Prevalence:
CBSE board is more popular of the two (CBSE vs ICSE (CISE)) by a huge margin. It is followed in 9000+ schools in India and abroad. Thereby making it easier to find schools when you move to a new place

2. Schools outside India:
Well, here CBSE takes the cake over ICSE (CISCE). CBSE schools, titled CBSE Videsh can be found in Middle east, South Africa and even in some European countries. So you can move countries without significant disruption of education for your kid.

3. Recognition by colleges in India:
Both the boards, i.e. CBSE and CISCE (ICSE) are recognized by most universities and colleges across India. So marks for class-12th will be recognized. Phew! That is one less thing to worry about. However, some colleges have started the process of “calibration” of marks. This means they put an adjustment factor for marks obtained in one board to make it comparable to the other. This “calibration” factor often varies from year to year and usually favours the board from which most number of applicants arrive, which in this case is the CBSE

4. Course content:
Both CBSE and ICSE (CISCE) have slightly different focus in terms of course content. CBSE content is very Science and Maths focused with lots of attention paid to application of knowledge. CISCE (ICSE) on the other hand is more balanced with equal focus on language, arts and science. This one is a personal preference. While I would want a more balanced curriculum for my child, it is up to you on what you prefer.

5. Teaching methodology:
Both CBSE and ICSE (CISCE) prescribe a certain teaching approach and both have underwent significant change over the past 10 year. Generally the focus has increased on learning through experience and experimentation rather than through one-way teaching. This is for the better! Ultimately the quality of instruction depends upon the school and less on the board. There is not much to choose here.

6. Freedom and flexibility:
CISCE (ICSE) takes the cake here over CBSE. There are a lot more subjects to choose from in class-12. Also, there is an option to take vocational course based on interest rather than pure academic courses for class-12. CBSE has been improving over the years in terms of combination of subjects etc offered but still ICSE has a lead.

The focus should be on effective learning which happens if the learning is ACTIVE and if it is ENJOYABLE for the student. Active learning i.e. learning by doing (vs passive listing or watching) helps a child retain up to 45 times more. Further, if they enjoy the learning process or outcome, then their interest and understanding increases manifold. Schools and teachers have to make special efforts to achieve these twin objectives of learning - Active & Enjoyable!

"Young people are looking for clear leadership at national and international level from the adults in society, but see a woeful lack of intelligent, decisive and ethical leadership in practice. We should teach boys and girls the theoretical foundations of in fluential leadership, and how to make the calculated and informed decisions that are required to make a positive difference in the world," said Peter McLaughlin, Headmaster, The Doon School. This is what most of the established curriculum have not been able to achieve. The curriculum needs to be supplemented with experiential and even experimental learning at all levels, education is to be filled with dynamism that helps us meet the aspirations of the young people.

Today we have schools that follow international curriculum and market themselves as offering quality education at a premium price. What is most important here is the teachers they employ, the choice of the board / curriculum does not necessarily make a school better or even good as per the expensive marketing campaigns, what matters most is the quality of teachers and the training they have in rolling out the boards/ curriculum. Ensure you have the best mentoring for your child and the choice of the curriculum though still limited will not be the key differentiator. Please list your priorities and make learning most enjoyable of the child.

The author of the article Sandeep Dutt takes the onus of the content and the opinions expressed are his alone. You may please email the author on sd@ebd.in for comments if any.
Like us on Facebook www.Facebook.com/Ebdedu
Follow us on Twitter @brewknowledge
For more about the author www.sandeepdutt.com

 References:
4. School Boards Compete For Better Academics - Times Of India
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