Category: Leadership
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Why PD annoys people
PD delivery structure must be given proper time and consideration if it is going to have impact. It is the case that it often doesn’t, and this is a complex issue with deep structural roots and practical systemic implications. There are two things that I want to highlight. The first…
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Beware the Lethal Mutation
I don’t think that it is possible to over state how important Carl Hendrick’s post about the prevalence of lethal mutations of evidence-informed practice is (https://carlhendrick.substack.com/p/the-lethal-mutation-of-retrieval). If retrieval practice is a ‘non-negotiable’ in your school and teachers are using it uncritically, I’m willing to bet that some of these lethal…
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The Professional Development Buffet and the Perils of Misaligned Assumptions
The thing I’ve found is that SLT and teachers don’t share a view of what the problem is with Professional Development (PD) acceptance. Evidence from my research revealed Senior Leaders working really hard to minimise the workload aspect of PD. Often, they sought to get the content transmitted and let…
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Atypical
To say that I felt ‘seen’ and inspired is an understatement; this book provides an important template for those for whom atypical career pathways become a reality (by design or necessity). Importantly, this book outlines a shared language to describe and discuss the atypical pathways into, out of, and around…
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Language Bites
Imagine that you’re at the first full staff meeting after the half term holidays. The Headteacher stands up – they’ve got a message to deliver about a new initiative that needs to be a school priority over the next few terms. The message is clear: There have got to be…
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Learning Anxiety vs Survival Anxiety: What Really Drives Change in Schools?
Learning anxiety is real when it comes to CPD. Any time we ask teachers or leaders to try something new, reflect on their practice, or change how they work, what we’re really asking is: “Would you be willing to feel a bit incompetent in front of others, at least for…
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Influencing the Professional Development Acceptance Zone (PDAZ)
We all want to get people on board, bought in, aligned, on message and engaged. We all know this is harder than it sounds. My research suggests that we should start by understanding teachers’ perceptions of schools’ cultures for professional learning. How many indicators fall into the Professional Development Acceptance…
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Thank you Festival of Education
Last week I had the absolute pleasure of attending the Festival of Education at Wellington College. It was such an honour to be invited by Shane Leaning to contribute to a panel discussion about teacher professional development and learning, and school cultures. I was sharing the stage with some real…
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What are teachers’ and school leaders’ perspectives and experiences of the conditions associated with teacher Professional Learning (PL)?
Structure and protocols are needed for groups to work productively together, both promoting individual and group learning (Crome, 2023), and this was reflected in my EdD data (Taylor, 2025). Teachers in all five of the schools in my study appear to value opportunities to collaborate productively, understand their place in…
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Flexibility and Professionalism
A couple of weeks ago, I was discussing with a good friend whether they should apply for a new job. They’d found an opportunity that appealed and felt they had the skill set to make a difference on most criteria. As is often the case with women, she was concerned…
Exploring culture and professional learning 