L.E.A.D. -Leadership for European schools development- Quality Development for Effective Instruction and Continuous Improvement of modern education

L.E.A.D. -Leadership for European schools development- Quality Development for Effective Instruction and Continuous Improvement of modern education
Effective school leaders apply their educational expertise and management skills in order to focus their efforts, and those of their teaching staff, on improving the quality of student learning outcomes. Part of this requires excellent interpersonal skills – as leaders work with students, staff, parents and external communities to gain constant feedback and find opportunities to innovate. School leaders need to have a solid grasp of operational best practices and an aptitude for enabling continuous development. Good leadership in schools helps to foster both a positive and motivating culture for staff and a high-quality experience for learners. Leaders at all levels in schools can contribute to this by developing the top skills needed by school leaders. The course is an interactive training programme for educational authorities including schools of all levels that seeks to develop leadership for organizations’, leadership for strategy and leadership for capacity building, looking for a better quality development for effective instruction and continuous Improvement of modern education. The course is structured into training modules and each module focuses on a particular aspect of leadership in educational institutions. Each module provides knowledge, methodology, insights, skills and practical approaches to better explain what leadership is and how it can be achieved.

OBJECTIVES
• To Reflect on the relationship between effective leadership and performance in organization;
• To Learn about vision and engagement as two core activities of leaders.;
• To Explore the significance of power and influence within leadership;
• To understand the added value of a situational approach to leadership (there is no “one size fits all” solution);
• To identify the individual values stimulating leadership;
• To learn the meaning and implications of “natural” leadership preferences;
• To strengthen participants’ capacity to ethical reflection and reasoning and make them reflect on the integrity of their organization;
• To learn how to apply various EU leadership model systems ;
• To understand the role of stakeholders in schools development;
• To gather an in-depth understanding of the principles for School Democratic Governance and their relevance for their organizations’ activity;
• To discover coaching models adaptable to school’s leadership;
• To check the personal leadership style including students’ style;
• To deepen on the connection between motivation, professional grow and leadership;
• To improve the skills to face workplace challenges, (such as having difficult conversations, leading teams, and dealing with complexity);
• To consider the role of the leader in driving change.

TRAINING MODULES
Organisational culture, Understanding Leadership, Leadership Values, Organisational Communication Skills, Expectation management, The job of the leader: Envisioning and engaging, Performance management, Self- awareness and group empowerment, Ethics Management, Strategies and models for leading change

METHODOLOGY
Based on formal, informal and non formal learning, our methodology will try to stimulate active participation, pro-activity, responsibility and sharing of problems and thoughts of all participants involved. In this way, we aim to build a diverse and stimulating environment for studying, reflecting and working. It has a horizontal and practical approach and will make use of the following tools: face-to-face lessons, benchmarking, team-building and team-working, best practice case studies, project working, practical laboratory, driven simulations, role-play, focus-group, daily evaluation through self and group assessment. An innovative aspect is given by the fact that all the information can be easily transferred in classroom management

TARGET GROUP
Regional and local authorities;
School/ adult centre management department ;
Teachers & school staff

PROGRAMME
Day 1: Course opening event; Why are you here and who are you? Cultural iceberg of organizations. Group exercise: what is your organization culture and dimension? ; Supporting cultural change – mind mapping. Mission and vision of organization – elevator pitch
Day 2: What is leadership? Identify leadership styles to overcome day to day challenges. Leadership styles: strengths, risks and circumstances; Management versus leadership; Group exercise: Identify leadership features in daily practices. Action profile: the skills for school leader – workshop; (Re)Defining school leadership responsibilities;
Day 3: Core challenges in implementing the principle of leadership: principles, powerful techniques, tips and tools on successful leadership; Group exercise: strategies to overcome leadership challenges; Leadership barriers; Leadership mind-sets for teamworking- creating a perfect team ( Tuckman and Belbin theory); Enhancing EQ ( Emotional Intelligence) for improving performances in teams; Exercise: Static mindset and growth oriented mind set – attitudes of the team; Debate: the challenge of team working
Day4: Group communication styles and skills; Role play-group dynamics and temperamental challenges; Time management strategies. Approaches to conflict. Basics: Understanding the problem. Conflict handling styles. Peer mediation: students serving as peer mediators in school environment. Exercise Skills Mediators Needs. Conflict – forum theatre Mediation and negotiation: differences in the approaches. Mediation experiences, Role play: mediation techniques for better leaders
Day 5: Developing leadership in a landscapes perspective: interactive thinking: feedback and discussions; Group exercise: What scope exists in your context for school leaders to shape and adapt the curriculum? What obstacles prevent principals from focusing on leadership roles that improve learning outcomes? ; Distributing leadership for school effectiveness
Day 6: Differentiated instruction that increases leader’s engagement. Challenges for the inclusive leadership. Motivation: The link between leadership and school development
How can we improve our leadership style - personal development plan.
Motivation tools for students to become future leaders; Planning, support and commitment. The value of failure: world coffee method
Day 7: Coaching and leadership; Coaching versus mentoring: open debate; Variations between coaching and mentoring for performance management; Coaching models: GROW, FUEL, CANOE, RISE, GROWTH Group exercise: Wheel of life- create your school imagine; Practical exercise – Starburst on coaching in education
Day 8: Building ethics and integrity for school leaders: open theatre “ethical dilemma”; Group exercise: design of a benchmark for integrity of the local school board; Integrity expectation towards leaders. School integrity management: structure plan and key principles
Day 9: Expectation management: Working with stakeholders (ENGINE model ); Group exercise: Managing expectations of the teachers staff according their own value and beliefs ; Ways to improve the working environment: open space method; How to overcome burnout.
Day10: Performance management: presentation and discussion on key principles of performance management; Am I a good leader: create your personal standards for becoming leader for European school! Dissemination and valorization activities planning. One-page proposal.
Using European certification tools: Europass Mobility certificate, upgrading the Europass Language Passport and Europass Skills Passport Project evaluation. Handing out certificates

FOLLOW-UP
Participants will be given hand outs during workshops and activities and self-evaluation materials will be provided as well. At the end of the course, they will receive a questionnaire to offer their feedback regarding the effectiveness of the training event and also soft copies of all PPT materials which will have been presented at the course in order to be shown to their colleagues in their own institutions to generate interest in quality in education. There will be a group formed on a social network which will act as a platform allowing participants and trainers to keep in touch after the end of the course and exchange impressions and opinions on how they apply systems of quality in their work.