Thursday 24 July 2014

The importance of cognitive dissonance

6 weeks into being the only DP in my school I find that life is crazier than ever. The role involves supporting every aspect of the school-something that shod be easy if I don't have a class to plan for?- bit in reality not easy at all.
Every day is planned out from the priorities I have on my worryingly large list... And every day has interesting and unexpected twists that mean the list is put on hold and then increased!
Earlier this year I talked about action plans and prioritising. This is working, I have action plans... So many in fact that I am considering creating an action plan for my action plans! But is this the most logical way to work? The action plans help, but when do we reach a point at which action plans are the only thing happening! They help me to track all my roles so I can try and ensure that I am allocating equitable amounts of my time to each role. Yet they also create friction and dissonance within my head about what constitutes equitable allocation of my time.
What is most important?
Student achievement is why we are all here, yet without support for teachers so they feel empowered, we won't have student achievement. Then there is community engagement, if we don't engage our parents in an honest, open way then nothing we do will help to accelerate achievement.
It's an interesting challenge to my thinking and I think is only answered by the word 'why'?
Why am I doing this? Does it relate back to our strategic plan or our vision?
Life is so exciting and a process of continual learning:)
I hope for a simple formula. But feel that complex algebra is what I will find....(good job I'm a math nerd!)

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