Creating Ripples…Making Waves

How to Influence your Senior Leadership Team

Anne Robinson, MA MASLA School Librarian of the Year 2005

Librarian, The Dixie Grammar School, Market Bosworth

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A PebbleJames W. Foley (1847-1939)

Drop a pebble in the water:Just a splash, and its gone;

But there's half-a-hundred ripplesCircling on and on,

Spreading, spreading from the centreFlowing on out to the sea.

And there is no way of tellingWhere the end is going to be.

  Drop a pebble in the water:

In a minute you forget,But here's little waves a flowing,And there's ripples circling yet,And those little waves a flowingTo a great big wave have grown;You've disturbed a mighty river

Just by dropping in a stone.Feuillu

on Flickr

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Day 3• Breakfast: A CRAPULENCE of librarians• Keynote 6: A SILENCE of librarians• Workshop 7: A BILIOUSNESS of librarians• Morning Tea: A QUEAZE of librarians• Trade Display Continues: A MEANDER of librarians• Keynote 7: A PRESENCE of librarians• Workshop 8: An ENDURANCE of librarians• Plenary/Evaluation: A TENACITY of librarians• Annual General Meeting: A RESIDUE of librarians• Optional Lunch: An ABSENCE of librarians

Collective Nouns for Librarians: The Conference Mutation Process

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Day 1• Arrival: An EXCITEMENT of librarians• Registration: An ANTICIPATION of librarians• Keynote Address: A REFLECTION of librarians• First Workshop: A DEVELOPMENT of librarians• Morning Tea: A CHATTER of librarians• Trade Display: A FRENZY of librarians• Keynote 2: A CONSIDERATION of librarians• Workshop 2: A RENEWAL of librarians• Lunch: A LINKAGE of librarians• Workshop 3: An ANIMATION of librarians• Optional Tour: An AMUSEMENT of librarians• Formal Dinner: A GLAMOUR of librarians

Collective Nouns for Librarians: The Conference Mutation Process

Credaro,A.B.(2002). Collective Nouns for Librarians Part 2: The Conference Mutation Process. Warrior Librarian Weekly [online]  http://www.warriorlibrarian.com/ROFL/nouns2.html [Accessed: 27/03/06]

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From “Librain” to FLIRT to Librarian and back again!

6 School Library Posts

SLA School Librarian of the Year 2005

FLIRT Leader!

Learning Resources & Information Services Manager

Now - Librarian at the Dixie Grammar School

10 Headteachers!

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The Dixie Grammar School

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Session aims

To understand the importanceof influencing school leaders

WHY?

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Session aims

To understand the needs of your senior management team

WHAT?

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Session aims

To suggest strategies to increase your influence

HOW?

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…we need to be clear…

…what we want!

But first of all…

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…ormoney?

Autonomy?

Recognition?

Celebrity?

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Why try?

Increased self-esteem

Increased job security

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Why try?

Improved pay and status

Increased job satisfaction

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Vision for the Library

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ReadingDevelopment

Extending the

Curriculum

Impact on achievement

School AssetPersonal

Development

InformationLiteracy

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Present situation

What is happening now?

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Does it seem that School Leaders do not appreciate our work?

WHY?

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The “Invisible School Librarian” exists, in part, due to ignorance and a “failure to

communicate.”

Tapping your influential potential:  building influence with teachers and administrators PSLA Professional Development Workshop, 2001http://www.psla.org/pslaworkshops/Fall2001Workshop.ppt

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“Why don’t teachers and administrators rally to support librarians? Even worse, why are they often the ones who, in fact, get behind library cuts?”

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“Many, perhaps most of them, do not understand the value and educational potential of libraries and librarians…”

“Mostly, it’s just a matter of indifference – and people regard as expendable those things about which they are indifferent.”Gary Hartzell 1997

Simple answers…

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So… why are some school managers indifferent to libraries?

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Some thoughts…

Head teachers and teachers in general receive very little

training about school libraries

Some teachers may make little or no use of Libraries for professional

or personal purposes

How many teachers went toschools with poor libraries?

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Maybe like this…

25Jennerally on Flickr

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But probably more like this?

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28What was their librarian like?

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Acting against?

Image

Lack of confidence

Invisible

Not “teachers”

Belief systems – books outdated

Library as “add-on”

Not part of large department

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Session aims

To understand the needsof your senior management team

WHAT?

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“The principal’s success and reputation is based on student achievement, the quality of the school climate, and the community’s perception of the school.”

Tapping your influential potential:  building influence with teachers and administrators PSLA Professional Development Workshop, 2001http://www.psla.org/pslaworkshops/Fall2001Workshop.ppt

32basegreen

Improving transition?

Better exam results?

Raising achievement?

Improving literacy?

Working with their agenda

Self-evaluation for inspections?

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Session aims

To suggest strategies to increase your influence

HOW?

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Contribution of the library to teaching and learning

High Quality

Use of LRC

InformationLiteracy

Independentlearners

Reading

Raising achievement

Exploration & extension

Social & leadership skills

35So where do we start?

36tarotastic

First impressions count

Intervie

w Image

First

meeting/

visitInduction

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Find out what the main challenges/issues are for your school

Keep up-to-date with developmentsin education nationally and locally

Then – seek out information helpful to the head’s agenda:

Recent research findingsEducational resources

Other information that addressesthe emerging issues in your school

Head teacher 1

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39tanakawho

Head teacher 2

Solutions to problemsSupport school initiatives

and policies

Contribute to meetings/INSET

Shared ethos and vision

Positive attitude - “can do”

Research-based evidence

Personal commitment

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Head teacher 3

Examples of higher level skills

Get out from behind the desk!

High quality communication

Tie in with school policies

Use positive OfSTED comments

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Impact on teaching and learning!

Yuan2003

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Line Manager

Advocate and mentor

Leadership style

Find out their interests

Regular meetings

Suggestions for agenda

Sounding board

Manageyour

Manager!

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Strategic not the trivial

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The whole of SMT

Soundingboard Mentors Advocates

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What has worked for me!

• Deputy Head as line manager• Quality of written reporting and

communication• Attendance and contribution at meetings• Positive and proactive attitude• Positive feedback to head!

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Examples of effective

communication

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Written

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Contribute to school SEF

High quality monitoring and evaluation:

Annual report with summaries

Financial plan and report

Termly updates for governors

Information for line-managers

Self-evaluation package for library

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Meetings & INSET

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Invite yourself!Check agendas/plans

“Sound out” beforeFind out best approach

Contribute positivelyBuild allies

Work beyond the comfort zone

Tochis

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Impact on raising achievement

Heads hate problems – love solutions

Outline problem in 2 or 3 sentences

Back up with evidence

Demonstrate implications in terms of:Health & safety

School finances

Law – e.g. employment laws

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Seize the moment!

56sea bass

OpportunitiesTiming

Positivelanguage

Supportinitiatives

Network

Head’s concerns

Head’s PA

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“The secret is getting in early. You want to get in when it’s a

ripple, before the wave hits. Then you ride the wave”

David Marcus

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The Librain

http://librain.edublogs.org/