Motivate!

So,'More than 5000 head teachers are providing inadequate leadership', Sir Michael Wilshaw tells us today. We could spend some time looking into these figures in detail, as I am sure some will. We could ask why mandatory headship training has been dropped. Or we could ask why we think we can motivate by running people down, which is what I am going to do here.

I am reminded of the classic experiment by Alice Isen, Alice Isen's webpage, where, without going into too much detail here, those who had been well treated in an experimental situation were much more likely to pick up the books of a passer by who was also part of the experiment. I also think, but I may be wrong as it is a long time since I was in a primary classroom, that picking on the children who are only just making the grade and telling them so, repeatedly, is not good primary pedagogy. I could try it on my MPhil students tomorrow though- it is their second term as full timers. I could, before the session announce to the faculty how many of them are less than the best. Another tack, of course would be to speak to them individually, and work out what they have to do to improve, and how I can help. Reading Twitter today, I see many Heads who wonder why they bother, and last week I spoke to two heads of outstanding schools who told me if they could find a better job they would go, and not look back. This situation should not be allowed to occur if we want a profession that sets its sights high. Instead, gradually people are being worn down by constant pressure to do better but not to think about themselves as professionals. Leaders' motivation influences others in the organisation, the motivation spillover principle, which I am not sure the government has heard of. Thoonen et al (2011:499) quote Leithwood, Jantzi, and Mascall's (2002) framework for research on large­scale reforms. This framework 'suggests that variations in the success of large­scale reforms can be explained in terms of their influence on educators’ motivations and capacities as well as their work settings that facilitate the types of changes in school and especially classroom practices needed for significant gains in whatever student outcomes are aspired to by reformers.' If you unpick that, it seems to be saying that motivation of educators is a key piece of the jigsaw if you want to move forward, and of course, leadership is an intrinsic part of that. 

The more cynical among my friends suggest that actually what we have here is a culling of anyone in the workforce who is of 'the past'. I would not go that far. However, if you carry on haemorrhaging people at the current rate, with the birthrate rising, this is not an effective strategy. Perhaps, someone somewhere could refocus on effective continuing professional development? Or is the word, professional failing out of use?

Reference

How to Improve Teaching Practices : The Role of Teacher Motivation, Organizational Factors, and Leadership Practices Erik E. J. Thoonen, Peter J. C. Sleegers, Frans J. Oort, Thea T. D. Peetsma and Femke P. Geijsel

Educational Administration Quarterly 2011 47: 496