Vancouver musings

Well here I am at one of the largest gatherings of educational researchers in the world. I think well over 3000 people will be here, primarily from the Us and Canada, but all over the world. New technologies mean that it is now much easier to sort out the programme online, though of course you still have to find the rooms in the many hotels. I will be going to sessions on leadership and policy making, of course, but also pedagogy, professional development and new technologies and learning. My own session is a symposium with colleagues about our project on principal preparation. It's key question is 'how useful are preparation programmes to the novice principal?' we have been trying to answer that question with research in Canada, the US, Mexico, Australia and Tanzania. Quite a contrast! My own segment has been to do with heads who have taken the SQH in Scotland. Up to his retirement my work on this was with Mike Cowie from Edinburgh. Mike and I followed 5 principals through their first two years of headship, and I am reporting on the questionnaire we sent out to Heads in the East of Scotland who had been in post 3 or 4 years. I was slightly disappointed at my 21% return rate, but the ones who did respond, did so in a fulsome manner! They were all primary heads in mainly small rural schools, where the burden of leadership is keenly felt.We know from other research that the first years of headship are about completing your new identity as a Head, and becoming socialised into the new organisation. The heads reported their lives as solo heads, or as one wrote, ' having to deal with and be responsible for, everything that happens in school despite a great deal of time devolving leadership onto staff( they dont want it and who could blame them) being available for everyone all the time.' Briefly, the reported on the four Cs. Their headship preparation made them confidence and credibility as a head and enabled them to work with the community and the culture of the school. Their preparation with the SQH has inspired them to work relationships and school improvement . They felt nothing could have prepared them for the reactive nature of small school headships and the isolation of headship.There was an implied tension between learning on the job and prior preparation . It was extra content ( the 5 th C) that they needed now on budgets, crumbly buildings and bidding and handling poor performance in practice. They wanted ongoing opportunities for development and reflection on practice. Most loved the job, and as one with a great staff said"it's a wonderful job, working with an enthusiastic team can bring about changes to children and parents lives". I think the quote that stuck with me was , " it's on of those jobs that are difficult to prepare for and needs to be experienced to be believed!" I will write it all up properly later. In the meanwhile, I will trot off now and put myself in the position of learner for the next few days.