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Literacy Online. Every child literate - a shared responsibility.
Ministry of Education.

Qualities of the Literacy Leader

Congratulations! As the appointed Literacy Leader in your school you have a vital role to play in ensuring your students develop the necessary skills to engage with all learning areas of the curriculum.

The Literacy Leader

Essentially a Literacy Leader needs to embody certain ways of thinking, which is what Hattie (2012) refers to as ‘mindframes’. These eight mindframes underpin the actions and decisions that leaders make. ‘…teachers and school leaders who develop these ways of thinking are more likely to have major impacts on student learning.’ (p. 160).

  1. Evaluate the effect of their teaching

    Evaluate the effect of their teaching
  2. Are change agents!

    Are change agents!
  3. Talk more about the learning

    Talk more about the learning
  4. See assessment as feedback

    See assessment as feedback
  5. Engage in dialogue not monologue

    Engage in dialogue not monologue
  6. Enjoy the challenge

    Enjoy the challenge
  7. Develop positive relationships

    Develop positive relationships
  8. Use the language of learning

    Use the language of learning

The 'Teacher Professional Learning and Development Best Evidence Synthesis ' (Timperley, Wilson, Barrar & Fung 2007) promotes the idea of ‘active school leadership’ with leaders actively supporting the professional learning of their staff. A key role of the Literacy Leader is in leading and supporting teachers to become more effective practitioners in literacy teaching.

Viviane Robinson ( “School Leadership and Student Outcomes: Identifying What Works and Why: Best Evidence Synthesis Iteration”, 2009, p.49) has identified eight key leadership dimensions that have demonstrated significant effects on student outcomes.

  1. Establishing goals and expectations
  2. Resourcing strategically
  3. Planning, coordinating and evaluating teaching and the curriculum
  4. Promoting and participating in teacher learning and development
  5. Ensuring an orderly and supportive environment
  6. Creating educationally powerful connections with family
  7. Engaging in constructive problem talk
  8. Selecting, developing and using smart tools

These dimensions underpin the actions of your role as the Literacy Leader. The dimensions are embedded within the ‘Teacher Inquiry’ cycle.

‘Since any teaching strategy works differently in different contexts for different students, effective pedagogy requires that teachers inquire into the impact of their teaching on their students.” New Zealand Curriculum (2007)




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