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).
Evaluate the effect of their teaching
Evaluate the effect of their teachingAre change agents!
Are change agents!Talk more about the learning
Talk more about the learningSee assessment as feedback
See assessment as feedbackEngage in dialogue not monologue
Engage in dialogue not monologueEnjoy the challenge
Enjoy the challengeDevelop positive relationships
Develop positive relationshipsUse the language of learning
Use the language of learningThe '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.
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)
