Well here goes! My very first blog ... Bear with, bear with!
As School Business Manager at Warden House Primary School for the past 5 years, learning is something that occurs in front of our eyes on a daily basis (at least one might hope). It seems however, that my own learning has recently taken on a monumental boost.
During the past 5 years through the implementation of our 'new entrance' building project, to the academy conversion process and restructuring of our Multi Academy Trust the phrase 'learning curve' has never been far from my mind and learning has been almost through osmosis; largely resultant of the need to fulfil a particular requirement for knowledge in order to carry out a specific role.
This year @chizkent and I discussed the idea that studying for a Masters level degree would develop me as an individual and also provide an element of security for the school with the additional level of responsibility that becoming an academy has bestowed upon us. Hence, I now find myself on this beautiful sunny Sunday critiquing a research paper as part of my MBA in Educational Leadership & Management.
In addition to the Masters the introduction of our Performance Management system is sending shock waves throughout the school and generating a new culture where staff learning is as important as that of our pupils. The fact that we have recently been graded as 'Outstanding' would surely suggest that this is hugely beneficial.
Several colleagues including myself have an objective set to include 'blogging activity'. Some were sceptical; I think I fell into the category that simply didn't know anything about it! I had a Twitter account but had not really used it; comparing it to Facebook, I didn't really see the benefit of following a group of complete strangers. Whilst this is only my first blog, I now get it! I have seen over the last few months that blogging sites such as Twitter can be used as a very powerful resource of up to date articles of both fact and professional opinion that can influence and impact upon my role.
The School Business Manager role is evolving continuously and it is more important than ever to be innovative and resourceful. I recently attended a 'Teach Meet' hosted at Warden House where @Misterhackett introduced Mind Maps - something that he and other colleagues have been using effectively with pupils for a while now. @chizkent http://chizkent.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/irresistible-writing-teach-meet.html
I used this mind mapping technique to come up with a map of the changing role of the SBM - perhaps a title for my next blog ..... watch this space. Incidentally, I have subsequently used this tool 2 or 3 times during my MBA studies.
As another topic covered at our Teach Meet was blogging, it would appear to have been worth going along to! @happyacko http://www.primaryreflection.co.uk/2015/03/google-chromebooks-ipads-and-social-cpd.html
So, back to my sunny Sunday research critique ... It is not so much the critique itself that has had an impact but more the process of research. In researching how I intend to carry out a body of research work myself, I have come across papers which have clicked things into place in my mind regarding my every day working role - the infamous lightbulb moments where you just think "oh that's why we do that" or "I didn't know that" about something you do every day. It's that sense of the bigger picture becoming clearer. I pride myself in having a sense of the big picture but I can already see that my studies are providing a valuable platform for impacting upon my strategic role within the SLT.
It is interesting to think that on first introduction so many people are sceptical/cynical/dubious towards performance management thinking it is something to be imposed upon them by the establishment; so far my own experience is that it has given me a learning focus and an opportunity to develop my own role for the future in complete contrast to that sceptical view. I am not one to cower away from change but tend to embrace it - I don't necessarily know the destination but have come to realise that the journey can be exciting too!
With that in mind I will add to this blog whenever I have something to add to my 'learning rollercoaster'.
