#MiddleLeaderCafe: Your Team Health Check: 06 January

09:00 (London time)

Facilitated by Keryn Dowling

Now that the 2026 is underway, it is an ideal moment for Teacher and Middle Leaders to conduct a “Team Health Check.” Through targeted protocols and structured conversations, this Middle Leader Café will revisit existing norms and explore any adjustments needed to ensure psychological safety and create the conditions for teams to thrive. 

Takeaways for participants

This session will introduce several quick pulse health-check protocols that help teams gather data efficiently. Protocols to assess team climate and review norms include: 

Stop, Start, Continue: An anonymous way to identify behaviours to stop, start, or continue.
Safety Survey: A brief anonymous poll with statements such as, “On this team, it is safe to take a risk.”
One-Word Pulse Check: A rapid way to gauge team climate at the start of a meeting. 

The second focus of the session is exploring approaches to review and refine team norms. Participants will discuss strategies that help norms become living documents, including: 

The Norm Audit: For each norm, ask: “Is it serving us? Are we living it? Does it need to change?”
Scenario Test: Apply a recent challenge to pressure-test your norms and identify gaps.
Co-creating an ‘Owner’s Manual’: Go beyond meeting norms to document how your team communicates, gives feedback, and responds to stress.

Keryn Dowling is a dynamic and accomplished international school leader with over 25 years of experience in teaching and leadership across diverse international schools. As an instructional leader and principal, she has championed inclusive, high-achieving learning environments that empower both students and educators. Keryn leads impactful professional learning experiences, equipping educators with practical strategies they can implement immediately. Passionate about driving meaningful change, Keryn fosters collaboration and is committed to shaping thoughtful, future-focused learning environments that support every learner’s success.