Middle Leader Certification

02, 09, 16, & 30 October 2024

John Mikton

In international school educational leadership, digital fluency—which includes literacy, citizenship, tools, security, and devices—today are key learnings for middle-level leaders, enabling them to effectively fulfill their roles in the dynamic landscape of education. “Digital Fluency for Middle Level Leaders” explores the digital competencies necessary for leadership in an international school setting.

Given the accelerated changes in the digital world impacting us both professionally and personally, the course supports middle-level leaders to creatively and critically leverage digital environments and tools, including artificial intelligence, to enhance their leadership capacity.

Emphasising the development of a middle-level leadership disposition with ethical online behavior and positive digital footprints, the course supports middle-level leaders with the knowledge, skills, and understanding to seamlessly integrate digital fluency into their leadership practice. Throughout the course, participants will explore key digital literacies and practical applications. They will delve into strategies for effective digital communication, collaborative workflows, and digital tool utilization, emerging from the course with the skills to navigate their roles as adept ‘digital fluency leaders.’

Course Objectives

• -Gain an understanding of digital fluency components and their relevance in international school educational middle level leadership.
• -Analyse the impact of rapid digital changes and develop strategies to leverage digital tools effectively for enhanced middle level leadership capacity.
• -Cultivate a middle-level leadership disposition focused on ethical online behavior and positive digital footprints for seamless integration of digital fluency into middle level leadership practice.
• -Acquire practical skills in key digital literacies and applications, including digital communication and tool utilization, to emerge as proficient ‘digital fluency middle level leadership.’

7 and 14 October 2024 or 11 and 18 October 2024

Nancy Lhoest-Squicciarini

We know that building and leading an effective team is an important step in enabling individual and collective success. This course explores how middle leaders can create cohesive and collaborative teams that are focused on student learning.

The course draws on the extensive body of literature and research in order identify what is most useful, practical and productive in leading teams. Teachers and administrators are by definition expected to be leaders. The key is to use that authority thoughtfully, sensitively, and productively. Should we find ourselves in the role of a leader without perceived authority – a more informal position, it is a different dynamic.

Participants leave the course with a clear understanding of how to build a high functioning team in order to transform learning.

Key Questions

· What are some characteristics of a highly functioning team?

· How can I facilitate the creation of a team focused on student learning?

· How can protocols, structures and norms facilitate thinking and a focus on student learning?

· What types of conversations are critical, and when are they likely to occur?

· What processes and behaviours can be prepared in advance to enable difficult situations and conversations to be well managed?

25 & 26 November 2024

Helen Morgan

Coaching is an important leadership approach for teacher leaders because it focuses on getting the best out of people by unlocking and unleashing their potential. In an educational context, coaching is about developing people so that they are empowered to solve problems and navigate their way through challenge and change. It supports well-being and gives people the skills and confidence to have better conversations and figure things out.

At an organisational level, coaching is pivotal to continuous and sustainable development. This course will equip middle leaders to develop the beliefs, knowledge, skills and understanding to adopt a coaching approach in their everyday practice.

During the course, participants will explore key coaching theory and have practical opportunities to translate this into practice. They will explore how effective coaches listen well and ask powerful questions. Across the two days, they will build a toolkit of strategies and approaches apply in their own context. They will leave the course with the confidence and skills to become a ‘coaching leader’.

Key questions

· What is coaching and how can we develop a coaching mindset?

· What is the role of listening in coaching and why does it matter?

· How can asking better questions enable better conversations?

· What tools and techniques do we need in our coaching toolkit?

28 and 29 November 2024

Helen Morgan

What role do middle leaders play in ensuring teachers are engaged in current, best practice around assessment? We know that assessment is most useful when teachers know how to use it to improve learning and achievement. This course draws on the latest research and literature about assessment and explores it through a middle leadership lens.

This course covers several key areas that will deepen understanding of best practices that lie at the heart of assessment, including assessment for learning and feedback. Participants will explore how to influence and support their team with the use of assessment to inform teaching and learning. The course will look specifically at how feedback can be used to optimise learning and progress.

The course will also unpack how leaders can make sure that assessment is accessible for all students and consider the role of leaders in supporting wellbeing in relation to assessment.

At the end of the course, participants will leave fully equipped with practical knowledge and powerful strategies to lead assessment for learning with real confidence.

Key questions

· What is assessment and why does it matter?

· Where do assessment for learning and feedback fit in and what does best practice look like?

· What do leaders need to do to make sure assessment is for all learners and how can we support wellbeing in relation to assessment?

· How can a middle leader influence their team to implement best practice?

23 and 30 January 2025 plus 06 and 13 February 2025

Jimena Zalba and Cindy Gause Vega

In an organisation, leaders make the weather and create the culture. This shapes how the organisation works and feels. The Culture of Leadership is an exciting course that gets to the heart of this by focusing on international teacher leadership at the middle level, exploring the relationship between culture, context and leadership.During the course, participants explore critical aspects of the middle leader role and how their beliefs and values influence their practice. In addition, they will have the opportunity to build their leadership knowledge, understanding and skills order to strengthen their effectiveness and impact. By the end of the course, participants will have a strong understanding of why leadership matters and how they can shape the culture in their team. They will leave with a clear plan to assist them with the successful application of their learning.

Key questions:

· What does research claim about effective teacher leadership?

· To what extent is leadership context driven?

· How does culture impact leadership?

· How can a teacher leader develop the ability to lead effectively in different contexts?

· What are beliefs and values about leadership and how does this impact leadership practices?

13 and 14 February 2025

Nunana Nyomi

In recent years, we have been witnessing a global awakening to a call for a more intentional focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ). In the wake of the outcries for racial justice which reverberated around the world, many institutions indicated an intent to become places where those within their care can thrive with all aspects of their identity celebrated. However, international education continues to face significant challenges in creating lasting systemic change.  

Middle Leaders are often at the forefront of observing and experiencing the myriad of inequities that exist, such as the lack of affirmation of certain student identities within the school culture and curriculum, staffing barriers relative to educator backgrounds, & more. How might we equip ourselves and our institutions to break through these challenges? Join this course to explore these themes and co-create actions that lead to breakthroughs which will enable yourself, your institutions, and the international education community to flourish. 

Key questions 

• What systemic inequities do our fears protect and how can we interrupt them? 
• How do we support those within our care to experience breakthroughs in order to flourish? 
• How might we break through the systemic barriers to our own growth as middle leaders? 
• What can we do as middle leaders to collectively inspire tangible change towards diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the international school ecosystem? 

Nunana Nyomi

Nunana is passionate about developing communities where everyone can thrive as their full selves and helping students find career pathways which allow them to fulfill their potential. Nunana currently serves as University Advisor and DEIJ Coordinator at Leysin American School (LAS) in Switzerland. He also serves as co-chair of the Accreditation Committee of the International School Anti-Discrimination Taskforce. Prior to joining LAS, Nunana was based in the Netherlands as Associate Director of Higher Education Services for the Council of International Schools (CIS) and provided programs to support student transitions from school to university education.

Additionally, Nunana served on the CIS Global Citizenship Team and on a special CIS Board Committee on Inclusion through Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (I-DEA). He also previously led international student admissions for Calvin University in the U.S. Nunana is a Third-Culture Kid who grew up in the U.S., Ghana, Kenya, Switzerland, and the U.K. He has a BA in International Relations and French (Calvin University) and a MA in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (Michigan State University). 

10 and 17 March 2025

OR

11 and 18 March 2025

Nancy Lhoest-Squicciarini

We know that investing teacher quality improves learning, builds capacity and increases retention. These are only a few of the benefits.

This is an interactive course that gives middle leaders the knowledge and practical tools to lead teacher teams. Across the course, you will explore what effective teaching and learning looks like based on the latest research and literature. You will also learn how to use evaluation as a catalyst for high quality professional development at an individual and group level.

Throughout the sessions, we will look at different models, strategies and approaches for improving teacher quality with your own team. By the end of the course, participants leave fully equipped to lead Teacher Quality Improvement in their own setting.

Key questions

· What does research and literature indicate about what great teaching looks like?

· How can middle leaders evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in their teams?

· What are the most effective strategies and approaches for improving the quality of teaching and learning for individuals and teams?

· How can teacher leaders support the growth of the adults in their team and enable sustainable improvement and professional development?

06 and 07 March 2025

Helen Morgan

Coaching is an important leadership approach for teacher leaders because it focuses on getting the best out of people by unlocking and unleashing their potential. In an educational context, coaching is about developing people so that they are empowered to solve problems and navigate their way through challenge and change. It supports well-being and gives people the skills and confidence to have better conversations and figure things out.

At an organisational level, coaching is pivotal to continuous and sustainable development. This course will equip middle leaders to develop the beliefs, knowledge, skills and understanding to adopt a coaching approach in their everyday practice.

During the course, participants will explore key coaching theory and have practical opportunities to translate this into practice.  They will explore how effective coaches listen well and ask powerful questions. Across the two days, they will build a toolkit of strategies and approaches apply in their own context. They will leave the course with the confidence and skills to become a ‘coaching leader’.

21 and 28 March 2025

Nancy Lhoest-Squicciarini

At the centre of middle leadership is a commitment and desire to improve student learning. We know there are several factors that impact student learning and at the top of the list of school-related factors is a guaranteed and viable curriculum.

For it to have real impact, it needs to be far more than just a piece of paper. This course unpacks the role that middle leaders play in driving the curricular vision of the school. Participants consider the key principles of effective curriculum design and implementation.

They will consider how students learn, exploring the latest research in cognitive science and how this can support curriculum design and development. Participants will leave with a range of practical strategies and tools to ensure that the curriculum supports highly effective learning in their context.

Key questions

· How do vision and values drive curriculum design and development?

· What are the key principles that underpin effective curriculum design?

· How do students learn and how can this influence curriculum design and implementation?

· What is the role of the leader in curricular design and development?

31 March and 01 April 2025

OR

01 and 02 May 2025

Helen Morgan

Being able to manage and embrace conflict effectively is an essential part of middle leadership if teams and individuals are to maintain a shared sense of purpose and direction. As a middle leader, one of the greatest challenges in managing and embracing conflict is managing yourself and making sure that communication is clear and effective.

During this course, participants learn to identify conflict and what their roles and responsibilities are within such a situation. They develop strategies to manage emotions, manage change and learn how to separate the personal from the professional. On a practical level, participants learn how to have difficult conversations and practise different techniques in a safe and supportive environment.

By the end of the course, participants will have a practical toolkit of strategies and protocols to manage and embrace conflict successfully in a range of contexts.

Key questions

· Why does conflict occur and what is the role of the leader?

· How can leaders manage and embrace conflict within their team?

· How can successful leadership of change help leaders to navigate through conflict effectively?

· What strategies and approaches can leaders use to manage difficult conversations?