One of the critical challenges for leaders in education who wish to raise standards is to provide a clear path for the professional development of teachers. That is a daunting task when there are so many programs and resources are so limited. We use the research into how people learn naturally as the basis for our program on process leadership: the art of creating the conditions that allows educators to become more effective and successful.
5. Organize all inservices from the perspecive of a clear path of professional development
Every educator is at some point on the path professional development between direct instruction and learner centered teaching. A good leader can see the path, can recognize where people are along the path, is versatile enough to work with people at different points along the path, and creates the conditions that makes movement along the path easier and more fufilling. For more, go to
These instructional approaches are described in two books: Unleashing the Power of Perceptual Change and The 12 Brain / Mind Learning Principles in Action. Both can be purchased from our bookstore. Our professional develompment courses are specifically designed to guide educators along this path.
3. Help educators to see and appreciate their differences as well as their similarities.
Each brain is uniquely organized. A leader needs tools to help educators understand their differences so that they can find a path of development most suited to them. One of our primary tools is the Caine Identity Profile. This is a very simple and yet powerful way of identifying different ways of perceiving, reacting and acting - as teachers, as staff members, as adults. The challenge of the leader is to understand and recognize those differences, be versatile enought to work with all of them and know how to help them work together.
To take the profile inventory, visit our bookstore.
4. Help educators expand their ability to see what is possible in the classroom, and allow it to happen.
The limits on what people can do, and the gateway to doing more, are set by the at least four crucial variables. For the best results, administrators and teachers need to:
Have good metacognitive capacities - they can look at themselves and assess their own strengths, weaknesses, predispositions and ways to grow;
Have the capacity to let go of control and build relationships and a sense of community that is good at monitoring itself;
Have broad cognitive horizons - the capacity to see how things are interconnected; and
Have the capacity to empower others rather than the need to use power over others.
These qualities are described in detail in the Caines' book, Unleasing the Power of Perceptual Change
Our Leadership development seminars and workshops assist participants to develop these capacities and to help them develop the capacities in others. To inquire about or arrange for a workshop, contact us.
1. Ensure that educators know how children learn.
Teachers teach based on their mental models of how students learn. And very often, they are unaware of the full range of learning capacities with which all children and adults are endowed. When they know more, they can do more. So we offer seminars, workshops and courses specifically designed to help leaders learn about learning.
2. Grow a great learning community as the indispensable foundation for great professional development.
A really powerful learning community is a community of practice in which participants learn from each other and support the development of all. We use our unique process learning circle format as the foundational tool for helping leaders build community. It includes was to promote deep listening, try things out, reflect on experience, and think through problems together.
