10 Mindframes for Leaders

Mindframe 1: "I am an evaluator of my impact on teacher/student learning" What is a key practice of an evaluative school leader?

• Avoiding open questioning.

• Engaging in formative evaluation.

• Relying solely on summative data.

• Ignoring teacher feedback.

Mindframe 2: "I see assessment as informing my impact and next steps" This mindframe emphasizes using assessment data to:

• Rank students.

• Evaluate teacher performance.

• Guide instruction and improve learning.

• Justify existing practices.

Mindframe 3: "I collaborate with my peers and my teachers about my conceptions of progress and my impact" A school leader embodying this mindframe would:

• Make all decisions unilaterally.

• Avoid seeking input from teachers.

• Work together with teachers to set goals.

• Assume they know best about everything.

Mindframe 4: "I am a change agent and believe all teachers/students can improve" Which of the following does this mindframe challenge?

• The value of high-probability practices.

• The importance of setting clear goals.

• The need to collaborate with peers.

• Deficit thinking and low expectations.

Mindframe 5: "I strive for challenge rather than merely ‘doing my best’" What is a key part of the challenge of this mindframe?

• Addressing issues of deficit thinking and low expectations.

• Only focusing on student successes.

• Avoiding any uncomfortable conversations

• Only thinking about what is working

Mindframe 6: "I give and help students/teachers understand feedback and I interpret and act on feedback given to me." What should be the focus of feedback?

• A checklist

• A learning intention and success criteria.

• The teacher's opinion

• The work completed

Mindframe 7: "I engage as much in dialogue as in monologue." How does dialogue impact learning?

• It distracts from it.

• It is not necessary

• It extends thinking and clarifies understanding.

• It is a waste of time

Mindframe 8: "I explicitly inform teachers/students what successful impact looks like from the outset." What should leaders do to promote clarity?

• Make others guess what they want.

• Keep expectations a secret.

• Only share expectations once.

• Communicate expectations clearly and repeatedly.

Mindframe 9: "I build relationships and trust so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others." What is the relationship between threat and learning?

• High threat is the best condition for learning

• Low threat means learning is not as good

• Threat is an important part of learning

• High threat makes it difficult to learn

Mindframe 10: "I focus on learning and the language of learning." This mindframe emphasizes:

• That all students learn the same way.

• That teachers should focus primarily on content coverage.

• That all teachers should use the same method of instruction.

• Understanding how learners learn and structuring learning environments to meet their needs.