Abstract
This book leads the reader through the process of changing the culture of a school through collegial professional conversations. It offers insight into the role McKay considers that stakeholders have in effecting change that everyone is comfortable with and enabled to develop through.
It is refreshing to read a book about improving the relationship between teaching and learning in classrooms which does not focus on driving up test scores. This book offers an insight into how leaders can approach their teams to consider enhancing pupil learning through the discussion of pedagogical approaches. The premise for the book is empowerment of teachers through personalized professional development, encouraging an understanding of how teaching affects learners in a classroom situation and changing the school culture from performative institutions to a nurturing locus of learning.
McKay suggests that collegial discussion which enables teachers to discover solutions for themselves is a powerful way of introducing the topic of improvement to school leaders. This practical approach to nurturing improvement by individual teachers will appeal to all leaders attempting to encourage critically reflective practice within the school team. The author aligns teaching development conversations with the enhancement of children’s learning; this approach anticipates the eliciting of a professional response in teachers. Avoiding emotive responses or confrontational episodes are the main themes of the book. It encourages a profession dedicated to continuous learning − through research, from each other and for the benefit of all stakeholders.
As a method of eliminating tensions within teaching teams, the book encourages leaders to engage with their teams in discussion around the latest research in education and to develop a culture of professional dialogue across the school. McKay proposes that colleagues should be encouraged to talk about their own perceptions and beliefs surrounding best practice with the aim of finding common ground. She grounds her premise in the notion that demystifying pedagogical approaches to teaching content will improve even the best classroom practice. The removal of the right way in favour of a common way is sound advice and supports a positive engagement in school improvement. McKay encourages leaders to consider the role of thinking time, coaching conversations and a presumption of competence rather than criticism in their conversations with their teaching team. This is a readable and positive book, offering school leaders alternative methods of supporting school and teaching improvement for the children in their care.
The text reads as a conversation expressing aims for professional development and pitfalls to avoid during the professional dialogue and culture proposed throughout. Although much of the text relates specifically to the Canadian system, this book will be a particular asset to all middle leaders who are beginning to consider relationships between the culture of the school and the outcome of children’s learning.