All topics are derived from Dr. Perry Wiseman’s “Four Key Foundations” framework outlined in his book, Strong Schools, Strong Leaders, and the exclusive “4S Approach” construct introduced in his forthcoming book, Reviving Professional Learning Communities.

NO COOKIE-CUTTER SOLUTIONS
School leadership and development solutions aren’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why presentations and workshops are tailored to match the unique needs of each client…to create a positive transformation in school culture, climate, and student performance.

Is your school or district struggling to prevail in today’s unpredictable environment? If so, Dr. Wiseman can help by providing presentations and seminars on the simple, practical framework outlined in his book, Strong Schools, Strong Leaders. This model concentrates on engaging the entire community in the building of common ground, which will, in turn, lead to better unyielding commitment and RESULTS. Participants will leave with a thorough understanding of the Four Key Foundations, as well as many practical strategies to bring each of the foundations into fruition.


FOUR KEY FOUNDATIONS

LISTENING TO PEOPLE AND THE ENVIRONMENT
Schools are bustling with a diversity of staff experiences, worldviews, and perceptions. The foundation Listening to People and the Environment promotes structuring devices and processes to tap into the collective intelligence of organizations. The nurturing of this foundation will spark a true commitment from your employees, rather than compliance.

BUILDING AGREEMENTS
Unconstructive staff behaviors in schools create unnecessary tensions leading to:
   •   poor communication systems
   •   ineffective processes
   •   damaged interpersonal relationships.
Building Agreements gives attention to the on-going, relentless process of engaging the whole-system in the development and conformity of productive group norms.

CO-CREATING PURPOSE
Often small groups come together to create a school’s mission and vision.  These “statements” are oftentimes placed on a shelf and revisited years later. The foundation of Co-Creating Purpose surrounds the building of a common ground and shared purpose by tapping into the goals and passions of each individual within the school community.

FOSTERING TEAMWORK
The typical educator has not received training in group dynamics and the building of effective teams. Successful learning organizations though are bustling with teams that work effectively and interdependently towards common goals. Leaders striving to build cultures of collaboration must focus on teaching the staff how to lead and work within successful teams.

THE 4-S APPROACH

Effective Structures are critical components of learning communities. But the latest and most sophisticated system in the world will only result in confusion, dysfunction, and failure without these three things:
  1.   A clear recognition of individual and collective Standpoints
  2.   Acknowledgement of the natural Struggles that accompany these different points of view
  3.   The building of effective teams through Solidarity

Quadrant I: Standpoint
The first of the four quadrants in the 4S Approach framework is Standpoint. This quadrant encompasses all the different experiences, worldviews, and opinions that the members of a staff bring to the table. Everyone has a unique story to tell, and these stories, when brought to the surface, explain a great deal. Once this is recognized and acknowledged, behaviors and performance, whether productive or unproductive, suddenly begin to make sense. If Standpoints are ignored, and people’s ideas are disregarded, collaborative efforts will come to a quick halt.

Quadrant II: Struggle
Struggle stands for the natural conflicts that surface time and again when different Standpoints in a school collide. Struggle is a natural part of group life and it is a complex subject to tackle—both in theory and in practice. Whenever people are put into groups, large or small, and required to accomplish some task, there are bound to be clashes. There is nothing wrong with this dynamic as long as members use these tensions to encourage growth.

Quadrant III: Solidarity
Solidarity deals with the implications of having teams in schools. If the aim is to build a collaborative school community, you need to have highly functional teams. The significance of Solidarity was inspired by my in-depth research on learning communities, along with the contents of my book, Strong Schools, Strong Leaders. Teams serve as a cornerstone in the learning community framework.

Quadrant IV: Structure
The last of the four quadrants is Structure. This quadrant, devoted to systems, resources, and processes, is the one that most practitioners are familiar with. Much of the current literature speaks in depth about these Structure-related topics. The list of effective systems is endless, ranging from tiered interventions and Response to Intervention (RtI) to the regular allocation of time for professional development to the collective development and analysis of formative assessments.