RC015 Improving Leadership, Teaching and Learning in Our Schools with Generative Dialogue with Dr. David Townsend

David was born in Sydney Australia in 1942. After graduating teachers college he taught for 6 years in New South Wales during the 1960's.

David moved to Alberta, Canada in 1967 where he worked as a classroom teacher before becoming Vice Principal and then Principal of Hays School. Later, David was appointment Principal of Central School in Taber. He then served as a visiting professor at the University of Lethbridge, and the Assistant Superintendent of schools in the county of Lethbridge.

David has served as an educational researcher in Lethbridge's School District 51, and an educational consultant with the government of Alberta.

He became a permanent member of the faculty of education at the university of Lethbridge in 1985, and retired in 2014.

Currently, he is engaged in leadership growth initiatives in Alberta, British Columbia, and New South Wales, Australia

Dr. David Townsend joins us this week to discuss generative dialogue. We talk about the skills that are necessary, how to become more competent and confident, and how generative dialogue can be used as a tool to build trust and respect.

"You can't just do a two-day workshop, get all the people fired up, and send them back into the schools to do good deeds, they will fail..." - Dr. David Townsend

"What we want to do is...make some points in professional growth, and to make decisions about more purposeful teaching practices...thats why we engage in conversation in the first place." - Dr. David Townsend

This week on the Roll Call Podcast:

• Generative dialogue and collaborative inquiry
• Building the skills, and putting them into practice
• A cultural shift
• The skills needed for generative dialogue
• Offering genuine affirmation - inspire and encourage
• Misusing praise
• Building trust and respect
• What outcome are we looking for?
• The structure of generative dialogue
• Three important questions
• Telling is not effective
• Modelling the expectation
• Discipline and informality
• Assuming the competence of others
• Leadership

Resources Mentioned:

• David's Books:
• The Essential Equation: A Handbook for School Improvement
• Leadership in Education: The Power of Generative Dialogue

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding

This episode is sponsored by REACH Boarding, an award-winning, feature-rich boarding school management tool used by over 400 schools in five continents to manage risk, increase efficiency, and improve communication in boarding school management.

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