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Thoughts after the quite magical second Study Day of TeachDifferent: The Diversity Programme

I had such a weekend of contrasts so I wrote it all down:

 

http://teachnorthern.wordpress.com/2014/01/19/be-more-saga/

 

Hope everything is going well for you all.

 

Lou x

Happy New Year!

I'm catching up with myself and with the project, ahead of our second study day on Friday.  Here's our progress:

Study Days - the second of these is on Friday, we have 14 people (two dropped out), we've got 12 signed up for March already.

Research Project - Jill and Katy met on Friday. Early data is looking interesting. Jill is on with writing the interview questions and will be sharing them with us in draft form so comment away!
Coached Practicum - 5 people are going forward with this (couldn't choose) and have been teamed up with their coach. The coaches had their first coaching supervision on Friday (it was lovely); each of them is also attending a study day.
Online Materials - all are in place and I'm hoping to review them today.

Hoping to sit down with a cuppa today and catch up with all your news via the blog, too :-) 

Lou x

First TeachDifferent Diversity Programme Study Day - FULL!

Our first study day is officially full!  We've got 16 applicants for the 4th December and already 7 for January and a couple for March.  What's really delighting is that we've got a fabulous mix of current students/graduates/brand new people - our Twitter campaign has really worked.  One of the principles of the project has been that I wanted marketing to be entirely via social media - a banner on our website, an entry on our TeachNorthern blog, Twitter and Facebook.  And it's worked to get us the mix I'd hoped for.

We've asked each applicant to write 300 words on why they want to come on the programme; partly a test of commitment but also to inform the action research project, which is also taking shape.  I've been in tears over some of them...people really care about doing this stuff right.

In other news...a pesky norovirus put paid to me meeting with the coaches last Friday, so figuring out the coaching methodology is still to do, but the programme for the study day is taking shape in my head and it feels good...

Hope everyone else is feeling the same excitement about their projects!

Making Progress

We are slowly getting everything together.

The Yammer-based online steering group is proving invaluable for generating ideas.  The researcher is putting together some robust tools and I'm getting on with planning the training days, the first of which is fully subscribed.  The coaches meet on Friday and we're discussing jelly babies.  The only part of the complex weave I've not given thought to yet are the online materials, which I had in mind as being prompts for thinking, but a timely LinkedIn link from a colleague is giving me some great food for thought...

Hope everyone else is enjoying their project as much as we are!

 

Thinking Environment

...had some initial discussion today with the other coaches involved in the TeachDifferent project around our coaching methodology for the practicum element of the project.  Our approach is to coach in a thinking environment (see www.timetothink.com) but we need something a little more directive here, as we are focusing on getting the maximum impact in the minimum time.  We discussed some early ideas and agreed a planning day on November 15th.  Can't wait to get something nailed on.

 

In the meantime, our research methodology is developing...now to check up with the researcher and see where we are at.  I'm really enjoying putting this together with some great people.

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