Page 26 - Beginning Principal Booklet

Stimulus Questions cont’d

One of the best ways to learn is to constantly question what you are

doing. It is also a good idea to compare and contrast what is
happening in your schools with those of your colleagues. Here are
some questions you might ask yourself during blue skies; of course

there are many others. These questions may be useful during your LS
meetings.

Question Set 3
● Do the school cultures represented in the Learning Square fit in
any way?
● Does having the same stated values mean that our schools are
the same?
● Does it matter if people have the wrong perception of me?
● Does it take time to understand and change culture?
● Have you been told any stories FROM OUTSIDE YOUR SCHOOL
about your school or the role of the principal before you took up
appointment?
● Have you had someone come up to you and have a ‘quiet word’
about what you are doing as a new principal, just to let you
know what you should have done?

Question Set 4

● How can I work closely with other schools? What are their
strengths?
● How can I get the senior staff to support meaningful culture
change?
● How do ‘structural’ elements inform my school’s capability?
● How do I judge whose perceptions are most accurate?
● How do the values of my new school differ from those in my
previous school? What difference does this make to me?
● How important are values in the life of my school?
● Is it difficult to change culture? Why?

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