Page 15 - Mini-Module 1

The Application

Alice decided to apply Complexity Theory. Her first was to
stop enforcing rigid control, and instead do the opposite.
She asked staff members to form into three action teams.
One action team was asked to look for new proactive
teaching programs that could be adopted by the school, to
explicitly teach positive behaviour (like anti-bullying) and
improve student self-esteem. The second action team,
comprised of volunteers, examined the school’s existing
discipline policy and procedures to come up with ways of
making it more suited to the school’s needs. The third action
team was invited to work with Alice on developing a
professional development programme for staff on how to
deal with misbehaving students. By the end of the term the
behaviour problem had begun to diminish, and the staff
quite rightly believed that they had worked collaboratively
together to overcome the difficulties, and that along the way
had created a more positive and happy school culture.

Alice Nguyen was happy to be able to say that she had lived
through one of the most exciting terms of her fledgling
principalship.

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