Welcome to Principals' Own

Crafted by principals, for principals, this professional learning series is tailored to address the challenges and opportunities faced by school leaders. Join us every other Tuesday in Term 2 for a lineup of 8 standalone sessions.

Attend as many or as few sessions as you wish. Each session will offer invaluable insights into key areas such as navigating difficult conversations, leading with compassion, personalised wellbeing planning, fostering a positive school culture, and more.

Grounded in real-world experiences and informed by conversations with VPA's member advisors, these sessions are focused on addressing the needs expressed by educational leaders like you. Don't miss this opportunity to refine your skills, connect with peers, and take your leadership to new heights.

Details:

Work Smarter, Not Harder:
Practical Strategies for School Leaders

Tuesday 7th May
AM - 9:30am – 12 noon

Work smarter not harder: Practical Strategies for School Leaders

Discover actionable ideas for school success. Learn adaptable strategies that work in any school context, enabling you to enhance your role and achieve the results you’re aiming for. From professional practices to effective routines, explore practical takeaways to elevate your impact.

In this session, you will learn:

• Practical takeaways for school success applicable in any context
• Easy-to-remember and adaptable professional practices for personal and professional growth
• Insights into enhancing your role and achieving desired results in schools.

Leading with Heart:
The Power of Emotional Intelligence

Tuesday 7th May
PM - 12:30pm – 3pm

Leading with Heart: The Power of Emotional Intelligence

Unlock the power of leading with emotional intelligence as we learn about the GENOS EI Model and discover the six competencies essential for successful leadership. Gain valuable insights into self-awareness, authenticity, and positive influence, along with practical tips and behaviours of successful leaders.

In this session, you will learn:

• Make the most of emotional intelligence using the GENOS EI Model for leadership
• Identify and understand the six vital competencies essential for successful leadership
• Enhance your self-awareness, authenticity, and ability to positively impact others
• Apply practical tips and behaviours modelled by successful leaders to enhance your own leadership capabilities.

Career Clarity:
Finding Your Path as a School Leader

Tuesday 21st May
AM - 9:30am – 12 noon

Career Clarity: Finding Your Path as a School Leader

Unlock the secrets to career advancement. Together, we will explore strategies for clarifying your career goals, from understanding the VAPA accreditation process to resume writing and interview skills. Learn how to have meaningful conversations about your career trajectory and take proactive steps towards achieving your goals.

In this session, you will:

• Clarify your career direction and goals through reflecting, resetting and refocusing.
• Explore pathway options for career advancement
• Understand the VAPA Victorian Aspiring Principal Accreditation process
• Improve your resume writing, address key selection criteria, and enhance interview skills
• Develop strategies for effective career pathway conversations with others

Building a Positive School Culture:
Nurturing Wellbeing and Relationships

Tuesday 21st May
PM - 12:30pm – 3pm

Building a Positive School Culture: Nurturing Wellbeing and Relationships

Embark on a journey of transformation with this insightful session on building successful school workplace cultures.

You will learn the essential elements of a non-toxic workplace, including effective systems, structures, and practices for promoting educator and student wellness as we explore practical strategies for enhancing relationships with everyone. You’ll come away with strategies for enhancing relationships with diverse individuals and cultivating successful classroom and school habits and routines.

In this session, you will learn:

• The elements of a nontoxic workplace, including successful systems, structures, practices, and strategies for promoting the wellness of educators and students
• Techniques for enhancing relationships with everyone in the school environment
• Strategies for understanding different personalities and effectively dealing with various people and problems
• Successful classroom and school habits and routines that contribute to a positive and productive environment.

Empowerment Through Mentorship:
Designing a Successful Coaching and Mentoring Program for your School

Tuesday 4th June
AM - 9:30am – 12 noon

Empowerment Through Mentorship: Designing a Successful Coaching and Mentoring Program for your School

Discover the keys to success in coaching and mentoring programs. Gain practical strategies for developing programs that cater to your school's unique needs and learn about an easy adaptable model for maximum impact. Explore how to create focused, tailored programs that empower educators and students to thrive.

In this session, you will learn:

• Coaching and mentoring practical ideas tailored to your unique school context
• An adaptable model designed to work in any situation, focused on meeting the needs of all involved in mentoring or coaching agreements.

Marvellous Me:
A Personalised Wellbeing Approach for Schools and Leaders

Tuesday 4th June
PM - 12:30pm – 3pm

Marvellous Me: A Personalised Wellbeing Approach for Schools and Leaders

Learn how to customise a feel-good plan to your unique context and integrate it with your personal purpose, vision, and values. Explore effective habits and routines for daily, weekly, monthly, and annual wellbeing. As a final step, we will develop an Activation Plan to propel your journey toward success over the next 12 months and beyond.

In this session, you will learn:

• How to build a tailored wellbeing plan for your personal purpose, vision, mission, values, behaviours, and conflict resolution, aligning them with your professional roles and responsibilities
• Strategies that work in schools for cultivating successful daily, weekly, monthly, and annual habits and routines
• Developing an Activation Plan to assess your current status, set goals for the next 12 months, and plan for the next five years.

About the Presenter

With 22 years of experience as a school principal, Deborah Patterson is a seasoned leadership mentor, keynote speaker and author of the book, 'Passion, Guts & Leadership – An A-Z for the Unconventional Educational Leader.'

A regular presenter at statewide and local conferences, Deborah is currently a VPA member adviser, and mentor to principals and assistant principals with the Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership. She is often engaged by schools to provide coaching and mentoring to leadership teams.

Deborah's mission is clear: to empower and improve the lives of principals, leaders, and educators through her guidance, mentoring, and coaching efforts.

Explore more at dpcoachingsolutions.com.