Traditional to Cutting Edge: The Faith Lutheran College Story with Principal Doug Braiden

Doug Braiden, Principal of Faith Lutheran College in Plainland, Queensland, Australia, likes to begin with the obvious question: (Most) Education is broken …what can we do to fix it?

A vibrant, innovative leader, Doug is in his fourth year of the ‘education revolution’ at Faith.?

This was a truly inspirational interview and a must listen for any leader interested in bringing fundamental change to a traditional school.

Some of the highlights:

• 05:45 How do you do school differently for a large, traditional school?
• 14:05 Starting with the WHY - looking at the data.
• 19:30 To know what a school believes look at what they spend their money on!
• 24:00 Empowering teachers: The budget is controlled by the teachers.
• 35:20 Creating the electives - students have the final say!

Refer to the timestamps below for specific conversation snippets within the event.

Video Replay:

Timestamps?

00:10 Introduction

02:00 Detectives and Principals

04:00 Unpacking the industrial model of education

05:45 How do you do school differently for a large, traditional school?

06:20 Challenging the status quo ?

07:45 Innovative Learning Environments (not just about physical environments!)

08:25 The Three Phases of Learning at Faith:

Foundation - Exploration - Graduate

10:05 Doug’s first year at Faith - the first year of transformation

14:05 Starting with the WHY - looking at the data

14:45 The Independent School Review: 1) A lack of clarity around vision 2) Inefficient leadership structures 3) Curriculum

16:15 Focusing on vision first (The WHY)

16:45 The importance of initially working on several aspects of change

17:25 Making a vision statement that is more than rhetoric

19:30 To know what a school believes, look at what they spend their money on!

21:30 The structure of a typical High School

22:20 The school structure at Faith

24:00 Empowering teachers: The budget is controlled by the teachers.

26:20 Implementing the initial structural changes

28:20 All the major structural changes - abolishing HoDs, for example - had to occur in the first year.

28:50 Dealing with objections - selling the vision

30:40 Recruiting teachers: The importance of KINDNESS - of a 'love for the child'.

34:05 Yr 9-10: Exploration Phase

35:20 Creating the electives - students have the final say!

38:50 The timetable!

40:40 Simplicity as a core value - simplicity breeds innovation. But the process of simplifying can be complex.?

41:20 Jen Gibb - The importance of purpose

44:30 The importance of agency - how to foster agency?

47:10 Grouping students according to interest rather than to date of birth

49:25 Final words - futureproofing the innovation: Focus on the vision and on the systems and structure that support it.

Links to related LinkedIn Events and articles:

• Westminster School’s Top Ten HITS (High Impact Teaching Strategies) - A discussion with Angela Phillips.
• Leadership, Kindness and Socratic Education?(A discussion with Barry Cooper, Principal, The Global College, Madrid.)

Links and PD references:?

• Learn Implement Share Course Academy
• Department-wide Approach
• Dept-wide Interventions to Maximise Active Learning in Mathematics Students?(LinkedIn Event: Anja Mori, Mathematics Director, Wellington College International, Shanghai)