Meet Conference Scholar
Patsy Pouiller
Biography
Patsy Pouiller is the Deputy Head, Primary, at St. Andrew's Scots Schools in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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In Her Own Words: A Leadership Reflection
Describe the obstacles you face as a leader.
Confronted with the question "What obstacles do you face as a leader?", it makes me stop and wonder what the obstacle really is. Is it the constant handling of discipline at school? Or is it dealing with parents who sometimes can be very difficult? Or is it trying to comply with all the imposed governmental paperwork? Or is it trying to inspire teachers to take risks in their teaching, to be daring, to implement new techniques and approaches, and to be open to the needs of each student?
I think the last one is the real obstacle I am faced with, the one that keeps me awake several nights a week. It is not the enthusiastic group of teachers who get hooked immediately when exposed to new queries. It is the other group, the complacent group, the one I call the "routine group." The teachers who feel comfortable with their routine seldom try anything new, and their teaching becomes flat, outdated, and boring—and the ones who suffer are the students.
I am always looking out for articles on this subject to be able to try out anyone else's successful experience, and I hope to be successful too.
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What leadership article has inspired you?
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