alb

I am an international Education Management Advisor, author and school Principal of twenty years experience in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates. My leadership career has been interwoven with nineteen years of teaching, including general classroom, music, drama and art.

In August, 2010, my book, A Practical Manual for Principals, was published by Insight Publications Pty. Ltd. in Melbourne Australia. The book is designed for an international market and more information can be found on the publisher’s website at http://insightpublications.com.au.

As a facilitator and leader, I systematically support personal and institutional autonomy within a framework of expectations, guidelines and accountabilities.

With clear expectations of performance, expressed in the standards of policies and curriculum documents, and appropriate intervention and support, I work hard to create a culture of high performance and development in which all staff members thrive. Job satisfaction and collegiality are central to such a culture, as is the ability of staff members to influence the decisions that affect them.

Accreditation bodies that I have worked with include the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), Western Academy of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO). I am comfortable working within such frameworks of excellence.

My preferred model of education is social constructivism, an inquiry-based approach driven by the interests of each student and couched in a comprehensive framework of negotiated understandings. Underpinning this approach is my set of beliefs that learning should:

  • be social, active and inquiry-based
  • be inclusive of all students
  • engage each student, providing individual empowerment and support
  • deeply consider students’ needs and the needs of the greater good
  • provide authentic, real-life challenges
  • develop synergies through a variety of collaborative team approaches
  • use a cycle of planning, implementation, assessment and evaluation