LEaDME: Leading Educators and Development in Mathematics Education

I was recently questioned about the name of my blog and the reason why I chose ‘LEaDME’ as the title for my online space about mathematics leadership activity in primary schools. That query came from the images that arose from the phrase, “Lead me”, and how interpretations of that could lead (pardon the pun!) to ones of teachers hopelessly imploring for mathematics leadership in schools.

After that discussion, I pondered points that were made, and saw it has an opportunity to share my thoughts about the name of the blog and why I chose it. That discussion has prompted this post for not only myself to clarify my own understanding of the dynamism of mathematics leadership, but to also provoke thinking about your mathematics leadership.

I recognise, on the first read of the name ‘LEaDME’, that this could be interpreted as a teacher pleading “lead me” to the mathematics leader. I can see how this might conjure imagery of the teacher as an obedient teacher follower, not knowing what to do when it comes to teaching mathematics, crying out to the mathematics leader for help. Although I can perceive how this could be interpreted in this way, that imagery and its associated connotations are ones that are far removed from my understanding of mathematics leadership in primary schools.

More than meets the eye

Firstly, the name of my blog is an acronym for Leading Education and Development in Mathematics Education. I knew that I wanted a name that captured succinctly the themes of my posts. Generally, my posts are stories and advice, from my own research, written for mathematics leaders who are leading the education of school stakeholders (teachers, students, and families) and whose leadership work is focused on the development of dispositions, practices, and knowledge for mathematics teaching and learning. On one simple level, the blog name serves this purpose.

There is however much more to this, and those questions about the name of my blog name made me recall the line from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Act 2 Scene 2), “What’s in a name?”

What do I mean by LEaDME (“Lead me”)?

“What’s in a name?” has generally come to be used as a phrase that recognises that the name of a thing does not matter as much as the qualities of the thing. I trust you can see how that Shakespearean prose relates to this post.

I now share the qualities of the phrase “Lead me” as they relate to my understanding of mathematics leadership in primary schools. By doing so, I offer you the opportunity to determine how these responses reflect aspects of your mathematics leadership activity in relation to your beliefs, thoughts, and actions about your work as a leader of mathematics in your school.

Here are several responses to the “What’s in a name?” question and how I interpret the place of “Lead me” in mathematics leadership activity.

1. “Lead me” as volitional action: If a teacher has tried all that they can to solve the dilemmas of their mathematics teaching and then seek leadership support, to me this is clearly an act of willingness by the teacher to develop their teaching practice. This provides the capacity for the teacher to take action with the mathematics leader to resolve that dilemma. “Lead me” starts the process of envisaging future possibilities for practice by goal setting and enacting ways of achieving those goals. With focused work together, visions for practice can become realities of mathematics teaching for teachers and mathematics learning for students. This new positioning of “Lead me” is a far cry from the ‘obedient follower and leader’ narrative described above as it is one that positions the phrase in an agentic way for both the teacher and the mathematics leader.
2. “Lead me” as an invitation: For those who have followed my work, the vitality of relationship is key to mathematics leadership in primary schools. Acknowledging teacher dispositions and seeking to influence teacher emotions first then opens up opportunities for mathematics leaders to develop teacher practice and teacher knowledge. By positioning the phrase in the way I have shared thus far, “Lead me” offers invitations for teachers and the mathematics leader to initiate collaborative practice development together. This view of “Lead me” is one way of fostering relationship with teachers as they are invited to engage in collaborative practice development through professional learning activity.
3. “Lead me” as initiation of collaborative practice development: When teachers ask for leadership support or are invited to do so, opportunities for collaboration between teachers and the mathematics leader are surfaced. For this to work well, it is vital that the mathematics leader knows what the teacher wishes to work on and why. Mathematics leaders need to know the teachers’ objectives for practice development, and look for cohesion between those teacher objectives and their own leadership objectives. Having shared objectives for practice development can expand the learning for teachers and the mathematics leader alike. Relationships can be maintained and thoughts of “PD being done to us” can be minimised when the ‘what and the why’ of practice development is shared between the teachers and the mathematics leader.
4. “Lead me” as a two-way leadership action: I have had the privilege of learning from and with mathematics leaders who have perceived “Lead me” in more than one-dimensional ways. “Lead me” can be positioned as a two-way leadership action that allows the mathematics leader to work on the ‘what’s next?’ of teacher professional learning and the “then what?” of the mathematics leader’s leadership. Seeing “Lead me” in this way provides opportunities to engage in responsive mathematics leadership, where leadership activity is seen as two-way relationship as they seek advice and input from their teachers about ways to best meet their professional learning needs. This deeper understanding of “Lead me” is enacted when the mathematics leader understands that when they lead, they too are led by their teachers. For mathematics leaders, there is potential to grow their work by re-viewing “Lead me”, using teacher feedback and advice (teacher voice), as a way of transforming the phrase to “Lead me in leading you.”

By elaborating on the phrase “Lead me”, I hope that I have extended the imagery of that phrase beyond that of the teacher begging to be led by the mathematics leader. I hope now that the image that comes to mind is one that sees both teachers and mathematics leaders engaging in dynamic collaborative practice development where “Lead me” is positioned as a willing invitation to initiate that developmental work together.

I trust that the phrase “Lead me” is one that is used by teachers and mathematics leaders alike, where the phrase is enacted as a two-way leadership action. Finally, I hope that I have been able to convince you that the phrase “Lead me” is one steeped in both teacher and mathematics leader agency, where both engage in activity that supports understanding themselves more and influencing each other’s dispositions, practices, and knowledge so that teachers and mathematics leaders can act as mathematics education change agents together: all done for the success of their students and the mathematics education in their schools.

Of course, this is my positioning of the phrase “Lead me” at this point in time. As always, my thinking shifts as I work more with mathematics leaders and study mathematics leadership activity more. I look forward to the day when this post is updated drawing on my new understandings of mathematics leadership in primary schools.