NPQSL Formative assessment task: Supporting the school’s culture through effective modelling and dialogue [Second Example]
Question:
Reflect on how you use modelling and intentional questioning to promote your school’s culture and ethos.
Strengths
In my interactions with staff and students, I consistently model effective use of our learning management system and speak positively about its benefits and opportunities. I aim to minimise negative criticisms while still acknowledging them and ensuring colleagues feel heard. I make myself available and visible, preferring face-to-face meetings and timely, needs-based support for teachers. In professional development sessions, I work to balance empathy with innovation so that teacher wellbeing is prioritised.
Areas for growth
It is important for me to continue focusing on digital pedagogies and impactful teaching and learning, rather than only showcasing new digital tools. Continuing to collaborate with designated digital learning leads and equipping them with the knowledge and skills to model effectively for their teams will increase impact. I also need to be more intentional in linking coaching to our wider vision for digital learning, ensuring that the “why” is never lost behind the “what.”
Opportunities
There is greater scope to work with digital learning leads to define the key ‘look-fors’ of outstanding digital pedagogy and enable them to model these within their teams. Revisiting our vision for innovation would help in defining aspects of our digital learning culture, framed through the ISTE Standards we have chosen to align with. These could be highlighted as a ‘Digital Spotlight’ in the weekly staff bulletin.
Current practice
When introducing new tools, I sometimes find I lack incisive questions to prompt teachers to think beyond the basics. I need to ensure I question the learning intentions behind digital tool use and prioritise deeper reflection over quick fixes or purely technical solutions. Planning strategic questions in advance to guide coaching conversations when implementing new digital approaches will help address this.
Desired practice
I want to prioritise protected time for digital coaching cycles in my schedule next academic year. Regularly revisiting respected frameworks such as the ISTE Standards will support the targeting of one or two powerful questions in each teacher interaction to stimulate deeper reflection. By sharing my own reflective process—showing how I assess my own technology choices and adapt them based on evidence of impact—I can promote transparency, honesty, and mutual respect.
Summary
As a digital learning leader, my actions send strong signals to colleagues and are observed closely by all stakeholders. By being more explicit in connecting tools with pedagogical frameworks and strategies, I aim to continue modelling our shared vision for transformative digital learning. Emphasising collaboration and mutual support is vital for sustained success. Empowering digital learning leads through targeted coaching will help them create a shared definition of effective modelling in their teams, supporting ongoing improvement. Crafting intentional questions based on research-informed frameworks is essential for helping teachers reflect deeply on their use of digital pedagogy. Ultimately, my goal is to foster a school culture where digital technologies are used purposefully to enable meaningful, future-ready learning. Through strategic modelling and coaching, I aim to lead this change with intentionality.
Details have been anonymised to protect individuals and institutions while preserving the meaning and quality of the work.
