Intelligent Change: Rethinking Educational Leadership- A look back at the BSME Conference 2024.

I am back! I had a fantastic week last week in Doha at the BSME Conference 2024, so pull up a chair and let me tell you all about it in this newsletter. Lately, it seems that I have been going from one conference to another, but here is the deal: I enjoy them all. If you have not been making time and effort to attend conferences, then you are missing out on a lot of learning, networking, and growing. I have been attending the BSME Conference for several years now, but somehow, this one felt really special; let me explain.

The theme alone sets the tone for some exciting conversations. How do you implement intelligent changes in your school? How do you know that they are intelligent? When we say that we are rethinking educational leadership, what do we really mean? What skills do young people need to navigate the world we now inhabit? I had the opportunity to speak with several amazing leaders and pick their brains on these and many other topics at the event. Check out the highlights below. Thanks, Debra Forsyth and team, for allowing me to podcast from the event.

Dr Neil Hopkin emphasises the importance of AI literacy, self-esteem, and environmental awareness as cornerstones for future success.

David Flint from Southview School, Dubai, advocates for student agency and empathy in education, highlighting the importance of giving students a credible voice.

Nat Dickinson , Head Teacher at Inford School, St. Christopher's in Bahrain, outlines resilience, communication, and flexibility as vital leadership skills.

Steve Lupton and Joanna Povall , principals at Repton Abu Dhabi and Wales International School, respectively, reflect on creating a positive culture and the art of intelligent change through empathetic leadership.

Nadim Saad of the Happy Confident Company and Nick Hart from Horizon English School, Dubai, share innovative strategies for integrating well-being and intelligent improvement in school curriculums.

Nav IQ , Principal at Gems Metropole School in Dubai, stresses the undervalued importance of practical, technical, and functional skills in today's education.

The first day started off with a great keynote by Ben Walden , and he took us on an amazing journey. Ben is a thespian, and I am a student of the craft. I sat there mesmerised by the way he used his voice and presence on stage to command the audience. He made some really good points on the fact that the most vital skills needed by our students are outstanding communication skills, physical and emotional presence, emotional intelligence, the ability to maintain one's own well-being and resilience. I thoroughly enjoyed the presentation.

I then attended a workshop on well-being for school leaders, partly because I am passionate about the topic and partly because some of my favourite school leaders were taking part. Thanks, Sajid Gulzar OBE , Matthew Burfield , Simon O'Connor FCCT , Nat Dickinson , and Haylie Saunders BEd (Hons), NPQH , for your frank and open discussion. I enjoyed it.

On the evening of the first day, we headed to the Ritz Carlton Doha for the conference dinner. The dinner was abundant and delicious, but what made it very special was the fact that I got to spend the evening with some really lovely colleagues. Thanks Dr Helen Wright Edward Clark Rakesh Vijay and Anthony Clarke .

Day two started with a bang as Mark Steed and Kai Vacher warned us of the looming teacher shortage crisis on the horizon.

I then went to a workshop on school culture, which was run by Steve Lupton and David Tongue . Now, you would think that I would be tired of hearing Steve speak about school culture following the article, newsletter, and the panel at the Middle East School Leadership Conference, but you would be wrong. I learned something new every time, and this time, I got a glimpse into their schools. By the way, welcome back to the region, David Tongue

I was front and centre to hear Angie Browne speak on how schools can be intentional about equity. What I took away from her talk was that Peter, the example headteacher she used in her talk, is like many school leaders we know: well-intentioned but shying away from facing the issues head-on. Equity has to be intentional!

I acknowledge that not everyone can attend these events, which is why I am doing these rundowns. If you appreciate them, please comment ' Thank you' in the comment section, and thanks for reading.

There is a lot I am leaving out of this rundown for fear of it becoming too long, but I have to mention the fact that the event ended with a bang! Pat Sowa (Griffin) was the closing keynote and her presentation made me reflect, it made me smile but it also made me cry as she recounted her days at school and the impact of her former school principal. She also told us about how important our role as educators is and why we need to reconnect with our deeper motivation. I am better for having heard her story.

Mark Leppard MBE , Jane Larsson , Kifaya Khan , Sami Yosef , and @Bhavna Jain summed up their experience best in the video below:

I look forward to attending next year if invited :). Thanks Again Debra Forsyth , Nalini Cook , Tanya Rattan and the entire team.