A Dalton assignment is a contract

Yesterday I could work with the team of teachers from this school
in Rotterdam.
The topic of the workshop was:
'How to make an assignment'.
The group of teachers discussed and worked with topics like
* differentiation in design
* registration and self correction
* free-choice-assignments

But the most important issue was the discussion about the difference between a task / assignment and a contract.
Helen Parkhurst emphasizes the influence of the pupil on its own work.
The pupils must be stimulated to take initiatives and to take more responsibility for their own learning process.
Using the word contract instead of assignment has as result that the teacher is more focussed on the necessity that pupils must have influence on their own work.
Distributing attractive worksheets is in some cases a pleasant break of the normal process, but its not based on the Dalton assumptions.

The role of the head teacher

I found an interesting article about managing a school.
Since many years I stress on leadership in educational management.
Chris Edwards once corrected me when I used the title director of
a school. He gave me the advice to use head teacher.
And this is exactly what I mean: the head teacher must be there
in the middle of the team of teachers. He must be present and give
the permanent inspiration to his colleagues.
The headteacher is in the school and not in his room.
But I know schools in which the team not even know if the director
is in the building.

School aims are strongly influenced by pressures from the external
environment. Many countries have a national curriculum and these
often leave little scope for schools to decide their own educational
aims.
Institutions may be left with the residual task of interpreting
external imperatives rather than determining aims on the basis of
their own assessment of student need.
The key issue here is the extent to which school managers are able
to modify government policy and develop alternative approaches based
on school-level values and vision. Do they have to follow the script,
or can they ad lib?
By leadership, I mean influencing others actions in achieving
desirable ends. Managing is maintaining efficiently and
effectively current organisational arrangements. I prize both
managing and leading and attach no special value to either since
different settings and times call for varied responses.

Leadership and management need to be given equal prominence if
schools are to operate effectively and achieve their objectives.
“Leading and managing are distinct, but both are important.
The challenge of modern organisations requires the objective
perspective of the manager as well as the flashes of vision and
commitment wise leadership provides” (Bolman & Deal, 1997)

from NCPEA /Tony Bush

Structure of Dalton organization

Five leadership strategies for the New Year

May I advise you to read this very inspiring article?

Wishing you a good start of the New Year.