Behhar

🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 6: The Power of Listening: Building Together Through Dialogue

Leadership is not only about speaking with clarity—it is equally about listening with intent. Listening is not simply waiting for our turn to respond, but creating space where others feel truly heard.

“Genuine listening starts when we silence our inner voice long enough to understand the other.”

When we listen authentically, we don’t just exchange information. We build trust, uncover hidden potential, and often find new paths forward.

Great listening reminds us that:

Every team member matters. Insight can come from any voice in the organization. A simple idea might redirect focus or open new opportunities. What seems small at first can become transformative. Potential is discovered when space is given. Listening reveals strengths and perspectives we might otherwise overlook.

Listening Enriches Leadership

Some of the most meaningful shifts in my leadership journey have come through listening:

A colleague once suggested: “Why not assign some PD sessions to external consultants?” That idea helped me see how external expertise could complement internal growth. During curriculum planning, a teacher encouraged simplifying rubrics. That reminder—that clarity is more valuable than complexity—helped refine our assessment approach. In accreditation work, thoughtful feedback on workload distribution led to fairer adjustments, boosting morale and improving the process.

Each of these moments showed me that leadership grows wiser when it listens.

When Listening Becomes Culture

When listening is part of the culture, something powerful happens:

People feel valued and respected Creativity and initiative thrive Communication becomes honest and constructive The whole organization moves forward together

Listening is not just a leadership skill—it’s the foundation of collaboration and trust.

#ReturnToLeadershipBasics #SchoolLeadership #PowerOfListening #CollaborativeLeadership #AbderrazakBehhar

Would you like me to now create a blue quote visual with your signature line:

“Genuine listening starts when we silence our inner voice long enough to understand the other.”

🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 5: The Courage to Decide: Why Leadership Is Not About Comfort

Leadership is not tested in the easy choices, but in the tough ones. Committees and collaboration matter, but at some point all eyes turn to the leader. And no process will spare you from deciding.
• Restructuring roles may upset comfort zones, but clarity demands it.
• Phasing out outdated programs may hurt pride, but alignment demands it.
• Confronting underperformance may feel uncomfortable, but integrity demands it.
• Saying no to attractive distractions may disappoint some, but vision demands it.

Unpopular? Often.
Necessary? Always.

The “magic rule” is simple: anchor tough decisions in mission, values, and data.
That’s how you transform resistance into credibility, and discomfort into trust.

Avoiding tough decisions for fear of being unpopular is far riskier. You can drift for a while, but when the storm comes, hesitation will sink you faster than any unpopular choice.

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“Leadership is not about doing what is easy; leadership is about doing what is right.”

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🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 4: Leadership is Seen, Felt, and Heard

🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 4
Leadership is Seen, Felt, and Heard

“Leadership is not abstract; it is seen, felt, and heard.”

Leadership that makes a difference doesn’t live in a mission statement—it lives in daily actions, presence, and words. When leadership is visible, experienced, and voiced with purpose, it becomes a force that shapes culture and inspires change.

1. Leadership is Seen

Too often, leaders are accused of living in their ivory tower—distant from the realities of classrooms. This distance creates doubt and resistance, especially when top-down changes arrive without visible engagement.

Effective leaders show up:
• In classrooms – not only to evaluate, but to celebrate and understand.
• In team meetings – to listen before deciding.
• In social events – to connect as people, not just as positions.

Visibility sends a message: I am here with you, not above you. And when leadership is seen, change feels collaborative, not imposed.

2. Leadership is Felt

Leaders are remembered for how they make people feel. A leader’s presence should be felt in the culture of trust, support, and belonging they create.

Empathy in action:
• Meeting privately with a struggling teacher to understand their challenges before offering solutions.
• Acknowledging collective fatigue and asking, “What can I do to make next week better?”

Care in action:
• Publicly congratulating a staff member on a personal milestone.
• Visiting a classroom simply to say, “Your students loved your last project—well done.”

When leadership is felt, people are more willing to take risks, speak honestly, and contribute beyond their job description.

3. Leadership is Heard

A leader’s communication is the mirror of their values and beliefs. Every message should be intentional and aligned with the organization’s ideals.

Effective leaders use language that:
• Speaks to the mission and vision, keeping the school’s purpose front and center.
• Strengthens collective efficacy, reminding the team of their shared ability to achieve big goals.
• Explains the “why”, ensuring people see the meaning behind each decision.

When leadership is heard this way, communication doesn’t just inform—it inspires and unites.

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Leadership is not a concept to be studied from afar.
It is seen in presence, felt in relationships, and heard in purposeful communication.
And when all three are present, leadership stops being a position—and becomes a culture.

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🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 3: How Do We Cultivate Trust in Our Organizations Daily?

Trust doesn’t begin in a meeting—it begins in the culture we create.

Over the years, I’ve learned that trust is not just an emotional state. It’s the product of how we lead, how we communicate, and how we involve others in shaping the path forward.

Here’s what cultivating trust daily looks like:

🔹 Include those impacted by decisions
Trust deepens when team members are invited to participate in making, implementing, and owning key decisions.

🔹 Ensure fair and respectful communication
When everyone feels heard, valued, and safe to speak up, trust thrives.

🔹 Establish clear communication channels
Lack of clarity breeds confusion—and confusion opens the door to mistrust.

🔹 Design systems that allow flexibility
Rigid procedures choke trust. Trust lives in systems where professional judgment, creativity, and human complexity are respected.

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But what happens when trust breaks?

Not all broken trust is the same.
Some breaches need to be addressed openly.
Others require quiet mediation.
Often, rebuilding trust requires patience and clear expectations, along with a shared willingness to move forward.

And how do you know when trust is eroding?

The signs are rarely loud, but always telling:

• Rumors replace open dialogue
• Promises are broken or forgotten
• Criticism is avoided or punished
• Compliance replaces initiative
• Decisions flow top-down
• Communication becomes selective and unclear

As I’ve come to observe:

“Working in an organization without trust is like storing water in a cracked vessel—everything seeps away.”

And perhaps just as true:

“Trust reveals itself not in how people comply—but in how they contribute.”

Because in healthy schools, trust is not just felt—it’s practiced. And in every corner of the organization, it multiplies.

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🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 2: How School Leaders Build Trust Without Micromanaging

Leadership is not about control—it’s about trusting others with responsibility.
But for many leaders, especially during times of change, that’s easier said than done.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

“Micromanagement kills the soul of leadership.
Leadership is about empowering; micromanagement is all about controlling.”

True empowerment happens when your team sees the vision, feels the ownership, and believes their voice matters.

Yes—during moments of instability or transition, leaders may need to step in more actively. But sustainable leadership is about building teams that lead with you, not wait for you.

Strong leadership doesn’t mean doing it all yourself.
It means creating a space where others grow into leadership, step by step.

Because when you genuinely trust your team:
🔹 Leadership is no longer positional
🔹 It becomes distributed
🔹 It flows from the dynamics of the group, not the directives of a single person

And that’s when real change becomes possible.

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🧭 Return to Leadership Basics – Post 1: What Makes a School Leader Credible in Times of Change?

In moments of change, credibility—not control—is what sustains leadership.

In my experience as a school leader, I’ve come to see that credibility doesn’t come from bold declarations or polished presentations. It grows—quietly and steadily—in the space between daily presence and intentional leadership.

It begins with:
☕ Small, unplanned conversations
👋 Daily greetings and recognition
📘 Decisions grounded in expertise and relational trust
🎯 The humility to listen before leading

Credibility is also deeply cultural. It’s not just about what you know—it’s about what you’re willing to learn from your team. Leadership that earns trust shows awareness of context, respect for those already doing the work, and the willingness to walk alongside—not above.

“Credibility is not just about what you bring to the table—it’s about whether you’ve taken the time to understand what’s already on it.”

True credibility in times of change means that your team believes you can guide the transition—not by enforcing it, but by anchoring it in clarity, care, and trust.
Because change is not a disruption—it’s a responsibility.
And leadership is not a performance—it’s a presence.

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Return to Basics | Post #10: The Myth of “Let’s Just Teach and Hope for the Best”

Why Outcomes-Based Education Isn’t a Buzzword—It’s a Breakthrough

We’ve all heard it:

❌ “Just follow the textbook.”
❌ “The curriculum will sort itself out.”
❌ “Some students just won’t get there—and that’s okay.”

No, it’s not.

Here’s the truth:
If we don’t define success, how can we expect students to achieve it?

That’s the core of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE)—and it’s not what many assume.
It’s not “teaching to the test.”
It’s not “one-size-fits-all.”
It’s not “rigid objectives with no flexibility.”

🔍 OBE means:
• Identifying what truly matters
• Designing learning experiences to reach it
• Expecting all students to achieve it—with the right support

According to John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, Outcomes-Based Education has a weighted mean effect size of 0.97—making it one of the most impactful curriculum approaches ever studied.

📊 Based on:
• 1 meta-analysis
• 20 studies
• 16,160 students
• 20 measured effects

💡 Still think this is “just a fad”?

Outcomes-based thinking forces us to stop glorifying coverage and start prioritizing mastery, equity, and accountability.

Because when the destination is clear, we can build far better pathways.

So here’s the real question:
Are we teaching for completion—or for transformation?

hashtag#ReturnToBasics hashtag#OutcomesBasedEducation hashtag#OBE hashtag#CurriculumMatters hashtag#JohnHattie hashtag#VisibleLearning hashtag#EquityInEducation hashtag#AbderrazakBehhar hashtag#LearningWithPurpose

Return to Basics | Post #9: Phonics Instruction: Backed by Research, Aligned with the Science of Reading

If you’re following the conversation around the Science of Reading, one message is loud and clear:
Systematic phonics instruction isn’t optional—it’s foundational.

According to John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, phonics instruction has a weighted mean effect size of 0.97—placing it among the most powerful instructional practices for literacy.
This is backed by
• 10 meta-analyses
• 424 studies
• 73,243 students
• 662 measured effects

✅ Why is it effective?
Phonics instruction:
• Builds decoding and word recognition
• Strengthens spelling and fluency
• Prepares students to read unfamiliar words
• Serves as a gateway to comprehension

✅ What is it, exactly?
Phonics instruction teaches students:
• Letter-sound correspondences (e.g., c = /k/)
• Blending sounds to form words (e.g., k-a-t = cat)
• Segmenting words into sounds for spelling
• Using patterns to decode with accuracy

This is explicit, systematic, and cumulative instruction—fully aligned with what the Science of Reading tells us about how the brain learns to read.

It’s not “old-fashioned.” It’s neuroscience-informed.

As we move forward in literacy reform, let’s stay grounded in what works.

How is your school approaching phonics in light of the new science of reading?

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Return to Basics | Post #8: The Goldilocks Principle in Learning: Why Challenge Matters

What drives student growth?
Not just content. Not just effort.
Challenge—just the right kind.

When goals are too easy, students get bored.
When goals are too hard, they disengage.
But when goals are appropriately challenging—not too easy, not too hard—students enter the zone of optimal learning.

This is what John Hattie refers to as the Goldilocks principle of goal-setting.

According to Hattie’s Visible Learning research, appropriately challenging goals yield a weighted mean effect size of 0.62, based on:
• 5 meta-analyses
• 272 studies
• 16,694 students
• 360 measured effects

✅ Why it works:
• Stimulates cognitive engagement
• Builds perseverance and resilience
• Enhances student self-efficacy
• Promotes deeper learning and curiosity

✅ What it looks like in practice:
• Teachers set personalized, tiered goals for students
• Learners are stretched slightly beyond current mastery
• Progress is visible and celebrated
• Goals are adjusted as learners grow

This is not about lowering standards or pushing too hard.
It’s about hitting that just-right challenge level—where students feel the stretch but also see the path forward.

How do you calibrate challenge for your learners?

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Return to Basics | Post #7: The Power of Explicit Teaching Strategies

Not all scaffolding is made of wood.
Some of the most powerful scaffolds are built in the classroom—step by step, with clarity, purpose, and practice.

That’s what Explicit Teaching offers:
Clarity in purpose. Guidance in process. Mastery by design.

According to John Hattie’s Visible Learning research, Explicit Teaching Strategies have a weighted mean effect size of 0.64, supported by:
• 13 meta-analyses
• 4,881 studies
• 1,240,884 students
• 6,474 effects

What makes Explicit Teaching effective?
It’s not just about “telling”—it’s about leading learning with intentionality:
• Set clear learning goals and explain the why
• Model the new skill or concept
• Provide guided practice with feedback
• Ensure students achieve independent mastery

Think of it as:

“I do → We do → You do.”

Why it works:
• Reduces cognitive overload
• Supports struggling learners
• Reinforces success through repetition and feedback
• Builds confident, capable students

In a world full of noise, clarity is a gift.
Explicit teaching is not rigid—it’s responsive, reflective, and rooted in what works.

How do you make your instruction explicit without making it mechanical?

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