b'Turning Great Discussions into Focused LearningWhen 97 per cent of people tell you what youre doing is working, you must be doing something right.This past June, leadership across LRSD completed the first year of the Learning Conversations Protocol (LCP), a strategy developed by Steven Katz, a renowned educational psychologist, to turn great discussions into successful professional learning.When leadership was asked if they should continue using the LCP for future learning conversations, 72 out of 74 respondents answered a with a resounding yes. The importance of having the opportunity for conversations about significant leadership challenges cannot be understated, said Tim MacKay, Director of English as an Additional Language and International Student Program, who was a participant in the LCP. Our group has developed a degree of trust that has allowed for some significant sharing, sometimes 2 MASTERY quite personal, about matters we are addressing in our various leadership roles. It has been extremely valuable.At its core, the LCP is an intentional interruption strategy that disrupts the group think mentality that can get in the way of candid answers, dialogue and learning.Those of us that enjoy the privilege of a The inborn thirst forformal leadership titlehave an obligation to see ourselves aslead learners in our learning is cultivated bycommunity, said Christian Michalik, LRSD Superintendent. As such, we learning to cope with theare on a journey to transform great discussions into focused learning world, the child can say,when we meet as a leadership group. Usingacollaborativeinquirycycle,we I can succeed. * are asking thefollowingquestions about our individual and collective leadership practice:Am I(are we)getting better?How do I(we)know? Where to next?*Principles of the Circle of Courage: From Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future by Larry Brendtro,28 29Martin Brokenleg, and Steve Van Bockern 29Members of the learning team coming together for collective learning in the form of developing a draft MYSP.'