Denis Fitzgerald is a teacher. He reflects on being in promotion positions in NSW Public Education. Denis thinks being a Head Teacher is one of the best roles in our system.
One of my first feelings was of an inner sense of self-doubt but also knowing that I had to exude a sense of confidence and command of the role from the first day… when you turn up at your first school you think “can I really do this?”… you turn up in your faculty as a good teacher and aspire to be one of the better teachers in the faculty… The first idea was to get to know the school, and my faculty and also developing relationships with the other executives and of, course, the students… each combination of people are quite different.
You need to earn that capacity and the inclination for other people to follow you… The leadership principle that is in vogue was not nearly as widespread. We had inspectors and a strong Department. A Department that would set values across the system and across and between our schools… they were the gel of our system.
– Denis Fitzgerald