This toolkit is a set of guidelines and resources for Education Officers working with headteachers, deputy headteachers and school teams. The toolkit is intended to be used as a learning tool to help you improve your own leadership practices and the support you provide to help headteacher and deputy headteachers to improve teaching and learning practices in their schools.

 The toolkit is divided into five learning chapters that address the following areas:

Chapter 1: Virtual Management and Support

Chapter 2: Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning

Chapter 3: Building Relationships 

Chapter 4: Time Management

Chapter 5: Communities of Practice

We recommend focusing on completing only one chapter of the toolkit at a time and following it up with practicing the strategies you have learned and would like to incorporate into your daily practice. We recommend printing out each chapter so you can use the templates provided to write down your thinking and plan. If you cannot print, simply copy the templates, write down your ideas and plan in a notebook. You will also need your phone or a computer to watch learning videos and access other resources linked in the toolkit. Consider each chapter a 90-minute learning unit that will give you time to reflect on your leadership practices, learn new strategies, identify opportunities for improvement, and prepare a plan to implement what you have learned.

Each of the five learning chapters contains the following parts.

1. Reflection Journal

2. Learning Video

3. Case Study

4. How-to Guide

5. Action Plan

The first four parts invite you to learn or think about the topic, followed by a quick prompt for action, and will take about 60 minutes to complete. 

Start by answering the questions in the reflective journal. This will help you reflect on your current practices and identify your learning goal.

Next, watch the learning video that walks you through all the essential concepts about the topic. As you watch, take notes about what you are learning or any questions you have about the topic.

Next, read the case study. Each case study has been developed in collaboration with Education Officers in Machakos County and reflects their experiences and challenges. Use the questions at the end of the case study to reflect on your takeaways from the case study.

Next, read through the How-to Guide that includes tips and tools for implementing specific practices or strategies. Each how-to guide focuses on sharing one specific strategy or tool. However, the guide also offers additional resources and links to continue learning more about the topic. As you read through this section, think about the strategies you want to incorporate into your practice.

The final part, ‘Action Plan,’ is intended to help you prepare a simple plan to begin practicing what you have learned. We recommend blocking at least 30 minutes to work on this.