Leading Challenging Conversations: Building Trust, Accountability, and Growth.
Leading Challenging Conversations: Building Trust, Accountability, and Growth.
Effective educational leaders do not avoid challenging conversations, nor do they approach them as opportunities to “win.” They prepare intentionally, listen deeply, communicate with clarity, and hold others accountable in ways that strengthen relationships, improve professional practice, and ultimately enhance outcomes for students.
At the heart of this module is the PSAANS Leadership Conversation Framework, a practical, evidence-informed leadership process that guides educational leaders through every stage of a challenging conversation: Prepare, Connect, Explore, Challenge, Commit, Follow Through, and Reflect.
Throughout the module, participants apply the framework to one authentic leadership conversation from their own professional context. Rather than studying communication strategies in isolation, participants progressively build, facilitate, analyze, and refine a real leadership conversation while receiving coaching, feedback, and opportunities for reflection. By the conclusion of the module, participants will have developed a practical leadership framework they can immediately transfer to future conversations within their schools and organizations.
The Leading Challenging Conversations: Building Trust, Accountability, and Growth module instructor is Dr. Jennifer McMullen. Jennifer brings a wealth of experience as a teacher, school counsellor, vice-principal, principal, Human Resources Coordinator, ILA graduate, and ILA instructor. She has also taught at St. Francis Xavier University and served as a lecturer at Acadia University. Jennifer is currently Principal of Bluenose Academy in SSRCE.
The ELLM will have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 22 participants.
Please see dates below.
Price: $395 + HST
Educational Leadership Learning Modules (ELLMs) are short, focused professional learning opportunities designed to strengthen specific areas of educational leadership practice.
Each ELLM focuses on a particular area of leadership. Learning is grounded in the Nova Scotia Educational Leadership Standards (ELS).
ELLMs are designed for educational leaders at different levels and stages of practice. They are not limited to principals and vice-principals. Participants may include school and system leaders who want to strengthen a particular area of their leadership practice, pursue an ELGA goal, and continue their professional growth.
ELLMs bring educational leaders together in provincial cohorts, providing opportunities to learn with colleagues from across Nova Scotia, exchange experiences and perspectives, and build professional connections.
ELLMs are designed around a simple approach: learn → apply → demonstrate.
Participants explore current research, leadership practices, frameworks, and practical tools related to the focus of the module. Between classes, they apply their learning within their own leadership context and reflect on its impact on their practice.
They can be particularly valuable in supporting the Educational Leader Growth and Assessment (ELGA) process. Through self-assessment and reflection, leaders identify areas for continued growth and establish professional learning goals. An ELLM can provide targeted learning, practical strategies, and opportunities for application in an area connected to an identified ELGA goal.
An ELLM can support you to:
- deepen your knowledge and skills in a specific area of leadership
- connect professional learning to an ELGA goal or identified area for growth
- apply practical strategies and tools directly within your own work
- reflect on and strengthen your leadership practice
- learn from and with educational leaders from across the province
- demonstrate your learning through authentic, practice-based application
ELLMs are designed to make professional learning relevant and applicable to the realities of educational leadership, with opportunities to use what you are learning while the module is underway.
Successful completion of an ELLM is recognized with a PSAANS certificate of completion.
ELLMs are designed to provide focused professional learning that can be completed alongside the demands of an educational leadership role.
A typical ELLM takes place over 8–10 weeks and involves 20-22 hours of learning and practical application. Approximately 10 hours are synchronous learning, with participants meeting virtually for two-hour classes, generally every second week. The remaining time is completed between classes and includes asynchronous learning, reflection, and the practical application of learning within the participant’s own school or work setting.
Virtual classes are scheduled on a consistent day and held at the end of the instructional day or in the early evening. For example, an ELLM may include five virtual classes held every second Thursday at 4:00 p.m. or every second Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
This structure provides time between sessions for participants to apply what they are learning in their own leadership context, reflect on the experience, and bring that learning back to the cohort for continued discussion and development.
ELLMs are offered through the PSAANS Learning Hub in Brightspace and include a combination of:
- facilitated virtual learning with an experienced instructor
- discussion and collaboration with a provincial cohort
- networking and relationship building across regions
- practical resources, strategies, and leadership tools that build a reusable toolkit for a range of leadership situations
- application of learning within your own professional context
- reflection and opportunities to demonstrate learning
Because ELLMs are interactive and practice-based, participants are expected to attend and actively participate in scheduled sessions, engage with colleagues, complete learning between classes, and apply their learning within their own leadership context.
Specific dates, times, learning expectations, and requirements are provided with each ELLM offering.
The registration fee for an ELLM is $395. However, fees may vary based on the ELLM.
Registration and payment are completed through the PSAANS Course Merchant catalogue. Once registered, participants receive access to their ELLM through the PSAANS Learning Hub in Brightspace.
Participants may have access to professional learning funding or reimbursement through their employer or other applicable funding sources. Participants should follow the requirements of their funding provider when seeking reimbursement.
PSAANS Leadership Grants are available to support participation in ELLMs. Information about PSAANS Leadership Grants and the application process is available through the link below.
Available editions:
| Product Name | Date | Location | Delivery Method | Price | |
| ELLM Leading Challenging Conversations | New dates will be shared soon! Please join our waiting list to receive updates. | Online | Virtual Classes | Not open | Join Waiting List |