Deirdre McCracken
Ko Tekoa te maunga
Ko Hurunui te awa
Nō Hawarden ahau, Waitaha ki te raki
Kei Rangiora ahau, ko tōku kāinga ināianei
E mihi ana ki ngā tohu o nehe o Kai Tūāhuriri e nehe nei au.
Deirdre is a PLD consultant based in Christchurch.
She is approved to deliver Ministry of Education PLD in the following areas:
Assessment
Deirde is also accredited to deliver PLD in:
Leading Adult Learning
Deirdre also works with schools in the following areas:
Leadership growth and team effectiveness
Effective communication through Joan Dalton’s Learning Talk books
Change management using strategic planning and systems review
Science and chemistry education
Collaborative inquiry into teaching and learning
Professional growth cycles
Observations for learning and practice analysis conversations
Assessment for learning pedagogy to promote ākonga agency
Evaluative capability
Evidence informed decision-making
Student achievement and impact data analysis
Strengths-based departmental reviews
Facilitation of high impact learning through quality learning design – both online and face to face
Deirdre has over three decades of experience in education, including middle leadership and national facilitation roles. Her expertise spans educational leadership, assessment for learning, data literacy, structured literacy, literacy and numeracy across the curriculum, and leading adult learning. She has led PLD as a part of Ministry of Education contracts such as Te Manu Ka Rere: NCEA Literacy and Numeracy Co-requisite and Grow Waitaha.
She is an accredited Leading Adult Learning facilitator who has expertise in facilitating professional learning and development of leadership capability, school culture and collaborative teams with leaders and teachers. She also provides leadership coaching for tumuaki, kaitiriwā, middle leaders and portfolio leaders seated in this kaupapa.
Deirdre has designed and led professional learning focused on formative assessment, instructional leadership, and system-level coherence. Her work includes facilitating Evaluation Associates’ flagship Assessment for Learning PLD, leading departmental reviews, change leadership, and supporting readiness for NCEA co-requisites. She is also experienced in using a variety of assessment tools to inform responsive leadership and teaching.
Her qualifications include a Postgraduate Diploma in Educational Leadership (University of Auckland), a Diploma of Teaching (Christchurch College of Education), and a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Cell Physiology (University of Canterbury).
In her spare time Deirdre delights in the pleasures of being with whānau and friends, taking long walks, gardening, and cooking. Often this is with her husband, with whom she also enjoys tripping around the countryside here in Aotearoa and overseas.
Blogs:
Educational leaders know the importance of creating a learning culture and building a sense of community within their ECE centres, schools, Kāhui Ako and organisations.
When working with school leaders and teachers to improve their coaching skills, we find there are usually a few big ‘aha’ moments.
Educational leaders are well aware of the importance of enabling teachers to take charge of their own learning in their professional settings.