Change and Transformations

Autumn Leaves

Autumn leaves are falling down,

Falling down, falling down,

Autumn leaves are falling down,

Yellow, red, orange and brown!

     Autumn has always represented not just a change from summer to cooler weather for me but a time to gear up my learning processes. Like a squirrel gathering nuts for winter storage, I always feel compelled to gather nuggets of knowledge to tide me over during the school year. Education is as much a system as the seasons of the year.  In fact, education is at the heart of human change and progress: educating students, driving innovation, and promoting social equity. The very best educational systems prepare people to be successful, productive, and engaged members of society. These systems provide appropriate knowledge, skills, and experiences, enabling students to obtain jobs that promote social equity and economic growth. Is it any wonder that us missionary types are attracted to this profession? However, is change and growth always synonymous in education?

      The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) defines "change" as “ the process of observing differences over time that can occur slowly or rapidly depending on the balance of feedback mechanisms to create irreversible, stabilizing or destabilizing adjustments in a system”. Educators have come to accept that just about the only thing that seems to be constant in this day and age is change. But we sometimes don’t spend enough time thinking about how to manage change. Here are some things to keep in mind while undertaking any significant change within a school environment.

1. Manage the perception.

     Many people see change as something that just happens, something that’s “done to them” without their consent and outside their control. Sometimes this is true, but for most undertakings within a school environment teachers and administrators have some autonomy as to how (or even if) change is effected.  For the last two years, I have been managing the perception that the workshop model of reading and writing instruction gives teachers more autonomy in their instruction while increasing student choice. Research shows pretty clearly that a greater sense of ownership is more likely to lead to successful change implementation within a school. To be honest, it has been a bumpy road (Lucy is not short for Lucifer) but the journey continues. 

2.  Appreciate the skeptics.

    When someone is questioning a change in curriculum or schedule the first reaction can be to get frustrated or even angry. Keep in mind though that it’s always good to have skeptics in the mix, they ask the tough questions. If someone asks a reasonable question for which we can’t provide a reasonable answer then we need to rethink something that’s being proposed. It’s great to be optimistic about new initiatives, but the skeptics are the ones that keep us grounded in reality. We depend on everyone's expertise in order to improve our school. By keeping an open mind and being flexible, I have managed to create some relationships among my school's staff that enables us to reflect on our practice.

3.  Know the history of change within your particular school.

     Before moving forward with new ideas always look to the past. What was the last significant initiative? 

   When was it undertaken?

   What impacts did it have?

     School staffs that undergo change too often (or perpetually) tend to become pessimistic about new ideas, and teachers that have had negative experiences with change will be much more reticent to try new things. There are no hard and fast rules, but as with many things in life, looking to the past can give us good information regarding how things may (or may not) work right now. For example, our school district is implementing a few new initiatives this year and although the data results for the first initiatives (implemented two years ago) are positive, it can still be overwhelming for the staff.

4.  Always be aware of preconceived notions.

     There are many stakeholders in education, students of course, but also administrators, teachers, and parents. All the members of the last three groups have been to school and most of them have some preconceived notions as to what school should be about. However, maintaining the old status quo is looking increasingly difficult to maintain, not to mention counterproductive.  Today, everyone who wants to make changes within schools must consider and respect individual notions of what school should look like, but at the same time convince people that what they’re proposing will be better.

     Not all preconceived ideas can be dispelled, after all, there are people that would rather not let common sense and reason get in the way of their opinion. But being aware of people’s preconceptions (and yes, prejudices) can help as we formulate strategies and frameworks for implementing something new, and hopefully better.  I have learned that keeping a growth mindset is the most important tool an educator can have.

   Here are some wonderful examples of when we change and transform our instruction:

3S-Writing Good Leads and Beginnings

KMac-Using Writing Mentor Texts by Lois Ehlert-Labeling

Shedding Light: My coaching focus this month is "Teaching for Understanding" and with a growth mindset we can all progress and transform.  How should the change process in education be managed? How can teachers become agents of change in their buildings?

"Dare to reach out your hand into the darkness, to pull another hand into the light."  ~Norman B. Rice

"All meaningful and lasting change starts on the inside and works its way out.” ~Anon