Time to Change
No school wants to waste time and money. Unfortunately, long-standing professional development practices are likely to waste valuable teacher time and school funds. Why? Likely due to basic misunderstandings of adult learning and school change. Here are three ways to leverage research when it is time to make changes.
I Made a Mistake
Recently, I interviewed 6 successful heads of independent schools. I asked them to identify a mistake they had made. Several joked: “Which one?”, “So many!”. In the after-mirth, they all identified serious mistakes, the type of mistake that can lead to losing community trust. So, how did they weather the storm? What did they do in the wake of the mistake?
I’m Right, You’re Wrong
When we frame conflict in terms of right and wrong, we become a magnet for all the reasons our opponents are wrong. We start to attribute emotions to that confirm our certainty. Our complaints are directed at our opposition’s competence: “They don’t know what they are doing” or “They aren’t very smart”. We lean into stories about how they feel about us, “They don’t have our back”; “They are envious”; or “They act entitled.” And according to recent research from the University of North Carolina, we overestimate our opponent’s antipathy, making it possible to dig our righteous heels in even deeper. We do this in our personal, professional, and political lives.
A Fish in Water
Recently, I asked a district to describe their goals for social emotional learning (SEL). They responded, “To have goals for SEL”. I appreciated both the humor and honesty in that response. After twenty-plus years of evidence regarding the benefits of comprehensive SEL school programs, that response left me grappling with my own goals for SEL: How can we address the current barriers to successful implementation of SEL? On my way to an answer, in this post I unpack the current state of SEL.
Hello, my name is…
During a professional development day at a small Colorado school, I was modeling community circles for a staff that knew each other well. I introduced a prompt everyone would respond to, “Share something about your name that others are not likely to know.” To assure the group the stakes for “high interest” were low, I shared that my name had come from two Aunt Kathryn’s found on either side of my family. People shared similar tales of namesakes, hilarious origins of nicknames, and rarely used middle names. When we moved about 180 degrees around the circle the tone and tenure changed.
High Fives and Handshakes
We have in our hands the “ordinary magic” needed to cultivate resilience. According to recent research from Ann Masten this ordinary magic is released when we build relationships, self-efficacy, and communities of belonging. Connecting in meaningful, even brief, ways can be pushed to the side as schools tackle academic agendas. However, taking a systems approach to positive social interactions ensures a consistent, cohesive school culture. When schools make skillful social interactions routine, they signal to staff, students, and families that “safe and supportive”, “nurturing”, “inclusion and belonging” aren’t simply words for a website.
Meaningful Connections
Today, walking the trails of Chautauqua, I heard morning greetings offered with undertones of warm support. These simple gestures reminded me of the morning after the Mother Emanuel Church massacre in my hometown of Charleston, SC. My hometown took to the streets and gathered in overflowing churches to reaffirm our connection and commitment to one another.