Reasons Change Fails

Have you heard about any changes underway for your school, district, or university? My last two posts have described the inevitability of change, how to anticipate and prepare for it, and ways to support the change process. From experts in the field of business, here’s a list of why change can fail:

·         Employees do not understand the purpose or even the need for change

·         Lack of planning and preparation

·         Poor communication

·         Employees lack the necessary skills and/or there is insufficient training and development offered

·         Lack of necessary resources

·         Inadequate/inappropriate rewards

Let’s think about that from the a educator’s perspective. It’s human nature to want to change something when we see the need. And we are most supportive of change when we identify the need ourselves. Even if a change has already been introduced, it might be helpful to go back and do a needs analysis. Bring data to bear, and let that trigger specific scenarios. Making the need personal increases buy-in for change.

The obvious solution to lack of planning and preparation is to plan and prepare! Hopefully you have the luxury of a change of pace during the summer to do just that! As a coach, you can not only prepare yourself for upcoming changes, you can help teachers to do the same. An heads' up now can stop teachers from being blind-sided in August! In your communication, let them know what you’re doing to prepare. That will open their thinking to ways they might begin getting ready.

Avoid the pitfalls of poor communication by over-communicating. Teachers may not check email regularly in the summer, so a hard copy in the mail may be warranted if the upcoming change is a significant one. Text messages or even a phone call might also be considered. Even if communicating this change isn’t your responsibility, as long as there’s not a moratorium on the information, being proactive about spreading the word is beneficial. You can couch the information in a way that will help teachers receive it with grace.

You can also put plans in motion for necessary training. For example, if a new data management system is being installed this summer, be preemptive about helping teachers learn the technology before they’re required to enter test data that first week of school! Sooner is better, especially when technology is involved, since some will be a bit technophonic and need time to adjust.

Think now about resources needed to support the change. If your school will be pushing guided reading, for example, start investigating leveled readers. Then you’ll be prepared with your order when the new fiscal year rolls around (probably July 1^st!).

The final reason change fails is inadequate/inappropriate rewards. I’m one of those educators who believes in intrinsic motivation, especially when it comes to the innovative work that teaching requires. Instead of carrots and sticks, offer what I call the three C’s: choice, challenge, and collaboration. Dan Pink, in his Ted Talk on motivation, offers a slightly different take that emphasizes similar ideas: 

Dan Pink's Ted Talk on Motivation

By being aware of the reasons change fails, coaches can be proactive about upcoming initiatives, ensuring that the outcomes of change are in the best interests of teachers and students.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Ideas about balancing instructional and frustration level texts:

http://viewer.zmags.com/publication/e875b339#/e875b339/28

The most important 8 minutes of a lesson (and some thoughts about how to use them):

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/8-minutes-that-matter-most-brian-sztabnik

Easy digital tools for formative assessment:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/5-fast-formative-assessment-tools-vicki-davis?utm_source=29532509&amp%3Butm_medium=Email&amp%3Butm_campaign=General

A mini-lesson on teaching “signals” for content-area vocabulary learning:

http://catchingreaders.com/2013/02/11/signal-words/

“Our students do not learn what we teach.” Thus begins this interesting article on the role of assessment in guiding instruction:

http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/Journals/VM/0212-dec2013/VM0212Assessment.pdf

That’s it for this week!

8 Ways to Increase Resistance to Change

In last week’s post, we acknowledged the fact that change is a constant in education. Let’s start out this week by listing the top eight ways instructional leaders can increase resistance to change.

8) Fail to be specific about a change.

7) Fail to explain why change is needed.

6) Don’t consult.

5) Keep people in the dark.

4) Create excess work pressure.

3) Expect immediate results.

2) Ignore resistance.

1) Don’t deal with fears and anxieties.

Clearly, each of these ways to increase resistance suggests the inverse action that supports change. Let’s take a moment to reflect on those ideas. Although I’ll talk about them generically, it might be helpful for you to read through this list with a specific change in mind.

When changes are imminent, it helps to be specific about what will change. Ambivalence leads to concern and confusion. In addition to being specific about what will change, it’s important to highlight what will not change. Those familiar practices provide a comfortable foundation from which change can occur. Create a giant Venn diagram about the old way of doing something and the new. Make sure you are clear about the similarities and differences. Then, after some introduction to the expected change, ask teachers to do the same. As they think through what lies in the overlap between the old and the new, they’ll know how to focus their energy.

Another important reminder is to create opportunities to explain the why of a change.  A three-year-old’s favorite word is “why.” Although we gain some social morays (and unfortunately lose some curiosity) as we mature, our minds still seek for understanding. We will be more willing to change if we understand the purpose.

Consult with others about the change, and schedule time for others to do so. As you gain other perspectives, you’ll be better able to support the change process. Recognizing the nuances of how the change is playing out in different grades or subjects may lead to some enhancements in the change process.

Share information about the change. If there are snafus, acknowledge them. Everyone probably knows about it anyway, and bringing it into the light reduces the grumbling and might lead to solutions.

Be mindful of the extra work created by change, and do what you can to minimize unnecessary requirements. As a coach and valued member of the leadership team, your recommendations will hopefully be acknowledged and acted on. Clearing away required paperwork is especially appreciated.

Acknowledge that change takes time. It always does. Be the voice of reason pointing out that steps are being taken in the right direction. I love the book, ish, by Peter Reynolds; the message of this picture book is clear: It’s okay to give something a try; you don’t have to be perfect.

Take notice of resistance. Ignoring it won’t make it go away! Giving public voice to criticism is likely to be more productive than letting it continue behind closed doors. And there will likely be something learned from the discussion.

Finally, acknowledge that change is hard. The Concerns-Based Model of teacher change* describes very real concerns that surface during a change process. In addition to concerns for information about the change, teachers have personal concerns and concerns about how they will manage the new expectations. Talking about these concerns as they arise makes the process smoother.

*Hall, G. E., & Hord, S.M. (1987). Change in schools: Facilitating the process. Albany State

University of New York Press.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

This blog post about the power of pronouns when coaching:

http://heatherrader.com/archives/1252

New picture-book biographies to shop for:

http://www.slj.com/2014/09/standards/common-core/the-stuff-of-stars-new-picture-book-biographies/#_

A podcast on how to use your summer to reenergize your teaching (you might want to skip to 1:40 in the recording):

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/angela-watsons-truth-for-teachers/e/ep22-how-use-summer-to-reenergize-your-teaching-and-yourself-38113925

Developing guiding questions so you have a strong plan for what to teach:

http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v2.1.htm

Technology and young children: What’s the right fit?

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/01/08/finding-the-right-fit-for-ed-tech-in.html

That’s it for this week!

Just Around the Corner

You know the saying, “There are only two things in life that are certain: death and taxes.” Maybe we as educators should add a third thing to that list: Change. As one school year ends, changes for the next year are already underway.

John Galbraith (an American economist), said, “Faced with the choice between changing one’s mind and proving that there is no need to do so, almost everybody gets busy on the proof.” Change is probably not on anyone’s list of favorite things to do, but it is an inevitable part of life, and in education, things don’t stay the same for long. Accepting this will help you deal with change more rationally so that you can make the most out of changing circumstances.

We know that change can be stressful. The key to navigating change successfully is your perspective before changes surface. Set aside a small amount of time in the coming weeks to anticipate changes that may be coming during the next school year. Think about both important changes that are certain and also changes that you think could possibly happen. Consider the Boy Scout motto and “Be Prepared.” To be ready for change, you can:

*Anticipate what might happen: think now about changes both certain and potential

*Find out all you can about the reasons for the change

*Think through potential consequences

*Understand options

Brainstorm possible actions you’ll take if that change should occur. Then think about things you can do now to be prepared for the change. What are the signs you should keep an eye out for that might mean change is imminent? How can you prepare if you see these signs?

Reflecting on change in advance means you won’t be caught off guard. And you won’t get bogged down by surprise and stress when changes actually happen.

Once you have mentally prepared yourself, you’re in a position to support others during the change process. (Remember the flight attendant’s instructions about applying your own oxygen mask first?)

Consider other’s potential fears and anxieties. If you are armed with information and have thought through optional responses, you’ll be able to address potential concerns before they arise, making the transition smoother.

Whether it’s a change in curriculum, administration, testing, scheduling or some other aspect of the school experience, when you are prepared for change you can use it as a lever for achieving your goals for improved instruction.

And what about those potential changes you’ve thought through that never comes to pass? Even if the changes never happen, your preparation for specific changes will help you be more flexible and adaptive overall. Your peace of mind will increase because you know you are prepared for what might be just around the corner.

This week, you might want to take a look at:

Ideas for coaches - Planning to forget:

http://heatherrader.com/archives/1257

The power of one-on-one conversations in coaching:

http://www.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/videos/v1.2.htm

One of my favorite protocols for debriefing after reading (during PD or with students). Just ask, “What are the important ideas in this chapter?” and use the Affinity Mapping protocol to see what surfaces:

http://www.nsrfharmony.org/system/files/protocols/affinity_mapping_0.pdf

A Pinterest board with series books for intermediate grades to shop for this summer:

http://pinterest.com/frankis/series-books-for-3rd-grade/

This article about teaching writing; I especially appreciate the list of 3 disinsentives for teaching writing found on p. 8:

https://fs24.formsite.com/edweek/images/WP-CurriculumAssociates-Reimagine-the-Way-We-Teach-Writing.pdf

That’s it for this week! Happy whatever-you-are-doing!

Reflection: “I will be sure to….”

“I will be sure to…..” is a powerful statement for reflection.

A coaching conversation provides the opportunity to process an experience and construct meaning that can be applied in the future. It’s a deliberate pause for contemplation.

Reflection promotes learning when we analyze contextual and procedural influences, consider outcomes, make connections with past experiences, and then create new meaning based on a synthesis of these factors. We can ask questions such as, “What insights can we take from this?" “What do we want to stay mindful of from now on?” or “What do we want to be sure to do (or not do)?” Posing questions such as these creates commitment to application.

At the end of a school year, I find myself asking these questions not only of the teachers and students I’m working with, but also of myself. When I pause to generate my own new learning, I’m living the appeal that I make to my students: Be a lifelong learner! Never stop looking for ways to improve! One of the amazing things about being a teacher and coach is that you will never “arrive.” There is always something new on the horizon. When we take insights with us on that next step that we have gained from past experience, the new path is likely to be even more fruitful than the last.

As this school year ends, I will be sure to pause and reflect on the things I want to be sure to do the next time around!

This week, you might want to take a look at:

A video about the “I will be sure to” reflection strategy for students:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-goal-setting

Even though this is an end-of-year ideas list, it has good ideas to put in place from the start that will help students see their growth over time. If school is still in session in your district, you can run with these ideas now:

http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/article/joyful-endings-last-few-weeks-school

Summer writing ideas:

http://imaginationsoup.net/2015/05/summer-writing-ideas-for-kids/

End-of-year ideas:

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/05/27/ending-the-year-on-a-high-note/?utm_source=newsletter20150530/

Wrapping up a writing year (ideas for high-school students):

http://movingwriters.org/2015/05/18/writing-workshop-finals-or-wrapping-up-a-year-of-writing-workshop/

New picture-book biographies to add to your wish list:

http://www.slj.com/2014/09/standards/common-core/the-stuff-of-stars-new-picture-book-biographies/#_

A summer reading list for teachers:

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/summer-reading-for-educators-2013-mark-phillips

That’s it for this week. Happy Coaching!