“If you want to
change a problem, you must identify problems without stigmatizing the people
experiencing them,” says Fullan. “As a strategy, bullying backfires.” Being
transparent means acknowledging problems, and along with that, instructional
leaders need to provide the “how” to fix the problem. Fullan
believes that “the pressure for change must be organic - built into the day-to-day
culture of the school.”
Certainly, pressure doesn’t build when instructional changes are only addressed at monthly or bimonthly inservices. Instead, principals need to re-purpose weekly meetings to keep change initiatives in front of staff at all times. Staying the course on identified Characteristics of Effective Instruction builds capacity one teacher and one learner at a time. With that in mind, it may be a telling coincidence that the five Iowa Core Curriculum “Characteristics of Effective Instruction” are illustrated by five balls resembling a juggling act: Teaching for Understanding, Assessment FOR Learning, Rigorous and Relevant Curriculum, Teaching for Learner Differences, and Student-Centered Classrooms. The trick is to keep staff development manageable and focused as the system builds ongoing capacity with new and experienced staff.
One
practical strategy for accomplishing this multifaceted task is lesson study. When
teachers work in professional learning teams to analyze and improve lessons
built around the staff development of both local and state systems, the work
gets into the classroom. Observing each other in the delivery of the
studied lesson gives rise to professional conversations that encompass the
characteristics of effective instruction.
Taking the time to develop a district format for lesson study that pulls together many of the pieces of professional develoment helps stakeholders stay the course. Using that format for staff development provides a light to follow when the going gets complicated.
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