It's Not About the House

I've blogged about the program in which I teach on more than a few occasions.  "Yeah yeah," you say "Your class is great. Whoop-dee-doo.  I don't teach in a class like that. What good is it to me?"  Today that is just what I want to talk about.  You see, the revolution is not about the class I teach or the project we're doing.  It's not about the house.  There are a lot of reasons why I like the spot I'm in, but today I want to talk about changing the spot you are in (assuming, of course, that you are a teacher).

I genuinely believe that an effective model of pedagogical change can be layered on top of just about any curriculum.  I say "just about" because I very much recognize the specter of high-stakes tests that loom over many jurisdictions.  At some point down the road, I'm going to try to make an argument for why teachers should stop putting so much energy in prepping kids for those things, even if nothing changes regarding their role, weight, value, design, or use in your jurisdiction.  But for now, let me just say that I understand where you're coming from in not wanting to let kids down on those tests.  Alberta Diploma Exams, for instance, are a real thing and we can't ignore their impact on our students.

Outside of that mindset, however, I'm going to challenge any teacher who wants to make an impactful and positive change for their students, for their career, and for their outlook for the future, to head in some or all of the following directions.

First...

Find a buddy, or maybe a few buddies that you think (a) are also looking to shake things up and that (b) you can work with amicably.  We'll deal with the non-amicable folks later.  For now, let's get people together who are drinking the same brand of Kool-Aid.

Sit down with your friend or friends over some coffees, perhaps some delicious baked goods.  If a bottle of wine or a case of beer is more to your liking, have at 'er.  Good food & drink always helps to make an experience even more rewarding.  Bring some pads of paper, or maybe even chart paper or whiteboards (perhaps now the title of this blog will make some sense -- whiteboards and a few tasty beverages are all you need to start your own corner of the revolution).

Where the conversation goes from here is up to you.  The goal: find an excuse to teach the same kids at the same time.  The "Next Level" goal: The excuse will offer a novel, engaging, meaningful experience that gives your students an opportunity to create something that is meaningful and relevant to them -- work that they can take pride in beyond just showing mom and dad the letter on the report card.  Maybe you look at ways to merge your classes for a large project or field experience.  Perhaps you see if team teaching all or part of course makes sense.  Maybe you think about a large-scale project that has tons of flash, redefines what it means for students to learn, and launches you into a completely new and exciting trajectory in your career.  Either way, put it all out there on the table.  Throw up the ideas on the wall and see what sticks.  Find out where your teaching spheres collide and crossover.  Find out where your passions and interests as educators and as humans crossover.  Ask yourselves how would you do things if you had the freedom to do it the way you wanted?  In the end, you'll hopefully have at least one idea that finds you impassioned and inspired to take the next step.

Before you take the next step, I want to add one piece of advice: It has been my observation that as the educational landscape shifts, stakeholders are carving out their individual niches whether it be within individual schools or educational jurisdictions at large.  Many schools and school divisions want to be able to demonstrate their forward progress and commitment to improving education for the kids put in their care.  The shinier the penny, the more easy it is to show off.  I'm not saying that you should do things just to show off.  But, frankly, if you want to get buy-in from the people you're going to need to ask permission from, you may need to give them a compelling reason to break from the tried and true.  You'll have to gauge the climate and culture of your own setting, but personally I'd rather err of side of ambitious.  If you offer them a plan that has the potential to showcase your school or division as exceptional, your chances of getting approval will likely increase.

Then...

Figure out what it will take to make it happen.  This is obviously a big step.  You don't just snap your fingers and marvel at the plan that appears before you.  But this is where some exciting stuff happens.  It's where these questions get answered:

• Who needs to approve the plan?  How do we convince them that it's good for kids and that it's good for them too?
• Who might we need to partner with in order to bring this plan to life?  Industry?  Small business?  NGOs?  Non-profits?  Academia?  A few parents?  Partners might not always seem essential, but I'd like to suggest that they certainly have the potential to be essential.  The greater your idea's scope, the more hands will be needed to bring it to life.  Finding essential partners will have to be a whole future blog post (these are really starting to accumulate).
• How do we find these partners and how do we ask them to get involved?
• How do we fit this work into the existing structure of our school (or do we need structures to change in order to make this work)?
• How do we make space within the work we already do in order to accommodate this new thing?

Those last couple questions are ultimately about pedagogy -- about re-framing what you already do into what needs to be done.  For some teachers, it's going to be the most significant barrier.  There was certainly a point in my career where I simply couldn't have done this kind of work.  Finding teammates who are already headed in this direction -- whether they're in your school, jurisdiction, or web browser is also part of the process.  Last question: Who can help me?  Don't have an answer to that one?  Start here.

Lastly...

Make your pitch.  Whether its a department head, a principal, a superintendent, a learning specialist, a parent council, or a politician, someone probably needs to hear the proposal.  There are probably a whole host of things these folks will think they want to know in advance.  Cost, manpower, time frames, impact on other areas of the school or school system, etc.  Ultimately, though, three things are going to win you their approval:

(1)  A compelling emotional reason to get on board.  Who will this make an impact on and how big could that impact be?  Tell the story.
(2)  A degree of certainty that their own jobs aren't going to be made substantially more difficult by the change.
(3)  A plan of action.*

Congratulations!  You've got an exciting new project under way.  Now the fun really begins.

Does it all seem like far more work than you've got time to manage?  Objection noted.  In my next post, I'll try to explain why I think the more you do this, the more you'll be able to shift your work load away from the ever mounting prep & grade cycle toward work that is more meaningful to your students.  Don't get me wrong: there will be some hours invested on the front end to be sure.  But crafted properly, the kind of projects that will have the most meaningful positive impacts on your students will also have the most meaningful impacts on your work/life balance.  Done right, the revolution can work for your students and for you.

TL;DR:  Join the revolution! Find friends, brainstorm, smash together your classes, design a project at the intersection of your subject matter and/or your interests, take time to plan, pitch it to your gatekeepers, profit!

Vive la resistance!!

* Credit where it's due: Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip & Dan Heath is owed for helping me to understand this.