TRANSKRİPT 🔗
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.700 --> 00:00:03.940
Sometimes we see something that could be better in our schools,
2
00:00:04.019 --> 00:00:07.379
and before long, it has a name. Then it has
3
00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:11.500
a committee. Then there maybe is a logo, some training,
4
00:00:11.619 --> 00:00:14.339
a new binder, or maybe even a poster on the wall.
5
00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:19.179
And somewhere along the way, it might be worth stopping
6
00:00:19.219 --> 00:00:23.120
to ask a pretty simple question. Did we actually need
7
00:00:23.199 --> 00:00:26.960
something new? Or did we just need to get better
8
00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:29.280
at something that we are already doing?
9
00:00:31.390 --> 00:00:34.820
This is Your Morning Boost, recorded in the Forward Ed
10
00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:39.079
Network studios. A weekly spark for educators and school leaders
11
00:00:39.399 --> 00:00:44.060
ready to lead, teach, and live with greater intention. This
12
00:00:44.270 --> 00:00:45.530
is Your Morning Boost.
13
00:00:48.409 --> 00:00:50.770
A really long time ago, and I do mean a
14
00:00:50.869 --> 00:00:53.990
really long time ago, I was teaching in a district
15
00:00:54.030 --> 00:00:57.469
that decided to adopt a new instructional approach. And We
16
00:00:57.509 --> 00:01:01.670
went all in. We brought in outside trainers. Everybody received
17
00:01:01.689 --> 00:01:05.409
the training. We had new manuals, new terminology, new graphics,
18
00:01:05.469 --> 00:01:08.769
new colors. And we communicated with families about it. And
19
00:01:08.810 --> 00:01:11.329
if I remember correctly, there was even some discussion at
20
00:01:11.409 --> 00:01:15.609
one point about becoming a school that was formally recognized
21
00:01:15.670 --> 00:01:19.549
around this particular instructional model. So we were not just
22
00:01:19.670 --> 00:01:21.709
dabbling in this thing. I mean, it was going to
23
00:01:21.750 --> 00:01:24.489
become a part of who we were. And I do
24
00:01:24.510 --> 00:01:26.739
want to be fair because there was a lot of
25
00:01:27.079 --> 00:01:30.959
really great stuff within this initiative. It focused on how
26
00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:35.040
we planned lessons, how we structured activities for students, and
27
00:01:35.099 --> 00:01:38.709
really how we thought about learning. And I don't remember
28
00:01:38.790 --> 00:01:41.510
sitting in any of those sessions thinking, boy, this is terrible.
29
00:01:41.569 --> 00:01:45.709
Why are we doing this? These were all great ideas.
30
00:01:46.810 --> 00:01:51.060
But Somewhere around the second or third training session, something
31
00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:53.359
happened that really has stuck with me all of these
32
00:01:53.379 --> 00:01:57.459
years later. The presenter was walking us through how we
33
00:01:57.500 --> 00:02:01.379
were supposed to design lessons using this new model. And
34
00:02:01.400 --> 00:02:04.000
a few teachers had brought some of their existing lesson
35
00:02:04.049 --> 00:02:06.689
plans with them as we were asked to do. And
36
00:02:06.750 --> 00:02:09.370
as the presenter explained what these new plans were supposed
37
00:02:09.409 --> 00:02:12.259
to look like, A couple teachers started looking at each
38
00:02:12.360 --> 00:02:15.300
other and flipping through what they'd already brought, and eventually
39
00:02:15.379 --> 00:02:22.909
one of them held up a lesson plan and basically said, like, this? And, yeah,
40
00:02:22.990 --> 00:02:27.469
it was pretty much like that. Then somebody else had
41
00:02:27.669 --> 00:02:31.830
something similar, and suddenly we all started realizing that a
42
00:02:31.909 --> 00:02:34.110
lot of what we were being taught to do was
43
00:02:34.490 --> 00:02:39.099
already happening here. Maybe not perfectly, and maybe not everywhere.
44
00:02:39.939 --> 00:02:42.699
there were certainly some things that we could still learn, develop,
45
00:02:42.759 --> 00:02:45.500
and get better at. But for quite a few teachers,
46
00:02:45.900 --> 00:02:51.840
the actual instructional practice was not dramatically different. It had
47
00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:54.219
a new name, it had some new language around it,
48
00:02:54.340 --> 00:02:57.240
and I'll never forget the new colors and the new
49
00:02:57.379 --> 00:02:59.800
icon and all of the new materials that came with it.
50
00:03:00.300 --> 00:03:04.319
But underneath all of that, some of the work had
51
00:03:04.360 --> 00:03:09.530
already existed. And I remember sitting there thinking, Couldn't we
52
00:03:09.569 --> 00:03:12.319
have figured out what our teachers were already doing well
53
00:03:12.379 --> 00:03:17.439
and just built from there? That thought has stayed with
54
00:03:17.520 --> 00:03:20.699
me because I don't think what happened in that district
55
00:03:20.740 --> 00:03:23.800
was especially unusual then, and I really don't think it's
56
00:03:23.879 --> 00:03:29.370
especially unusual now. Schools, we are really good at launching things.
57
00:03:30.169 --> 00:03:33.189
We identify something that we want to improve, and pretty
58
00:03:33.250 --> 00:03:36.270
quickly we start looking for a program or a framework
59
00:03:36.889 --> 00:03:40.340
or a consultant or a tool or, something that gives
60
00:03:40.400 --> 00:03:44.180
this work a name, and sometimes that is exactly what
61
00:03:44.259 --> 00:03:48.060
we need. A new framework, it can create clarity. Common
62
00:03:48.099 --> 00:03:52.400
language can help people work together. Training can expose us
63
00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:55.659
to something that we genuinely don't know how to do yet,
64
00:03:55.719 --> 00:03:59.840
and sometimes good practice is happening in scattered places, so
65
00:03:59.900 --> 00:04:02.699
a shared structure helps us turn that into something that's
66
00:04:03.020 --> 00:04:06.960
more coherent around the district. So I'm not arguing here
67
00:04:07.020 --> 00:04:11.889
against initiatives. I'm not arguing
Load full transcript
against professional learning. And I'm
68
00:04:11.969 --> 00:04:15.189
definitely not saying that we should just keep doing whatever
69
00:04:15.250 --> 00:04:19.240
we have always done. What I'm more interested in is
70
00:04:19.300 --> 00:04:23.759
what happens before the launch. Before we build something new,
71
00:04:24.139 --> 00:04:28.399
how well do we understand what is already there? That
72
00:04:28.560 --> 00:04:33.569
matters because the response should depend on what we actually find.
73
00:04:35.370 --> 00:04:38.810
If people really don't know how to do something, training
74
00:04:38.850 --> 00:04:42.250
makes a lot of sense. If people already know how
75
00:04:42.290 --> 00:04:45.410
to do it, but then the practice is inconsistent, that
76
00:04:45.509 --> 00:04:49.290
maybe calls for something else. And if good work is
77
00:04:49.529 --> 00:04:53.370
already happening around, but nobody recognizes it as shared practice,
78
00:04:53.970 --> 00:04:56.509
maybe the first move is not adding anything. Maybe the
79
00:04:56.569 --> 00:04:59.350
first move is helping people see what already exists and
80
00:04:59.750 --> 00:05:02.740
how we can learn from one another. That's a very
81
00:05:02.860 --> 00:05:06.100
different starting point from assuming that we just need something new.
82
00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:09.889
And I think this is where leadership gets a little harder.
83
00:05:10.389 --> 00:05:13.310
Launching something is concrete. I mean, you put a date
84
00:05:13.350 --> 00:05:16.970
on the calendar, you can schedule the training, order the materials,
85
00:05:17.029 --> 00:05:21.040
we can announce it. I mean, there is momentum around
86
00:05:21.069 --> 00:05:27.019
a launch. Understanding why something is inconsistent is messier. You
87
00:05:27.060 --> 00:05:34.149
might discover the issue is time or clarity. or competing priorities.
88
00:05:36.089 --> 00:05:39.389
Maybe people already know how to do the work, but
89
00:05:39.810 --> 00:05:42.750
we've asked them to focus on 15 other things too.
90
00:05:44.560 --> 00:05:47.160
Maybe the problem isn't that they need another tool. Maybe
91
00:05:47.180 --> 00:05:49.779
they need enough space to use the tools they already
92
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:55.259
have and use them well. And sometimes adding something feels
93
00:05:55.480 --> 00:05:59.569
easier than figuring out all of that because adding something
94
00:05:59.610 --> 00:06:04.810
feels like action. We want stronger relationships with students, so
95
00:06:04.829 --> 00:06:09.689
we introduce a relationship-building program. We want better collaboration, so
96
00:06:09.730 --> 00:06:13.240
we create another team. We want stronger instruction, so we
97
00:06:13.300 --> 00:06:18.879
adopt another framework. And again, any one of those decisions
98
00:06:18.939 --> 00:06:23.339
may be perfectly reasonable. But before we add something, I
99
00:06:23.939 --> 00:06:27.670
think it is worth looking around the organization first. Who
100
00:06:27.730 --> 00:06:30.730
is already doing this well? What are they doing? What
101
00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:33.509
is making it possible for them to do it well
102
00:06:33.569 --> 00:06:37.610
and do it consistently? And is there anything the rest
103
00:06:37.649 --> 00:06:40.610
of us could learn from what is already happening right
104
00:06:40.670 --> 00:06:45.329
down the hallway? Because sometimes the answer is already inside
105
00:06:45.399 --> 00:06:48.040
our organization. We just haven't noticed it yet.
106
00:06:53.939 --> 00:06:59.189
This segment is sponsored by Grunmeier Leader Services. Since 2013,
107
00:06:59.189 --> 00:07:02.189
GLS has been a trusted partner for school districts across
108
00:07:02.230 --> 00:07:06.949
the Midwest, specializing in executive recruitment and leadership support. They
109
00:07:06.970 --> 00:07:10.389
believe that great schools start with great leaders, and they
110
00:07:10.430 --> 00:07:12.730
are here to help you find a perfect fit for
111
00:07:12.750 --> 00:07:16.370
your district. Transform your school's future with the right leader.
112
00:07:16.810 --> 00:07:23.529
Visit grunmeyerleaderssearch.com to learn more. Grunmeyer Leader Services, transforming education
113
00:07:23.850 --> 00:07:24.990
one leader at a time.
114
00:07:32.370 --> 00:07:35.629
There's another side to this too. Sometimes good work is
115
00:07:35.689 --> 00:07:38.170
happening all over the place, but everybody has a different
116
00:07:38.209 --> 00:07:41.310
name for it. One teacher calls it one thing, another
117
00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:44.589
calls it something else, or one building has developed a
118
00:07:44.649 --> 00:07:50.029
routine that another building doesn't even know exists. In that situation,
119
00:07:50.389 --> 00:07:53.810
naming the work can be incredibly useful. Shared language, it
120
00:07:53.879 --> 00:07:58.560
helps us see connections. It makes collaboration easier. It can
121
00:07:58.620 --> 00:08:02.180
take something that is happening inconsistently and help make it
122
00:08:02.240 --> 00:08:06.079
more dependable for students. So the question is not whether
123
00:08:06.199 --> 00:08:08.589
naming the work is good or bad. The question is
124
00:08:08.629 --> 00:08:12.470
whether the name is helping the work. Because at some point,
125
00:08:12.689 --> 00:08:15.189
most of us have probably seen an initiative where the
126
00:08:15.250 --> 00:08:19.850
focus slowly shifted from the outcome to the initiative itself.
127
00:08:21.170 --> 00:08:23.769
We start checking whether the poster is up or whether
128
00:08:24.329 --> 00:08:28.579
the right language is being used, whether you've completed your template,
129
00:08:29.430 --> 00:08:31.769
And all of those things, they may have a purpose,
130
00:08:31.829 --> 00:08:35.350
but they are not the outcome. The outcome is whether
131
00:08:35.470 --> 00:08:39.769
anything is actually better for students. That's
the part that
132
00:08:39.809 --> 00:08:43.659
we don't want to lose. Before the next launch, I
133
00:08:43.700 --> 00:08:46.779
think there are a few things worth understanding first. How
134
00:08:46.820 --> 00:08:51.320
much of this is genuinely new? Where is it already happening?
135
00:08:52.440 --> 00:08:56.320
Are people missing knowledge or do they need more consistency?
136
00:08:58.110 --> 00:09:00.129
And the other part that we need to remember is
137
00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:05.269
if we add something, what is going to get less attention?
138
00:09:07.409 --> 00:09:12.340
That last one, it might be the hardest because every
139
00:09:12.419 --> 00:09:16.659
new initiative is going to compete with something. It will
140
00:09:16.679 --> 00:09:21.600
compete for time, attention. It's going to compete for your
141
00:09:21.679 --> 00:09:26.870
professional learning opportunities, your meeting space. And don't forget it's
142
00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:30.429
also going to compete for your energy. None of those
143
00:09:30.509 --> 00:09:35.980
things are unlimited. I didn't understand that very well sitting
144
00:09:36.019 --> 00:09:38.840
in those trainings as a teacher all of those years ago.
145
00:09:39.980 --> 00:09:41.980
I just knew I was looking at a brand new
146
00:09:42.039 --> 00:09:45.379
manual describing something that looked an awful lot like work
147
00:09:45.539 --> 00:09:49.659
many of my colleagues were already doing. From the leadership
148
00:09:49.679 --> 00:09:53.720
side now, I see that a little differently. There are
149
00:09:53.740 --> 00:09:57.830
thousands of good ideas in education. The challenge isn't finding
150
00:09:57.870 --> 00:10:01.250
a good idea. The challenge is deciding whether this is
151
00:10:01.309 --> 00:10:06.889
what our organization actually needs right now. And sometimes the
152
00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:12.840
answer will absolutely be yes. Sometimes we need something completely new.
153
00:10:14.460 --> 00:10:18.220
But sometimes improvement is a lot less exciting than a launch.
154
00:10:19.549 --> 00:10:21.980
Sometimes we need to recognize the good work that is
155
00:10:22.019 --> 00:10:26.720
already happening, understand why it works, and help more people
156
00:10:27.100 --> 00:10:34.240
do it consistently. No new logo required. So before the
157
00:10:34.299 --> 00:10:37.100
next new idea starts collecting a name, a committee, and
158
00:10:37.139 --> 00:10:40.059
a rollout plan, take a look at what is already
159
00:10:40.100 --> 00:10:44.299
happening around you. You may find that the work doesn't
160
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:49.519
need to be reinvented. It may just need to be Noticed, strengthened,
161
00:10:49.559 --> 00:10:54.580
and shared. Thanks for spending a little time with me today, boosters,
162
00:10:54.659 --> 00:10:56.440
and thank you for doing all the amazing work you
163
00:10:56.480 --> 00:10:59.820
do for your students and your community. We will talk
164
00:10:59.860 --> 00:11:00.879
with you again next time.
165
00:11:03.340 --> 00:11:07.240
That's your morning boost from AWB Education and Media. If
166
00:11:07.299 --> 00:11:10.080
this episode helped you reset your thinking or take your
167
00:11:10.159 --> 00:11:13.779
next step forward, share it with a colleague. And don't
168
00:11:13.820 --> 00:11:16.700
forget to subscribe so your next boost is ready when
169
00:11:16.740 --> 00:11:20.429
you need it. Keep showing up with intention. Keep moving
170
00:11:20.509 --> 00:11:22.259
forward and we'll see you next time.