In a short, yet thought-provoking article, George Couros reminds us that it is people that bring missions and visions to life. At UWCSEA, most teachers ascribe to being lifelong learners. We have a great mission, but it’s nothing without the people who can turn it into a reality. Therefore, as a school, we must constantly strive to improve our effectiveness in delivering that mission. How do we do this? Well, the concept is quite simple: keep improving teacher effectiveness. The delivery, however, is always more challenging. It's also important to note (and I thank Nick Alchin for taking the time to comment and raise this point - see comments section) that the mission also helps the people involved with the school to become better versions of themselves. In a sense, both the people and the mission are interdependent. With this in mind, it could be said that having a fantastic mission is also a form of improving teacher effectiveness.
This got me thinking about a phrase that I adore: “It’s people, not programs” (Whitaker, 2014). If you want to make a vision a reality or improve a school, then you must focus on the people, not just a shiny new initiative. In the classroom, the teacher is the variable. They are the ones who can make a difference, therefore it is they that we must help improve. How might we do this? Whitaker talks about several strategies, but I will highlight a few that I think to be the most important:
I am currently working on developing my principles. These are fundamental beliefs that I believe to be true about the world and that I will use to support my day to day life and decision making. Much of this is based upon my readings of Stephen Covey’s work and I have a rough idea of what my core principles are. If you were to ask for a summary, it would be something like: to achieve primary greatness. You can read in more detail about my developing philosophy here. What my philosophy is is a story for another time, however. What’s important is the effect this has had on me as a teacher. Even the process of thinking about it has turned me into a more effective teacher. I have been reinvigorated. I have remembered what I hold dear and I remind myself of that with every action I take in the classroom. Of course, I am human and there are occasions where I might fail in upholding my principles. However, I am now aware of every time that this happens, and am able to seek to repair any damage that this might have caused (seeking always to repair is itself a hallmark of an effective teacher according to Whitaker). I think every teacher (and indeed every person) should clarify what their core is. What are their principles? Next year, I will even do this with my mentee’s. They will know my core principles and I will know theirs. Then, the magic can happen.
I love this concept. At every level of a school, it should be cool to care. It’s cool to be excited about education. It’s cool to read about education. It’s cool to care about the mission. It's cool to have intellectual conversations rather than gossip. It’s cool to talk about educational philosophies in the staff room. It’s cool to want to connect with your students on an emotional level. It’s cool to learn. It's cool to care about the subject you are studying. It's cool to be organised. It's cool to be proud of studying. It’s cool to care about the teacher. If the teacher can demonstrate a commitment to "it's cool to care" then maybe the students will adopt that approach too. The best teachers make this a reality. How? Well, according to Whitaker, the following can help contribute to such an atmosphere:
How you might do the above could be the subject of a whole different blog post!
For me, creating an environment where it is 'cool to care' depends upon you having identified your core principles. If these principles are the right ones, then an atmosphere in your classroom where it is 'cool to care' should be an eventual outcome.
A fact of life is that some teachers are more effective than others. So what makes these effective teachers so amazing? This is a question that every teacher in the school should be asking. If we hear something cool about another teacher’s methods from a student, we should be asking that teacher how they do it. One of my goals next year is to become one of the most effective teachers in the school. How might I do this? Here are some of the things I think might be important:
These are just some of the things that might help your ‘people’ become even more effective. What do you think might help you to get even more from the most important resource in a school?
Food for thought: I leave you with this TED talk from Christopher Edmin on teaching teachers to create magic. Maybe, the most effective teachers are those that have the magic ability to engage. What do you think?
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Hi Louie
Great article; thank you. I wonder if we can add to your 100% true statement "We have a great mission, but it’s nothing without the people who can turn it into a reality". I think the point I am thinkign about is that the Mission helps people be the best versions of themselves; in fact 'the mission' and 'people' are not independent. Yes, the Mission is nothing without people; and additionally, people can be 'more' (in some sense) with a great Mission. Just as they can be 'more' (in some sense) when collaboration is actively and intentionally scaffolded through, for example, norms that build trust.
Thank you. You have given me much to think about
N
Hi Nick,
Thanks for taking the time to read the post and take part in the discussion. I completely agree. I have tried to encapsulate what you have said and add it into the post
"It's also important to note (and I thank Nick Alchin for taking the time to comment and raise this point - see comments section) that the mission also helps the people involved with the school to become better versions of themselves. In a sense, both the people and the mission are interdependent. With this in mind, it could be said that having a fantastic mission is also a form of improving teacher effectiveness. "
Would love to know if this aligns with what you were thinking?
Your point about actively scaffolding collaboration through norms that build trust is also important. That is a cultural piece that has taken many years to build up. It now feels like the fabric of the school. This culture of trust enables teachers to feel comfortable going into one another's classrooms in order to learn. It also contributes to the "cool to care" mentality. Further, I have no doubt that it helps one to form their own philosophy. For example, elements of the Covey trust model have made their way (in some part) into my own philosophy and principles.
One could imagine a complex map of interdependent connections here...I smell a lucid chart...
So much to love about this post! I think identifying your beliefs is so important. I think sometimes teachers can become hoarders of ideas and theories and programs. We want to hold on to everything "just in case" we might need it. While having a packed toolbox is fine, I think it is a better approach to really pin down what is important to you as a teacher and do this well. Know it, be able to share it with others, and make it visible in your teaching. Will Richardson and Bruce Dixon recently published Ten Principles of Modern Learning and number one was state your beliefs.
My husband once commented that I "fangirl" over educational theorists the way other people fawn over actors or musicians. He is right. I can't tell you who sings what but I can pick Sal Khan's voice from just a few syllables and l watch the Pinkcast as soon as a new episode comes out. I enjoy lunch conversations in which we discuss learning and autonomy and how we can do better for our kids and ourselves. While I used to think that these behaviors needed to be modeled by school leaders (and still think that would be awesome), Seth Godin has drummed it in my head that I need to stop waiting and pick myself. If I want to be in a culture that values discussing education, then I have to discuss education. If I want to be in a positive environment, be positive. Don't wait for permission to care or create a culture where it is cool to care. Just do it.
Teachers observing teachers is one of the best sources of PD and yet many schools don't make time for this. You are fortunate to work in a place where seeing each other in action is encouraged. You also have some great role models of what it means to be a connected educator which also amplifies the learning. I am grateful for this connectivity - your posts (I have read them all!) are so interesting and offer a perspective that resonates with me. And yet who would have thought that a Chemistry teacher in Singapore and a Junior School TechCoach in Germany would learn from and with each other? #powerofconnectededucators (also, thanks Tricia!)