It’s no secret that great cultures bring out the best in people and in turn, this leads to systemwide success. Success is a fickle thing, though. There might be specific indicators that are used to quantify whether an organization is good or even great, but there is no set recipe that I know of as to how to accomplish this feat. What I do know is that it is not the result of one person or department. When change happens and leads to improved outcomes, it is the result of the collective. One person, however, can be the catalyst for this type of change through a variety of strategies that empower the masses to be more than they feel they can be. Lolly Daskal outlines eight realistic ways to bring out the best in people you either work with or serve.
- Appraise them carefully
- Model the way
- Believe in their success
- Provide feedback
- Give them power
- Offer public praise
- Give autonomy
- Lead from within
The above advice is spot on and can serve both teachers with their students and administrators with their staff. Each strategy leads into some much more significant elements of school culture. Thus, I decided to create an acronym that outlines how to bring out the best in others.
Belief
Empathy
Selflessness
Trust
Belief is a superpower, in my opinion. Empowering others to believe in something bigger than themselves leads to the embracement of new ideas and strategies. Without it, the chances of implementing and sustaining change are net to zero. Belief in our learners also goes a long way to getting them to willingly engage in more challenging thinking and application of learning.
Empathy means, quite simply, showing to others that you genuinely understand what they are going through. It is vital for us to imagine ourselves in the position of our students, staff, and community members. This gives us a better perspective on the challenges and feelings of those we are tasked to serve. Better, more informed decisions can result from “walking in the shoes” of those who will be most impacted by the choices that we make. A culture of excellence is created through relationships built on trust and sustained through empathy.
Selflessness means putting others before yourself through both talk and actions. It is about helping those around us or within our care and not looking for any type of favor to be returned or recognition. The messages sent through selfless behaviors build people up in more ways than you will ever know. By selflessly serving others, a culture of respect and admiration will be created. Even if you are in a position to hold others accountable, remember that you are just as accountable to them. Selfish behaviors, on the other hand, do everything but bring out the best in others. Nobody is willing to give themselves up or work harder for someone who is only about themselves.
Trust might be the most critical element when it comes to bringing out the best in others. In the words of Brian Racy, “The glue that holds all relationships together — including the relationship between the leader and the led — is trust, and trust is based on integrity.” Without trust, there is no relationship. If there is no relationship, no real learning or change will occur. It is critical to reflect on how we not only improve but also develop trust in and with the people with whom we work.
As you reflect on your role as either an administrator or teacher, think about how your actions bring out the best in staff and students respectively. More importantly, where is there an opportunity for growth?
Learning hasn’t really changed, but the conditions that impact and influence it has. In Learning Transformed my co-author Tom Murray and I detailed eight keys backed by research and evidence that can facilitate a transformation of practice that will result in improved outcomes and better experiences for kids. For change to occur, it is essential to continually evaluate where we are at in the process to eventually get to where we want to be, and our learners need us to be. Ownership and empowerment result when meaningful opportunities are created for kids to explore, interact, design, and create in real-world contexts. How well are we developing critical competencies in our learners as depicted below?
Our beliefs, values, and experiences all work to shape our respective practice. When it comes to learning the emphasis has to be on what the kids do, not the adult. Therein lies the significant distinction between teaching and learning. It’s not that the former is bad per se, but ultimately kids should be actively engaged in the thinking and the work. As we work to create powerful learning opportunities, it is important to reflect upon and update our belief system as needed.
I recently shared what I believed in. Don Bartolo, in his book Closing the Teacher Gap, shares a list of beliefs that should be considered when creating learning opportunities for kids. I have merged his list (italicized), which I slightly tweaked, with some of mine, as there was overlap. Bartolo suggests engaging in the following exercise where you pick 3 of the items below that most resonate with you.
- Knowledge must be organized around key concepts and not learned in isolation as this promotes understanding. Relevant application to construct new knowledge matters.
- Learners must receive feedback from more knowledgeable others as well as peers. It must be timely and specific.
- Learners must be given the opportunity to connect current knowledge with new learning to build on what they know and can do.
- Learners need to be working for a purpose and not ritual compliance. Real engagement means students are involved and invested in their work.
- To become self-directed learners, students must learn to monitor and adjust their approaches to learning.
- Young learners need to be immersed in all kinds of texts, fiction, and nonfiction.
- Learners need time and opportunity to practice, use, and apply what they have learned. Mistakes and approximations are a part of learning.
- Learner perceptions must be addressed directly. Understand what students are thinking, especially when beginning a new topic or unit.
- Spaces and environments should be more reflective of the real world.
- Just because it worked in the past doesn’t mean it still does.
- Technology can be a game-changer with a solid pedagogical foundation.
- All kids can learn.
- Chase growth, no perfection.
So which of the above did you choose in your quest to transform learning? The key going forward is to reflect upon what you feel can help to create meaningful learning opportunities for students and decide what actions need to be taken on your part. It is important to note that we must also work to create powerful learning opportunities for ourselves.
For more questions that can help guide you in the process of improving student and professional learning check out the free Learning Transformed Study Guide from ASCD.
What do you believe in professionally? We all possess a particular set of beliefs that are shaped by our respective value system.
These impact our work and ultimately determine whether we are successful or not. Mark Lenz provides this great perspective:
Beliefs. We all have them. They came from somewhere. They probably started forming in us as young children and have been strengthened through time. Or maybe they’ve changed over the years. Changing a belief or a belief system is a big deal because our minds are wired to think that our beliefs are the correct ones. It’s been said we are creatures of habit. That’s because we believe the way we do things, the way we think, is right.
I would wager that many of our beliefs in education stem from how we were taught at some point. It is also fair to say that others developed based on how we were led or what others modeled for us. In either case, once beliefs are in place, people have a hard time changing them when challenged as Lenz alluded to above. The fact of the matter is what we believe in, can and should evolve. In a world influenced by disruptive change and where information is readily accessible it only makes sense that we are open to adapting what we currently believe in or even developing a whole new set of beliefs.
Having a set of beliefs that align with professional values can be a tremendous asset when it comes to creating a vibrant learning culture primed for success. Mine have certainly changed over the years in large part to first moving from a fixed to growth mindset and my experiences as a teacher and administrator. They continue to evolve now based on my work in schools, current research, and evidence as to what actually works in what seems like an ocean of never-ending opinions on what educators should be doing.
Here is what anchors my current belief system.
All kids can learn.
Regardless of zip code or label, every single student who walks into a school is capable of learning. We must be cognizant of the fact that each child is unique and as such he or she learns differently. For this fact alone, we must be open to differentiated and personalized pedagogical strategies. All kids have greatness hidden inside them. It is the job of an educator to help them find and unleash it.
Purpose in learning must be a priority.
School should unleash student passions and creativity, not stifle them. If there are relevance and meaning, kids will be able to tell you why they are learning something, how they will use it outside of school, and what they actually learned. Curriculum and standards are essential, but so are the interests of students as well as the opportunity to authentically apply new knowledge.
Technology can be a game-changer with a solid pedagogical foundation.
Tools of the digital world provide the means to support and enhance learning like never before. When adopting a pedagogy first, technology second, and with an appropriate mindset, purposeful use can innovate assessment, increase collaboration, improve feedback, transform time frames (where, when), and empower kids to own their learning like never before.
Just because it worked in the past doesn’t mean it still does.
The past teaches us not to repeat the same mistakes. The information age has taught us to take a critical lens to practice to improve. We now know that certain homework and grading practices are not effective. If we employ the same type of thinking, then we will get the same old results, or they might be less than what we want. Take the time to reflect on past practice to improve current practice.
Look through an empathetic lens.
It is impossible to know what is going on in the minds of kids. Sometimes things can be so bad that they either act out or shut down. In the words of Jackie Gerstein, “All kids have worth. Some, though, want to prove to us that they have none. Our job as caring educators is to prove them wrong.” When times get tough with kids, try to put yourself in their shoes.
Spaces and environments should be more reflective of the real world.
Ask yourself if you would want to learn in the same spaces and under the same conditions as all of the kids in your school. If the answer is no, then it is time to embrace a new belief. Research has shown that classroom design (furniture, layout, temperature, color, acoustics, lighting) impact learning. Elements such as comfort, flexibility, and choice provide the needed elements for blended learning that can meet the needs of more kids.
A push for efficacy benefits all.
I will sound like a broken record here as I have written so much on this topic over the years. Evidence, research, and accountability all matter if we are serious about scaling change. A focus on each of these areas brings more credibility to ideas and strengthens collective calls for innovative change. Efficacy matters plain and simple.
Chase growth, not perfection.
In education, there is no perfect lesson, teacher, administrator, school, or district. There is always room for improvement. It took me a while to adopt this belief but has probably impacted me the most as of late. Striving to be a better iteration of ourselves each day can help us be the best for those we serve.
What do you believe in? Please share in the comments section below.
Beliefs and values help to not only guide but also influence our work. As everything around us evolves, so should our thinking. Being open to this shift will go a long way to growing professionally and creating schools that work better for kids.
