“Five guys on the court working together can achieve more than five talented individuals who come and go working as individuals.”
-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Various initiatives come and go, depending on the needs of the school. We have recently been focusing on, amongst other things, the development of students’ “soft skills” – those little rituals of humanity like collaboration, timeliness, eye contact, and empathy that make our interactions with others smoother and more meaningful.
Our target audience is students (I say that because other initiatives may have different target audiences, like parents or staff). There are a few principles we’re making sure are in place to make sure as we attempt to give every student a chance to understand and embrace these very important skills.
These principles are applicable to any school-wide initiative, whether it is specific to staff trainings, community outreaches, or any other element designed to involve your whole school culture.
1. Be Direct.
When you’re attempting to teach students something, it helps to start out by being explicit. “We are going to try to help you develop…” This is true for any skill or concept we’re inculcating.
This is especially important when students hear it and understand this will be a school-wide initiative. You don’t want students deducing the secret evidence later on and realizing, “Hey, they’re manipulating us into learning this!” Just tell them up front so they know. Students appreciate the honesty. All you have a say as a staff is, “This is important, and that’s why you’re going to be hearing more about this in the days ahead.”
2. Make it Universal.
If students hear one thing from one teacher, they will understand it within the context of that teacher’s classroom experience and expectations. When they hear it from all their teachers, see it in the hallways, hear it in the announcements, and witness it from their principal and custodian, they get the idea that this is important.
Charlotte Danielson in Teacher Leadership That Strengthens Professional Practices, reminds us, “That is, while teachers identify their principal responsibilities in terms of the students they teach and think of their professional work as that which happens within the walls of their classrooms, that work is affected by what occurs in the school beyond those walls.” There is a difference between a single teacher or administrator – army of one – institutes an initiative and when an entire school does.
Students across the entire school then have the same experience. Instead of expectations being set or lessons introduced to just a handful of students, ALL students are exposed to the same idea and communication. They see ALL staff members are onboard. And as they compare notes with friends, they have a common language and ground base to understand the initiative.
3. Reinforce the Ideas.
When you hear something once, great. You hear it twice, even better. You see it reinforced continually in a variety of ways across your school experience…that’s where the magic is!
No matter how effective a single lesson is, it is unlikely to have the lasting impact we would want. Once the idea is introduced directly and the message is spread universally, it’s essential that students continually hear that message. This reinforces the original learning and shows students that the topic is more than just a one-day talking point – it’s an essential idea they need to embrace!
Donni Davis-Perry, M.Ed from the William and Mary School of Education talks about “sustained implementation” like this:
“Schools need to strategically plan for initiatives in order for them to be sustained. The cycle of continually adopting and abandoning new initiatives each year creates cynicism. School personnel will be less willing to put forth the effort to implement a new initiative if they believe it isn’t fully supported. In order to reach the goal of sustaining institutionalized initiatives, school planning teams should take the time to ensure the critical components are in place over time-typically multiple school years. Adopting new initiatives and moving schools from the present to the future involves change that takes time. With careful planning, we can mange the barriers and experience success.”
4. Model It.
“Values are more likely to be caught than taught.” We know that as teachers and parents our kids are watching us. What we DO often speaks louder than what we SAY. If your initiative involves certain behaviors, goals, or values, everyone needs to model these.
Staff need to embrace the idea that they are being observed by their students, and slowly but surely students will adopt the behaviors and values they see their teachers embody. Leadership needs to exemplify these values for staff to witness, too.
Other Considerations for School-Wide Initiatives
Here are a few additional thoughts about how initiatives can best be rolled out.
- Vision – An goal without a clear vision is really just a wishlist. What is the WHY behind the goal? How can the vision be developed and communicated so it is clear and meaningful to everyone involved?
- Team – Who is the team responsible for executing and reinforcing the initiative? Who should lead it? Who should be a part of it?
- Leadership Development – Is it possible that the initiative is an opportunity for individuals to develop their leadership skills? Who is an emerging leader who can be part of the team and cultivated by others?
- Stakeholders Input – Whom is it important to hear from? To what extent should staff, students, families, and so on have a voice in how the vision is crafted and initiative instituted?
- School Goals – Does the initiative connect to school-wide goals in some way? What is the intended outcome and how does it relate to what the school stands for?
- Staff Training – “Teachers are understandably anxious when expected to perform without first developing the skills they need to implement the initiative” Davis-Perry tell us. Don’t assume teachers can intuitively take part in your initiative. How can you commit to training and supporting them as you go?
I’d love to hear your thoughts about these four principles for instituting a new initiative at your school! What got you thinking? What else should we be considering? Leave a comment below for us all to learn from or contact me directly!
Here are a few sources I liked:
Danielson, Charlotte. “Chapter 5. Schoolwide Policies and Programs.” Schoolwide Policies and Programs, www.ascd.org/publications/books/105048/chapters/Schoolwide-Policies-and-Programs.aspx.
Davis-Perry, Donni. “School of EducationTraining & Technical Assistance Center.” William and Mary School of Education, education.wm.edu/centers/ttac/resources/articles/intructconsultteams/factorsforinitiatives/index.php.