Creating a Culture of Continuous Improvement

Creating A Culture of Continuous Improvement

“Closely related to the idea of learning from mistakes is the idea that resistance to change, and complaints, are also opportunities for learning. Whenever I speak to teachers about changes they might make in their school, teachers often point out that what I am recommending will not work with their students, in their subject, or in their particular school. Some reformers treat this as evidence that teachers resist change...but it is far more likely that the teacher is trying to think through how this could be applied in his or her setting. In other words, it is a sign of engagement, not resistance. It would be much worse if teachers just let my words wash over them, knowing that “this too shall pass.” So when teachers raise objections, this should be treated as a chance for learning, not as something to be overcome. Often, the objections will have merit.” (Wiliam, 2016, p.233)

“No matter how good a teacher is, if he or she improves, his or her students will be healthier, live longer, and contribute more to society. Reconnecting teachers with this moral imperative can reduce resistance, especially when combined with the ideas of choice, flexibility and small steps.” (Wiliam, 2016, p.202)

“...there is now substantial evidence that the impact of teacher effects at least rival, and may well exceed, the impact of family background and socioeconomic status (Rowe, 2003)…When all teachers embrace the idea that they can improve, not because they are not good enough, but because they can be even better, this creates a natural collegiality that supports all teachers in embracing the need for continuous improvement. As the research in chapter 5 shows, for most teachers after two or three years on the job, the rate of improvement slows down markedly, so the expertise research suggests that considerable improvements are possible if all teachers, rather than just the weakest, engage in continuous professional improvement.” (Wiliam, 2016, p.239)

Reference

Wiliam, D., 2016. Leadership for Teacher Learning: Creating a Culture Where All Teachers Improve so That All Students Succeed, p. 239. Learning Sciences International. Creating A Culture of Continuous Improvement: Individual Reflection

Consider the quotes on page 1 as you reflect on the following questions:

Prepared for CBE Learning Leaders by the Galileo Educational Network, 2015-16 1 1. What structures, protocols, enablers, other, have been effective in your context to create a culture of continuous improvement?

2. As a leader, how might you move forward in continuing to develop this culture?

Engaging Students, Transforming Lives

Question Evidence from the videos

In setting high quality work as the standard for ALL students, how did

2 this teacher attain that?

What different teaching strategies do you see being used to help all the students attain high quality work?

Berger, R., 2014. Whole Education 5th Annual Conference Keynote, London, UK “Engaging Students, Transforming Lives”. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeYSCw6xDcc Leading For High Quality Work

1. How does setting the standard of high quality work for all students change the teaching?

2. How would you respond to a teacher who says “I don’t have time for students to do high quality work”?

3. How have you/might you make a strong connection for your colleagues between effective teaching and high quality student work?

Prepared for CBE Learning Leaders by the Galileo Educational Network, 2015-16 3 Building Collective Knowledge of Effective Teaching Practices

Consider the task you brought to share.

1. What was it about the teaching of this task that enabled students to create high quality work and deep learning?

2. Identify key teaching strategies you used to inspire high quality work and deep learning.

4 Prepared for CBE Learning Leaders by the Galileo Educational Network, 2015-16 5 What are Your Next Steps?

Pick one learning intention that you want students to know or be able to do. Conduct a study of how the teaching is impacting students understanding of that learning intention (in your classroom or a colleague’s).

Gather evidence of what each individual student understands about the learning intention before the teaching begins. Conduct the lesson(s). Gather evidence of what each individual student understands now before the students leave the class. E.g. Students could draw a diagram or picture pre and post the lesson, entry and exit slip, short answer to a problem pre and post, other?

Bring back the pre and post evidence of student understanding (from all students), and a synopsis of the teaching that took place during the lesson(s). You will be doing the analysis/synthesis work at the session.