This podcast explores Learning Forward’s Professional Learning Standards by examining the beliefs and principles of educators around change. Our guest today is Stephanie Hirsh, author, presenter, and Executive Director of Learning Forward.
People support the principles of professional learning for ALL educators, yet actions are not always aligned with those principles and beliefs. The kinds of changes called for in the PL standards are very challenging. Michael Fullan talks about the power of inertia, even when we make a change we can be drawn back into the day by day work. It is a challenge to make transformational changes. Professional learning is the SOLUTION to long-term improvement and sustainable change.
Even as educators select “learning designs” that are engaging, we may not have established the WHY. The leap is between the data and the specific knowledge and skills required to address that data in the classroom. Driving questions: What do I need to know to teach my students and how will I learn it? Better data systems will HELP us at the building level. The data will help us collaborate and learn from each other. It is about student learning. Our challenge is to honor adults as individuals while still having alignment across the system. How can we tell our story…from the teacher in the classroom to the central office? And from the central office back to the classroom. What is our story?
Other challenges related to beliefs about schooling and professional learning are the ideas of collective responsibility and collective impact. What does this look like? My door is always open. My work is very public. I share my successes and failures. I want everyone to be successful. I’ll share students. This is a change for many educators. Some of our policies do not support this belief of collective responsibility. Learning is an intentional part of the process. It precedes ACTION.
What is the key to success? Effective Leaders create the vision and mission and have the foundational knowledge and skills to transform learning in their schools. We must invest in the leaders of the school, the leadership team.
Possible Resources: Possible Solutions. The standards are the solution. When you have a challenge ask, “What is the PL solution? How do the standards help craft that solutions?”
Check out the AMAZING Learning Forward resources that support the implementation of Common Core.
Learning Forward: Implementing the Common Core
The POWER OF ONE!! You make a difference!