Altogether, over the last few months I have visited 25 schools. I have also had the opportunity to speak with countless educators, either in person or on the phone. I am still amazed at the kindness of others to welcome me to their schools or give up an hour of their time for a video call. I thought it would be helpful to take a moment to share some of the tidbits of knowledge so many talented educators have shared with me.
- The expertise of content needs to become secondary to skill development.
This gem of knowledge was shared by Garth Nichols who is making a name for himself as a very innovative educator/leader and who is the co-founder of Cohort 21, an amazing PD opportunity for CIS Ontario teachers. We need to put student-centred teaching first and content second. A question we need to ask ourselves is are we teaching students how to learn or are we teaching the curriculum? So often, teachers are reluctant to try something such as PBL because of the perceived time it takes. I can understand where these teachers are coming from, especially those that have a lot of content standards to get through. The ultimate goal is to teach all of these standards through the project, but time is finite and often, choices need to be made. This is a tough one for teachers, especially those that have had success teaching in a more traditional manner. Ultimately though, it’s not what you teach, but what they learn that matters.
- Giving students voice and choice gets them excited
A few teachers expressed to me their love of doing PBL in their classrooms. A common thread was that the students were having so much fun that they didn’t even know they were learning. Isn’t this amazing? I think that is the ultimate goal – for students to be in a state of flow as they are exploring and learning. What is one of the keys to achieving this state of flow? Allowing students to drive their own learning and giving them voice and choice.
- What if there were no bells and no classes? What would you do?
This question was posed by Rick Pardo to teachers in an Ontario school board (TVDSB) and the result was amazing. Let’s give teachers permission to break out of the traditional mold of school and figure out what is possible. I believe that all teachers are extremely creative individuals just waiting for permission to innovate.
- Learning about PBL was the catalyst of change and opened the flood gates of ideas
So many teachers I met with expressed this sentiment to me. They were so glad to have had training in PBL as it opened them up to so many new ideas. It gave them a different lens through which to see their curriculum. Learning about PBL was the spark that was needed to try something new and then innovation grew from there.
- Don’t be afraid to take a risk
So often, we are scared to try something new. Many teachers have some perfectionist tendencies and are hesitant to try something that might not work. We were also taught in a more traditional manner and many of us have been teaching in a more traditional manner for many years. I don’t know how many times someone has said to me, well I’d maybe like to try PBL, but what I am doing now is working. I’d hate to mess up something that I think is working so well. If we are truly honest, how well is it working? Or perhaps more accurately, maybe it is working from a more traditional assessment standpoint, but is it working from a bigger picture perspective? Why not take a risk and try something new? What’s the worst that can happen? If it fails you can always go back to how you used to do it, but if it works, then wow, you just might have stumbled on something amazing!
- Make change part of your culture
If you are an administrator, it is important that you create a culture where change is celebrated and encouraged. Begin by asking the teachers in your building what their ideal school looks like. Ask them what their ideal model of PD is and try to make that happen. Highlight innovative practices in the staff room or during staff meetings. Let your teachers know that trying something new is welcomed and supported. If you consider the innovation curve, your innovators and early adopters will be trying new things without you, but in order to sway the rest, you need to create a culture of innovation.
- Changemaker meet ups – find your tribe
This idea came from two innovation coaches (Jamie Mitchell and Matthew Coleman) from the Halton District School Board who kindly gave their time to meet with me. They host regular “changemaker” meet ups where like minded teachers can get together to talk. Sometimes they have set agendas, sometimes they run their events more like ed-camps and sometimes it is just a social meeting in a pub to get people talking. Sometimes, innovators can feel alone in their schools. Finding others to talk with and share ideas with is a game changer. It is great that some schools and boards are supporting this formally. If you don’t have that option, look on Twitter. I have found it to be an amazing tool for finding a personal learning network and for professional development. Whatever you do, as Jamie and Matthew explained to me, it is important that you “find your tribe”.
- Celebrate the small successes
When you try something new, it is not going to work out perfectly the first time. There are going to be lots of bumps and hurdles and probably some failures, but there will also be some successes. No matter how small these are, it is important they are celebrated. Otherwise, you might be quick to throw in the towel. Look for small things – the glimmer of interest in that otherwise uninterested student, that buzz of excitement as you present your entry event to the class, that look of pride on a student’s face who doesn’t always do well in a more traditional setting. Amongst those crazy, messy days of trying something new it is easy to focus on what isn’t working; instead, focus on what is.
- Support, support, support
This one is for administrators. The time it takes to plan PBL units can be substantial, especially those that are collaborative or cross-curricular in nature. Make sure you support your teachers in their endeavours to make learning more engaging for students. Offer help, attend their classes to show them you care about what they are doing, offer time to teachers to plan and collaborate, attend the final showcase of learning, volunteer to act as an expert or as an extra set of hands to build things. Whatever you can do, show the teachers in your building that you support their efforts to change how school is done.
From Teaching to Learning 