work temporarily, but it will not create sus-
tainability or develop self-efficacy.
Instead, we must connect with teachers
where they are and foster intrinsic motiva-
tion. Daniel Pink, author of “Drive: The
Surprising Truth About What Motivates
Us,” indicates that people are motivated by
three things: purpose, mastery and auton-
omy. We must consider each of these actions
as we work with resistant teachers.
Purpose
We are often reminded as leaders to start
with a “why,” a strong, compelling vision
that drives our work. However, resistant
teachers may not agree with our vision. In
order to foster intrinsic motivation, we must
instead start with “who.” We must connect
with educators and align their own purpose
to our vision.
We could mandate all educators imple-
ment a learning management system (LMS)
in their classrooms because we believe it will
maximize efficiency and increase student
engagement. Yet an educator who is resistant
to technology may not own our vision, stat-
ing that there is no reason to change what
has always worked.
Instead of starting with our “why,” we
must first start with the “who,” the educa-
tor involved. When we connect with this
educator, when we work to build a respectful
relationships and visit his or her classroom
on a regular basis, we may discover that he
or she has a passion for engaging students in
academic conversations and debates.
This educator firmly believes that his or
her purpose is to teach students to commu-
nicate respectfully in research-based, intel-
lectual discussions. Now we have an in. At
this point, we can direct the teacher to the
LMS that enables him or her to extend aca-
demic conversations beyond school hours via
safe, online communication.
We can then encourage the educator to
level up the academic conversations even fur-
ther by recommending digital platforms that
allow students to audibly record their voices
in a collaborative space. In doing this, we at-
tach the technology to the educator’s purpose.
In this example, we start with “who” and
follow with a corresponding “why.” Tech-
nology is now relevant to context. It is inte-
grated, used as a tool to accelerate learning
Teachers and students alike, working together with technology
as a tool, can create learning experiences that guide hesitant
teachers toward proficiency.
according to the vision of the educator.
Mastery
We often hear educators say, “But I’m not
good at technology!” Educators who do not
believe they have the capacity to achieve
mastery will not be intrinsically motivated
to move forward. Professional learning and
job-embedded coaching must be a part of
any technology integration plan.
This goes beyond sit and get PD. Tech-re-
sistant teachers are fearful. We must provide
them with support. The most effective ap-
proach includes modeling, co-teaching, and
lesson study practices. This in-person guid-
ance can turn a vocal, tech-resistant teacher
into an advocate for technology integration.
Educational leaders often do not have the
financ