TO LEAD FOR INNOVATION , CULTIVATE A ‘ GREEN LIGHT CULTURE ’
BY : SUZIE BOSS
If your students have to confront a future challenge on the scale of the current pandemic , will they be ready ? Will they know how to collaborate with experts and communicate across cultures ? Will they be able to generate novel solutions , analyze results , and make critical decisions ? Will they have the empathy to understand other perspectives and the resilience to adapt to change ?
The pandemic has underscored the importance of these skills that educators have been talking about for the past two decades . Yet despite all the publications and conferences about 21st century learning , global comparisons show a continuing shortage of pedagogies to develop and assess students ’ abilities to be effective collaborators , communicators , critical thinkers , and creative problem solvers ( Taylor , Fadel , Kim , & Care , 2020 ). The pandemic has likely set us further behind when it comes to transforming teaching and learning to meet 21st century goals .
To help your school system move toward a new normal , it may be time for a culture check . Ask yourself :
• Do teachers invite you to visit their classes when they are trying new strategies for instruction or assessment ?
• When students have an idea for a club or project , do they know how to get their proposal off the ground ? Do they think that their voice matters and that they can contribute to solutions ?
• Do you make it easy for parents , business and nonprofit leaders , and other potential community partners to engage with your school ?
In systems that have a “ green light culture ,” strategies that have potential to transform teaching and learning are valued and encouraged . Barriers to collaboration are removed . Good ideas are shared , and “ failures ” are reframed as opportunities to learn . The green light reaches everyone in the system — from the superintendent and building leaders to teachers , students , families , and extended community members .
The importance of green light culture was a key takeaway from more than 200 interviews with school leaders that informed our recent book , Redefining Student Success : Building a New Vision to Transform Leading , Teaching , and Learning ( co-authored with Ken Kay ). But cultivating this culture doesn ’ t mean giving the green light to every wild idea that comes along . That can lead to distraction or even initiative overload . For school leaders , the challenge is to encourage innovation that has the potential to advance your shared vision .
In school systems on the leading edge of change , visions are not top down . They emerge through intense collaboration with stakeholders . Teachers , parents , students , board members , and community allies work together with education leaders to define what students need to know and be able to do by the time they graduate . The resulting graduate profile serves as your North Star as you work with your team to plan the small steps that will lead to big change .
One instructional leader described her school system ’ s portrait of a graduate as “ our essential why . With that in place , we have a staff willing to take risks and try new strategies ,” such as teacher-led professional development and a welldefined progression of competencies that all students need to develop . “ It ’ s not buy-in ,” she emphasized . “ It ’ s believe-in .”
Here are some next steps to help you cultivate your green light culture .
Practice your elevator pitch . Can you describe your shared vision for school transformation in a sentence or two ? Although it ’ s likely to be grounded in research , challenge yourself to avoid education jargon . Paint a picture that students will understand and want to be part of . Help parents understand why their child ’ s school looks different from what they remember . Make your pitch short and memorable , and practice it everywhere — including on social media .
Collect stories . Collect and share concrete examples of students who are bringing your vision to life . If your shared vision is for graduates to become creative problem solvers and engaged global citizens , what problems are your students tackling today ? How are they demonstrating what they know by creating products and solutions that have real value ? What are they learning through these experiences that will help them succeed as lifelong learners , in future careers , and as engaged citizens ? How are they contributing
18 Term 2 Jan - Mar 2022
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