Sharing Good Practice needs professional development . The school leader can organise a group of multidisciplinary educators to share and discuss their reflections and analyse and learn from each other ' s instructional videos .
The inability of today ' s teachers to collaborate as a team or to have common goals in mind along with their personal growth and development may eventually lead to the downfall of an institution .
A culture of ‘ we ’ instead of ‘ me ’ - Building a " we " culture at a school , entails creating an atmosphere where team members share responsibility for the institution ' s triumphs and failures . As a result , people and groups are held more accountable for their accomplishments , as well as their pupils ' accomplishments .
A leader should concentrate on the " why " behind the job to create and preserve a " we " culture in their institution . Simon Sinek notes that people might not always buy into what you do , but they are very likely to buy into the proposed change if they understand the " why " behind it .
Leaders who want teachers to feel empowered and at ease sharing their knowledge , may advocate a flat organisational structure rather than a more conventional hierarchical structure . A team with a flat structure can work together and connect while everyone contributes equally to their informal leadership responsibilities .
The " silos " in which teachers , department heads , and department leaders all operate , prevent sharing best practices or ideas amongst teams . They lack shared objectives aligned with the institution ' s vision and mission , which affects the effectiveness of the group and may prevent it from achieving its long-term goals .
In most schools , the departments ( English , Maths , Science , etc .) are siloed , which might serve a legitimate purpose , but it might hinder learning throughout the institution .
Teachers in schools should share common principles and best practices and learn from each other . A leader can bring their staff together by forming professional learning communities . A leader ' s primary job is to bridge these silos and ensure that all teachers are on the same page with the school ' s vision and mission . Siloed learning is not sufficient to address a complex challenge like low achievement across the school , but it is nonetheless valuable .
Schools should have training programs at regular intervals throughout the year for all the faculties , where all the teachers come together and are divided into interdisciplinary cohorts ; that ' s how they acquaint themselves with each other and learn to collaborate . Gathering teachers for casual occasions and celebrations like birthdays , minor accomplishments , etc ., also aids in accomplishing this goal .
Another way of doing it is by seeking champions ; champions are those teachers in a school who are enthusiastic about improvement and can provide input and become part of a group that tackles challenges .
Leaders should also promote interdisciplinary teams to share best practices and tackle more significant challenges . Teachers often only have departmental teams ; therefore , transitioning from departmental teams to multidisciplinary teams can be challenging for a leader and may encounter significant pushback from the team . Sometimes this occurs because people are reluctant or afraid to leave the " egg crate " environment and share their practices .
Teachers lack the ability to adapt to change ; they are unwilling to accept change for the better . Resistance arises when an individual is required to step outside their comfort zone , leading to a higher attrition rate or a learning gap in the class . A capable leader should be able to implement change in the school ( when needed ).
30-60-90 Philosophy by DEBORAH JEWELL-SHERMAN - Everyone may not be prepared anytime a leader plans to undertake a change . You ' ll have about 30 % of the population with you , ready to accept the change . Another 30 % will wait and watch ; if the initiative succeeds , they ' ll probably go on board , and if not , they ' ll say , " I told you , it ' ll never work ." The remaining 30 % will finally recognise the necessity of the change and proceed to accept and implement it despite resistance . However , a leader needs to stress that the change is not optional . While this may not persuade people to change their opinions , your firmness will eventually drive them to behave differently . You ' ve reached 90 per cent overall . Unfortunately , 10 per cent of people may remain the same no matter what you do .
Finally , remember that the most effective teacher leaders are team players , connectors , communicators , and futurists . They have the skills to :
1 . Promote a culture of collaborative learning .
2 . Create , showcase , and share effective methods .
3 . Interact with their peers .
4 . Speak up for educators and students
Yogesh Dalvi has more than 16 years of experience managing nationwide business operations while serving as team leader for several prestigious educational institutions in India and the UAE , like the Podar Group of Schools and EuroKids International Pvt . Ltd . ( now Lighthouse Learning Pvt . Ltd .) to name a few .
Class Time Term 1 Sep - Dec 2022 19