I spend quite a bit of my time thinking about how to make our schools better. More specifically, I think a lot about how to make schools better for kids, not just better in a general sense. Invariably, the concept of “change” gets intertwined with making schools better for kids. The “change” concept is where many an article, book, and policy paper has been written about schools.
The perception is that all of the ink spilled, talks given, and policies made have made little impact on schools.
That perception is wrong.
Let’s dig deeper.
Anyone who says schooling is the same now as it was 20, 30, or 50 years ago is simply wrong. There are many similar facets of the schooling system, but to say nothing has changed is just plain wrong.
Forty years ago, the school system accepted that dropouts would happen and that some kids would never be able to read.
Fifty years ago, we segregated kids with special needs into separate buildings for crying out loud! Obviously, we do not allow any of these to occur in our schools now.
So, for all of you public school haters out there, our schools have changed for the better over time.
Now, here is the important point. There are three schools of thought on changing schools, all of which are unhelpful.
- Some people think the whole system is corrupt, and we have to start all over again from scratch.
- Other people believe that the system can be changed with a lot of blunt force trauma. In other words, if we batter the people working in schools and convince the public that schools are bad, the system will change.
- Finally, we have people who believe if we educate the people who work within the system about how schools should be (I think there is a group called “how schools should be”) that, this new information will create a sense of urgency for people to change the system on their own.
Anyone approaching school change with any of these three mindsets is setting themselves up for disillusionment and failure.
A more productive mindset for school change is the metaphor of vibrations.
Yes, I said vibrations.
Expecting change to occur through any of the three existing mindsets assumes a remodeling of an entire system. A system built on the common beliefs of the community and school staff.
People do not change their beliefs or practices when backed into a corner while fighting off “innovation” or when being informed about better ways to do things. Actions based on this mindset are akin to hitting someone over the head with a two-by-four to get their attention. Sure, you have their attention, but the pain you caused will cause the person to be suspicious of you (at the very least).
A vibration is subtle. A vibration envelopes the entire object it interacts with. A vibration creates change slowly.
When considering how to make schools better for kids, we must remember these two facets of vibrations.
- We must consider the entire system
- Change occurs slowly over time.
Anyone who comes to me with a “solution” (whether it is a program or service) that promises to “revolutionize” schools, I know they are charlatans. They may not know they are charlatans, but they are charlatans nonetheless. They are assuming that a blunt force trauma to the system of schooling will create change.
We know blunt force trauma to the education system has not worked in the past, is not working now, and will not work in the future.
Vibrations work. Vibrations are the subtle energy that changes a system from within, not from without.
Where to direct the energy produced by vibrations is important and I have a suggestion.
WhereTo Start Vibrations
At the heart of school, the most basic function of the entire system is when a teacher interacts with a child. Period, no more questions asked.
If one considers how to better schools for kids, they start there.
Now that we know where to start AND we take for granted that starting over, blunt force trauma and education of staff about the importance of change will not work, we can consider other ways of creating vibrations.
The most obvious starting point is instruction. After all, our system’s most basic function occurs when teachers interact with kids.
If I were advising all of the “smart” education researchers and policymakers, I would encourage them to stop the rhetoric of change and simply concentrate on instruction.
Ask yourself these three questions to start your own vibrations within your school.
- What are the five key components of great classroom (or out-of-classroom) instruction?
- How can we implement these five components in our schools?
- What are our measures of success?
AND JUST STOP RIGHT THERE!
Don’t think about what other people (including myself) say about “learner-centered,” “personalization,” “customization,” or “differentiated.” All of that is just noise.
Create your vibrations around instruction, understand that long-term success takes a long time, and get to work!
