GROWTH MINDSET
As a Paradigm shifts one will Transform!
When Transformation is complete one takes Flight!
As they take Flight they Discover a Whole New World!
In that world, there are New Possibilities and New Challenges!
That's when One must Begin to shift Once Again!
...the Cycle Continues!
Life is a Constant Cycle of Metamorphosis
As a caterpillar shifts into a butterfly and it's life is transformed, my lens has shifted from a teacher, to a building administrator, and now to that of a Professional Development Specialist. As I prepare to fly, I am researching and reflecting on my practices as a teacher and an administrator. I understand through study of change theory and living it that it’s essential when inspiring a culture of innovation to be cognizant, encouraging and empathetic that shifting beliefs, behaviors, and driving values will come with resistance and will also be an exhausting effort for those being asked to adjust their ways. Individuals will move through the "Stages of Adoption" at various rates and therefore I must adjust my approach in accordance to their needs. As a Professional Development Specialist it’s important for me to recognize the personalized thought processes and conditioned behaviors which exist in a school and community culture. I must then choose my actions appropriately to foster the growth of the individual, team and/or the entire system’s based on it's needs.
Further more I recognize that providing services within the optimal range of the Stages of Adoption will ensure the most efficient and sustainable results. Specifically in regards to Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation Theory I understand that focusing on the “Innovators, Early Adopters, and Early Majority [and supporting them in the confirmation of] the innovation’s relative advantage, compatibility, and simplicity” will not only encourage the “Late Majority and Laggards”, it will also build the desired sustainable culture of innovation. Essentially, it is my responsibility to analyze and determine where, when and how to approach the system players to have the most effective impact on the organization while coaching it’s internal leadership to inspire and encourage the change they have set forth to achieve.
To do so I plan to pull from my client's knowledge/ideas, my own experiences and depend on researched and proven models for innovative approaches to educational practices. After reviewing the ADDIE Model, C4 Delivery Model, and an NGLE article about the set up of an Apple Store, I am reflective on how these three concepts could affect how professional development should be designed, delivered and evaluated.
In my experience as an intervention specialist I had no choice but to work through a personalized learning approach to instruction, especially at the high school/middle school level while supporting as many as 30 students in their inclusion setting for subjects from freshman English to advanced Chemistry at one time. Within my classroom we would naturally move from experimental centers, into peer supported groups or individual learning areas supported by technology. I acted as as a facilitator of their inquiry based learning not by design but due to the necessity of covering so many topics with effective outcomes simultaneously. At the time I hadn't studied these theories, I simply did what I felt was the best for my students to grow and achieve success.
As a principal my desires were to make the professional development within my building more customized and relevant to each teacher and their team goals and needs just as I did for my students. After reading these articles I am recognizing that I used a C4 model to fit within my schedule and available time frames for teacher learning:
- C1 Concert: Staff meetings often led by a teacher leader in knowledge, a new technique, or tool
- C2 Connected: Online Wiki Book studies, Learning modules through OLAC were assigned per need or interest, Twitter resources and chats
- C3 Coaching: OTES meetings where I provided individualized resources and advice through collegiate conversation and reflection to each teacher at two checkpoints and adjusted goals as growth occurred.
- C4 Collaborative: Staff Meetings, Building Leadership Teams (Data driven focus), Lighthouse Leadership Team (Cultural Focus), Teacher Based Teams (Grade Level driven with a focus provided from the BLT and LLT)
I feel that within both my classroom and building I had been implementing this philosophy of customized learning and to apply it to professional development will be a natural transition for me. By nature I am a special educator who designs individualized learning plans and I feel that this skill has helped me to collaboratively work with a team to analyze needs, design a plan, develop action steps to implement the plan, and then most importantly progress monitor and adjust approaches along the way. While looking at the ADDIE model I recognized that these processes will also apply to implementing growth and accountability for organizational movement towards measurable outcomes. The ADDIE model is comparable to helping the leadership team develop a needs based Personalized Improvement Plan for the organization as well as sectors within the organization.
When addressing Professional Development I plan to use the same approach to make the adult learning experience personal. Encouraging the learners (leaders and teachers) to become interested in topics and tools through hands on experiences and collaborative thinking, providing them with a risk free learning opportunity that is rigorous and relevant. The key is then ensuring their understanding through allowing them to demonstrate their knowledge while guiding them to adjust their approach. Using the ADDIE model to develop and progress monitor continued implementation by development and reference to their personalized action plan at key intervals will help to ensure that the end-in-mind stays the focus of the coaching. Finally incorporating the the C4 approach for extending and supporting their learning will ensure ownership and encourage the desired manifestation of a culture comprised of a collective growth mindset and optimal student outcomes.
I am excited to live in a constant state of professional metamorphosis!
