Eduleadership
Justin Baeder on principal performance & productivity
The Neuroscience of Leadership
Jun 23rd
A colleague pointed me to this article on organizational change and brain science, entitled “The Neuroscience of Leadership,” by a business coach and a psychologist, so I thought I’d share some of its implications for educational leaders.
The authors summarize new brain research, conducted using technologies such as fMRI, and conclude that behaviorism, humanism, and other traditional means of bringing about change in others or in organizations simply don’t work. Instead, they point to focus, expectations, and attention as keys to forming new neural pathways and, ultimately, to creating lasting change.
In order to learn a new behavior or a new way of thinking, we must through repetition and attention repeat the behavior or use the new way of thinking until it is ingrained in our neural pathways, the connections between our brain cells that constitute memory.
Of course, it’s easy to envision this process for learning a sport or a language; it’s harder to see the practical application in areas as complex as organizational improvement and changing the way a group works together. As groups work together, people will from time to time come to great insights, and leaders must capitalize on these insights by returning people’s attention to them again and again, focusing attention on the question of how these insights can improve the work at hand.
In short, educational leaders should
focus people on solutions instead of problems, let them come to their own answers, and keep them focused on their insights.
You can read, print, or save the article here.
The Human Side of School Change
Dec 20th
Some favorite quotes from Robert Evans’ The Human Side of School Change:
Many organizational experts are discarding what they see as an overreliance on “hyperrationality.” This means abandoning traditional long-range master plans – with their specific goals and time lines and their extensive use of statistical measurement – in favor of much more pragmatic, adaptable approaches that acknowledge the nonrational, unplannable aspects of organizational life and the importance of being ready to respond to external change. Strategic planning emphasizes, among other things, adapting to the organization’s environment, setting medium-range goals (two to three years), and conducting performance assessments that rely on the judgment of leaders instead of on statistical measurements. p. 14-15
The conviction of an advocate, even a powerful one, inspires resistance if it simply dismisses the inevitable dilemmas of implementation. … It is not that innovators should not have deep convictions but rather that they must be open to the realities of others, to the necessary modifications their ideas will undergo as others encounter them – and to the delays this will surely cause. p. 16-17
…threat occurs not only if a principal condemns a teacher’s methods as outmoded and inadequate, for example, but simply if he endorses and supports a new and different approach. This alone is enough to redefine proficiency. p. 33
We should anticipate that the enthusiastic embrace of change and the rapid transformation of norms and values will be rare, an exception to be wondered at. Not only should we see school culture as a force acting against change, we should also remember that this opposition is sensible, even when the necessity for change may seem compelling from an external perspective. No institution can readily abandon the deep structures on which its very coherence and significance depends. Thus, we find repeated at the collective level the same conservative impulse we saw among individuals – an impulse as vital as it is profound and which reform, if it is to succeed, must respect. p. 50
Disconfirmation can engender so much fear and loathing – so much that people often dismiss the information as irrelevant, which lets them repress any anxiety or guilt. This is why in many schools and organizations disconfirming data about performance exist for a long time but are denied or devalued: “If the change…threatens my whole self, I will deny the data and the need for change. Only if I feel that I will retain my identity or my integrity as I learn something new or make a change, will I be able to even contemplate it” (Schein, 1992, p. 300). What is also needed is to reduce the anxiety surrounding change, the fear of trying. p. 57
…reformers who press staff to innovate have already assimilated the reform and found their own meaning in it. They have already worked out a reformulation of purposes and practices that makes sense to them, which may have taken them months or years to accomplish and may have caused them real distress. Denying others the opportunity to make a similar journey, criticizing them for not responding to explanations about change, dismissing their resistance or hesitation as ignorance or prejudice expresses arrogance and contempt for the meaning of other people’s lives (Marris, p. 155). p. 63
While time does not permit me to write a full review, I greatly enjoyed Evans’ insights on the nature of organizational change, the reasons for and ways to address faculty resistance, and varying perspectives on school improvement.
Results Now Chapter 1: The Buffer
May 15th
Schmoker says in Results Now that the single greatest obstacle to major improvement in our schools is what he calls “the buffer.”
The buffer is, simply put, the unspoken norm in the education profession that no one will question what teachers teach, or how well they teach it. The buffer is ostensibly a matter of professionalism and trust, since teachers should, in theory, be trusted to teach well.
Ironically, Schmoker says, this is highly unprofessional – tens of thousands of educators working each day with virtually no oversight, guidance, or monitoring to ensure that students are receiving high-quality instruction.
Reflecting on my experience as a teacher, I can say that no one knew or seemed to care what I taught. Annual evaluations were taken seriously, but did not occur often enough to lead to major improvements in my teaching. And even these formal observations were not seen in the context of ongoing instructional growth, but as a required opportunity to say some nice things about my teaching and make one or two suggestions for improvement.
Some of my teaching was downright bad, such as the days when I would spend a few minutes before school reviewing the lesson and pull out last year’s materials. The scary thing, which I realized during my third or so year, was that no one noticed anything unusual on those days. I was not happy teaching poorly, and tried to hold myself to higher standards, but the message was clear: I could be virtually as lazy and careless as I wanted, and no one would say anything about it. My colleagues would even commiserate with me when I came in less than prepared. Professional autonomy led to unprofessional behavior.
I have little doubt that Schmoker is right in saying this is the reality in most classrooms and schools. Because of this dire situation, there is also a powerful opportunity for improvement. Leaders must know the curriculum, and ensure that it’s being taught. They must know the strengths and weaknesses of their staff, and take appropriate steps to address weaknesses and celebrate strengths.
Schmoker will offer more specific advice on how to achieve this leverage in later chapters, but the message of chapter 1 is unequivocal: we cannot remain agnostic or laissez-faire about the quality of teaching any longer.
Governor Gregoire Releases “Washington Learns” Report
Nov 14th
Via email from Washington Governor Christine Gregoir comes this announcement about the release of the Washington Learns report:
Dear Washingtonian,
Education is the most important investment we can make in our economy, our state and our future. An essential part of The Next Washington plan, Washington Learns is a comprehensive review of our entire education system, from early learning through K-12, higher education and workforce training. The goal is to educate more Washingtonians to higher levels.
Since July 2005, the Washington Learns steering committee, which I personally chaired, and advisory committees, composed of 75 state and local leaders, educators, and business and community representatives, have been studying our education system. Today I am releasing a final report with strategies and recommendations for a ten-year plan to create a world-class, learner-focused, seamless education system for Washington. You can find the report at www.WashingtonLearns.wa.gov.
The final report focuses on five major initiatives: the early learning years, math and science, personalized learning, college and workforce training, and accountability. Washington Learns recommends that we invest in early learning so that children start off as lifelong learners; improve math and science teaching and learning so that our citizens have a competitive edge; personalize learning so that every student has the opportunity to succeed; offer college and workforce training for everyone; and hold ourselves accountable for results.
I understand the urgency of improving our education system if Washington is to remain competitive in the global economy. We have set forth a ten-year plan. Some recommendations can be acted upon immediately, some will need to be phased-in, and, for some, we will need to collect more information before fully implementing them. We will work to do as much as we can, based on sound evidence, as soon as we can. Our commitment is to deliver real results within a decade.
I’ve heard your voices and ideas on education. In September 2006, we received public testimony from nine communities on a draft report. Public hearings were held in Olympia (with live video links to Wenatchee, Grays Harbor and Yakima), Spokane, South Seattle, Vancouver, Mt. Vernon and Pasco. Over 1,500 people attended the six public hearings and we received over 1,000 written comments by mail or online. A telephone survey of 600 citizens statewide was also commissioned. All of this public input was considered in crafting the final report and I appreciate all of your time and interest in improving education for every Washingtonian.
I want to thank you for your dedication and hard work, for your contributions to your communities and for your commitment to our children and our state’s future. I look forward to working with you to create a world-class, learner-focused, seamless education system for Washington.
Sincerely,
Chris Gregoire
Governor
