Change: Part Two

Yesterday, I wrote about changes and the implementation bridge that teachers must cross when learning something new.  “When implementers make it across the bridge, self and task concerns should decrease while impact concerns should increase.”  So if there’s truly fidelity to the implementation, teachers are less concerned about how the change will impact them and most concerned about how the changes will impact students’ learning.

So, how do I support teachers where they are and help them move forward?

Levels of Use

Level 0 Non-use – no involvement, not doing anything related to change.

Level I Orientation – learning about, exploring requirements, evaluating value

Level II Preparation - preparing to implement, asks questions, attends meetings, considers innovation/change

Level III Mechanical Use – begins to use curriculum, first attempt is disjointed, scheduling is inefficient, refers to guides often

Level IV Routine – pieces are coming together, can predict what happens next, moves through lessons smoothly, focus remains on the process

Many teachers will start at Level III since participation at professional staff development training is mandatory.  The key seems to be helping teachers move out of their discomfort.  This could be co-planning with teachers, co-teaching lessons, etc.  

A large part will also be monitoring implementation and providing constructive feedback.  This could be via classroom visits or debriefing of lessons together.

Hall, G. E., Hord, S. M. (2011).  Implementation:  Learning builds the bridge between research and

      practice.  JSD, 32(4), 52-57.