8 minute read
One School’s
Professional Learning One School’s Transformational Journey: Viewing Students as Customers Changes Everything
By Angela Garrett, PAGE Leadership Initiatives
When schools begin to understand their community and the community begins to understand the school, everything will change. When teachers begin to view children as customers and as volunteers as opposed to workers who are made to complete work, everything will change. When we start to let go of the traditional school ways that we were taught and instead focus on what it takes to engage today’s students, everything will change. As a former elementary principal, that is exactly what happened at our school.
I became an elementary school principal in 2001, following two years as the assistant and some 21 years as a speech pathologist. My school was one of six elementary schools in Dalton. The schools were divided into grades kindergarten through second, third through fourth or fifth through sixth. We served kindergarten through second graders. I was ecstatic about taking over the responsibility of principal. I knew our staff well, knew expectations of our district and superintendent, and I felt ready to take on whatever was needed.
There was some discontentment within the community, however. New school zones had been established and the district was transitioning to add third grade to our primary schools. As a result, some 20 families that were active in our school transferred to another school that fall. They felt the addition of a third grade, coupled with the district rezoning, would drastically change our school. We were disappointed by their
decision but we were determined to do the best we could for our remaining families.
TRANSFORMATION: THE FIRST STEP
The summer before my first year, I was asked to attend a conference for first-time principals. Little did I know that I was beginning a journey that would determine how I would lead our staff for my next 13 years in public education. The conference, which was presented by the Schlechty Center, drew more than 100 principals. We networked and learned from each other, but our most critical learning came from the Schlechty staff. We learned that children don’t learn much from work that they don’t like or find an interest in, and that if we really want to reach the students, we’ve got to change the work. We learned that it’s vitally important to really know our students—their likes, dislikes and interests. We learned that a school staff needs to embrace common values and beliefs about students and learning.
Wow! This made total sense to me. I thought about my years in school and how I did the work no matter what. I came to see that many times, especially in math, I was compliant because I wanted to please someone or get good grades. I didn’t do the work because I enjoyed it or even understood it. As my thinking was changing, my superintendent at the time, Dr. Allene Magill, supported this learning. She helped me begin to see how making the work engaging to all students could make positive changes in the culture and climate of our school.
SOME TEACHERS BOUGHT IN, OTHERS DID NOT
After the conference, I brought the new learning back to our staff. We examined our beliefs and values and came to an agreement about our non-negotiable beliefs that would serve as a foundation for enriching the academic lives of all of our students. With a new third-grade staff and students, the first year was challenging, and couple that with the fact that I thought everyone would love this new concept. Not everyone did, but I was determined to move forward. Our school was a good school, according to what school was supposed to be, but we did not collaborate in groups, nor did we spend much time designing lessons based on the interests of our students.
Our district began to send core groups of teachers to learn more about the concept
of engaging work for students. After a lot of learning, conversations and gnashing of teeth, our staff began to collaborate and to design and share lessons that were markedly more interesting. The change process took years, but it was worth every minute. Workbooks were forsaken and instead, teachers worked tirelessly to create handson, minds-on lessons that encouraged kids to be excited about learning.
Still, some teachers only gave lip service to the process and others wanted no part of it. A few transferred to other schools, but by the end of the third year, we began to mesh as a staff. As a still somewhat new principal, I increasingly realized how this new way of thinking about school would change us if we didn’t give up. Not only did we learn about how to offer better work to students, we learned about recruitment of new teachers, induction of veteran staff and how to be better designers.
COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT FOLLOWED
I began talking to parents about our changes. We had parent meetings and sent home letters explaining reduced or no homework and how homework must be relevant and needed, not busy work. Parents equated tons of homework with good teaching and it was difficult to help them understand why that is not really true. We decreased our dependence on worksheets and instead, promoted student conversations and the writing of their own work. These are just a few of the changes we made. None of it came easy and not all teachers followed through, but great things were happening. The spring after my first year, our aging school was renovated. Not only were we changing on the inside, we looked different on the outside as well. Our community took notice. Gradually, the surrounding community began to improve. Houses were getting new paint and yards were being cleaned up. Soon, the entire block looked better.
Because our staff learning was ongoing, we asked the Schlechty staff to come to the school and help drive specific concepts deeper. Our teachers began to emerge as strong leaders in and of themselves, as well as in their classrooms and in the school. Through training in-house, in the district and at the Schlechty Center, we continued to advance our new way of thinking about our students and the work we offered them. Our design team conducted mini-sessions with our staff and we practiced new ideas.
I began talking to parents about our changes. We explained reduced or no homework and how homework must be relevant and needed, not busy work.
In 2012, I was fortunate to be invited to join the PAGE Principal’s Leadership Network. It was a two-year commitment with four meetings each year presented by the Schlechty staff. The second year I could bring teacher leaders to learn with me. These learning experiences were invaluable and helped us revamp a few things and continue in the right direction. Over the years, little by little, we experienced a total transformation of what we thought was good for students and the way in which we considered lessons and learning.
TRANSFORMATION IS PALPABLE
Fast forward to the 2013-2014 school year, my last year as principal. We knew our community and our community knew us. Students were happy and learning at higher levels, parents were satisfied and the staff worked together like never before. We had positive relationships with our surrounding businesses. First Baptist Church brought tutors to help our low-progress students. We collaborated with our high school to allow fifth graders to learn science in high school labs with the older students, which
If children are going to learn profoundly and enjoy what they learn so that they will persist even when they don’t have to, we have to make that work interesting to them. That doesn’t happen by telling them to read quietly and answer the questions at the end of the chapter. It happens by taking risks and doing things differently.
eventually developed in all local elementary schools. Our students created iMovies with Claymation, and they performed in spring musicals. They shook hands with visitors, introduced themselves and said, “yes ma’am” and “no ma’am.” Our attendance rate last year was near 98 percent. We were a Title I awards school every year. Parents stood in line to register for our school— with some out-of-zone/district parents camping out overnight to try and get in. We had a culture not only of learning, but of love, respect and joy for our work.
To say that our staff was passionate about helping students would be an understatement. This incredible staff functioned as a team. We were like a huge family that worked together for the good of all students. Remember there is no “I” in “team,” and that was important in our school. I was their coach and colleague, not an evaluator carrying a big stick. Were we perfect? Of course not, but did we have a culture of learning and a climate that would rival the best? Yes, we did. Although I’m no longer at the school, the current principal and staff continue this work with the same zeal and genuine caring. It is a wonderful place to learn.
In summary, if children are going to learn profoundly and enjoy what they learn so that they will persist even when they don’t have to, we as educators have to make that work interesting to them. We must teach them to be responsible, informed and caring individuals who will one day lead our society. That doesn’t happen by telling them to read quietly and answer the questions at the end of the chapter. It happens by taking risks and doing things differently. It happens because a teacher takes an interest in the child. It’s not about reforming but about transforming the school into a place where students enjoy being every day, and where they will be offered challenging, engaging work that they understand and retain long after class is over.
If you or your school is interested in learning more about the frameworks mentioned here, please contact PAGE Professional Learning at 770-216-8555, ext. 143 or 142.
