#IMMOOC - Change

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines change as:

• to become different
• to make someone or something different
• to become something else

As a former psychotherapist, now in education, change can be hard. Change can seem impossible and scary. The first step in making a change is the hardest step. It is also common to hear that change is the only constant and if you are not changing, you are being left behind. 

To make changes in education, we must be scared, not afraid to fail and step out to make changes, which are in the best interest of learners. As educators, we must be risk-takers and commit to trying unconventional means to meeting the needs of learners. 

I, currently, have a great supervisor who lets me try new ideas for our district and if I fail, we re-evaluate and try again. However, if I succeed, we keep pushing the envelope. 

Be brave, connect, collaborate and push the boundaries.

Change

In the psychology world, there are various ways to view change. Even though there are different ways to look at change, all agree to some extent that change is a process. In some cases it is a very distinct process. So if we generalize from a psychological perspective, here is what it might look like.

1. Identify the problem
2. Identify strengths and resources
3. Develop an intervention
4. Sell the intervention idea
5. Reflect and follow up

Okay, that's great and all but let's take it in another direction and apply those steps to education. In schools we are EXCELLENT at identifying a problem. We are getting much better at identifying strengths and resources to help our students. We use RTI to develop some sort of intervention and we spend months and sometimes years working these interventions We then sell the intervention... nope what do we do with those interventions. We follow the prescription but do we ever get buy in? Buy in from the student? Buy in from the parents? Buy in from other teachers? How do we reframe that intervention to meet the worldview of the student, parent and community? Okay, we know we need work on that, but let's move on! We reflect and follow up. Well, not so much. Do we actually spent time collaborating about the intervention and reflecting upon those ideas? Do we modify the interventions? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Who's idea do we base our modifications off of? Student's? Teacher's? Parent's? Marzano's? Ahh, too many parties involves, right?

So, the main difference between the psychology world and education world is in the final steps of the change process. Selling the intervention to multiple perspectives and following up after a reflection period. 

How do we develop a culture which sells or {markets} the interventions and then respects the process enough to follow through with reflection?