Thursday, April 25, 2013

Implementing the Baby Steps


So far, in my last five posts, we have learned: 

Dream AND Act:  This brings us to today’s post: Implementing the baby steps.  





I have a little plaque on my refrigerator with one of my favorite quotes.  It says, “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe,” by Anatole France.  I believe each of these suggestions go hand in hand.  Implementation is the most important step of the vision-making process. 

What are the baby steps?  How do you know what the baby steps are?  Your plan will reveal what most of them are, but if you still have difficulty recognizing them, talk to other coaches, and respected teachers.  They will provide insight as to what methods work best in your school and which strategies the teachers at your school prefer.  List all suggestions.  Then, put them in order of implementation. 

Examples of baby steps:  Baby steps may involve lesson studies, workshops, book talks, modeling, make and takes, creating resources, think tanks, and small focus groups. This may sound challenging.  That's because it is!  But, that's also why it is so much fun.  At first, you may “strongly encourage” participation.  When a person is so close to a situation, he may not see the urgency of the change.  It may take some encouragement on your part.  Once the teacher sees a positive change in the instruction and the data, he will want to continue implementing the plan.  Just remember, you're not all alone in this.  





No comments:

Post a Comment