NEVER Underestimate Your Teachers- Instructional Leadership for Excellence in Every Classroom

I got the opportunity to hear Robyn Jackson as a keynote speaker this year during an AWSA conference and was very interested in her belief that all teachers can become master teachers. As Roland Barth says in On Common Ground, "If we truly believe that all children can learn, then we must believe that all educators can learn, even in the face of contrary evidence."

All teaching is a combination of skill and will. Skill is the science of teaching; it involves a teacher's pedagogical and content knowledge. Will has to do with a teacher's passion; it is the art of teaching.

As leaders, it becomes our job to help distinguish between the will and skill of our teachers so that we can best support them. Peter Drucker says, "what you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it, that's another matter."

What then drives teachers to become master teachers? What drives the skill and the will to see all students experience success in the classroom?

Building a mastery-focused environment is essential. Every teacher must be on a pathway to mastery.

Great teaching happens on purpose. It's deliberate. It's about developing a mindset, an internal voice that helps teachers plan effective lessons, solve problems on the spot, and ultimately make the right decision for every student every day. The success or failure of your curriculum, organization and reform models depends upon the people who must carry it out in individual classroom environments.

Our students deserve to learn in classrooms where their teachers are getting better every day. They deserve teachers who are their best selves and consistently giving the best of themselves to their students.

ROLE Reversal- Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom

After 20 years in the classroom, Mark Barnes finally figured things out. He empowered his students to be more responsible for their own learning. He created an academic environment in which students thrive and develop a genuine thirst for knowledge instead of chasing grades. Can this really happen?

A ROLE classroom stands for a results-only learning environment. Letting go of as much control as possible may be the single most important part of creating this successful classroom.

We know, people are motivated by three things: autonomy, mastery and purpose (Pink, 2009).
These qualities are the backbone of a results-only class and it gives students a real chance at mastery learning.

The results-only classroom is project based. It's also important to have at least one year-long project that students can work on occasionally in class as a backdrop to other activities. Mark says that a well-crafted year-long project will incentivize students to continue to improve it, even if it's not always part of the curriculum or being graded.

Strategies vital to a results-only learning environment include:
1- Incorporate the Year-Long Project
2- Talk Less. When the teacher stops talking, learning begins.
3- Build Choice into ALL Activities
4- Convert to a Workshop Setting
5- Integrate Technology

Get your students excited about learning! Always ask yourself what will give your students autonomy and a thirst for learning. How can you make your class a student-centered learning community?