The PD Book by Elena Aguilar & Lori Cohen

Author:Elena Aguilar & Lori Cohen [Aguilar, Elena & Cohen, Lori]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119843368
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2022-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

You can't make people learn. However, an organization can communicate a value of learning and an expectation that those in the organization will be active learners. This is a necessary starting point. Mandating learning or coaching can be tricky—learners who feel like they're being coerced can resist. But when people join an organization in which expectations are clear about the value of learning, and when learning opportunities are framed by strengths‐based thinking (rather than a deficit perspective), people orient positively to the requirement to learn. They are likely to be more open, engaged, and onboard from the start.

A clearly articulated, organizational value around learning can help to prevent resistance by building buy‐in, creating culture, and being clear about expectations. Ideally, employees are aware of this value from the moment they consider joining an organization—and for many, this value can be an enticing draw. When such a value is sharply articulated, a superintendent or principal doesn't have to backtrack and say, “I haven't been clear about this, but in order to meet our students' needs, we've all got to be active learners, myself included, and this means… .” Sure, this can be done and sometimes it's what's needed, but you can understand why a teacher who was hired 12 years ago may experience some frustration if all of a sudden a principal insists that all teachers work with a coach.

So a declared commitment to learning is important, and it's not enough: A commitment to learning needs to be authentic, and it has to shape every action leaders make. Sometimes leaders say they're committed to learning because they know it's the right thing to say, but their actions contradict their statements. Often this breach is apparent in the staff culture of an organization—learning can't happen in a dysfunctional culture. Sometimes it's clear that leaders don't value learning when they make decisions about coaching, evaluation, retention, and promotions. For example, a leader may say they value learning but then reprimand a staff member who made a mistake.

In contrast, a leader who values learning will facilitate a conversation in which the staff member who made a mistake can reflect on what happened and ultimately learn and grow. The staff member may be held accountable for the mistake, but a leader who holds a value of learning will use different processes and hold different the expectations for the future. When Lori was a school leader, she worked with a new teacher who hadn't worked with high school students before. This teacher made some early mistakes in his expectations of students that hurt the classroom culture; rather than first reprimanding the teacher for his knowledge and skill gaps, Lori gave him a book on teaching adolescents and set up brief check‐in sessions to discuss what he learned and what he was going to try in class. Lori also planned class observations to focus on how this teacher applied his knowledge. A leader who lives a value of learning expects growth and creates conditions to foster that growth.

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