The InterActive Classroom by Nash Ron;

Author:Nash, Ron; [Nash, Ron]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Corwin Press
Published: 2019-07-30T06:10:49.815604+00:00

The effect of not knowing who will make the final decision and what processes will be used can create broken trust. And when members lose trust in the process, groups may become embroiled in second-guessing, may become resistant, or may experience lengthy and unproductive process arguments. This robs them of time; more importantly, it saps group energy, diminishes members’ sense of efficacy, and lessens their motivation to persevere on important topics. (p. 37)

If the final decision on anything related to school improvement rests in the hands of the building administrative team and if the role of the improvement team is one of recommending possible ways forward, then they should know that. Moreover, members of the team should not be shy about seeking clarification as to the totality of the decision-making process. If a team knows in advance that theirs is an advisory role, so be it. They can function happily with the full understanding that they are not being tasked with the final decision. I have experienced firsthand the disappointment and frustration that comes when a team finds out late in the game that they misunderstood their role in the whole process, and I have seen the positive and long-lasting results when team members were clear about their role.

Teachers appreciate being asked for input and feedback when changes are in the wind, but nothing beats being an integral part of the decision-making process. “When truly empowered to make decisions, solve problems, and construct viable and potentially powerful planning that will benefit students and staff members alike, teachers appreciate the opportunity to become genuinely engaged in meaningful continuous-improvement dialogue” (Nash & Hwang, 2013, pp. 21–22). Everyone in the school community benefits from effective school improvement efforts, and teachers take a great deal of satisfaction from being part of such efforts.

The staff and students of Great Bridge Primary School in Virginia moved into a new building in the fall of 2019. Classrooms are clustered in “hubs” of four teachers, with an open learning area in the middle that can be shared by the teachers in that hub. To accommodate the individual needs of students, there will be flexible seating in each hub that will give students a great deal of choice (exercise balls and wobble stools, for example, in addition to “regular” chairs). Each group of teachers, working with Principal Terri Myers and Assistant Principal Kathy Galford, has been able to make decisions around important norms that will guide the work of each hub (including, for example, the development of common routines and procedures). Each group is tasked with the final decisions as to a set of norms by which they will operate. The finalized norms may vary from hub to hub, but it is the teachers who finalized them, refining early brainstorming efforts into an agreed-upon set of guidelines.

Teachers and staff enjoy being part of the decision-making process when given the opportunity. There is a great deal of satisfaction that comes from working together in search of worthwhile, student-centered goals. The

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