Bringing About School-wide or System-wide Change … A Way Forward

Are you a leader aiming for school-wide transformation or part of a school brand seeking change across multiple schools? You may find that live PD sessions, despite their great content, aren't having the classroom impact you anticipated. Perhaps teacher buy-in isn't strong enough, or there’s minimal follow-through in teaching practices.

If you manage multiple schools, the cost and logistics of visiting each or gathering teachers together are likely to be barriers to change.

If any of this resonates, the points below will offer practical ideas. I’ll also explain how, at Learn Implement Share, we partner with schools to drive meaningful change using a unique, impactful approach that aligns with your educational vision.

Leadership: The Key to Successful CPD

Effective CPDs require on-the-ground leaders who are not only part of the program but also driven to ensure its success.

Awareness Is Key to Change

For change to happen, a shift in awareness is crucial, especially for teachers. Moving from traditional to student-centred teaching, for example, requires deep understanding. Live PD sessions alone often fail to create this shift.

Over 15 years, we've learned that the most effective way to raise awareness is through a hybrid approach. A well-designed online component is essential, allowing teachers to reflect on deep questions and respond to peers in a way that fosters meaningful change.

Choosing the Right Platform

Just as today, no one uses Pentium computers, it is best to avoid using restrictive online platforms such as online portals and SharePoint-style file repositories. Of the available options, very few allow the creation of interactive, engaging online components required for meaningful change to occur.

The Power of a Team-Based Approach

Any school-wide or system-wide CPD that seeks noticeable change must be team-based, with a facilitator guiding each group. Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are one proven model where teachers collaborate to explore the best ways to bring change into their classrooms.

Avoiding the ‘Talk-Fest Syndrome’

A common pitfall in team-based CPD is the ‘talk-fest syndrome’—discussions full of enthusiasm but with little classroom impact. It’s one thing to talk about change, but implementing it requires more.

Teacher-Created Strategy Tutorials

To overcome the talk-fest issue, we guide teachers in collaborating and producing online tutorials on effective strategies. These tutorials are clear, practical, and jargon-free, painting a vivid picture of the strategy in action for others to implement.

Implementations Are Essential

Over time, the collection of quality tutorials grows. Teachers can search for tutorials by year level, subject, activity type, and more, and they are encouraged to implement new ideas regularly. Lesson observations can be scheduled through an online calendar to ensure consistent feedback and growth.

The Power of Reflection

Reflection is the foundation of growth. While verbal reflections are valuable, written reflections are even more powerful. They provide a lasting resource from which everyone can learn.

Raising Accountability

Accountability increases naturally when teachers create online tutorials, implement ideas, and share written reflections. The collaborative nature of this process encourages continuous improvement.

Objection: Teachers Don’t Have Time for an Online Program

The kind of CPD approach I'm advocating here does not require teachers to spend much time, if any, accessing the online aspect in their own time. Teachers collectively access new tutorials, reflect on past implementations, and collaborate on creating future strategies.

Applying a Hybrid Approach

For ideas on how to apply a hybrid approach to your school, check out this article:  Alternative Focuses of Collaborative School-Wide CPD

Case Study: St Dominic’s International School, Portugal

A great example of whole-school CPD, focused on building accountability and achieving lasting change across a school. Whole-school CPD: Building accountability and maximising long-term change across your school

Open to a Collaboration?

Let’s set up a Zoom chat to explore the possibilities if anything here resonates with you.

Your Turn

Have I missed anything? Do you have alternate suggestions for bringing about school-wide change? Please share.