Change Week introduction

Change. It’s inevitable. It happens whether we want it to or not. But sometimes we embrace it with open arms and sometimes it drags us kicking and screaming…

Many have commented that schools look much like they did 100 years ago. Countless edubloggers have expressed frustration about those ‘educators that won’t change’ or, worse, ‘get in the way of those who do want change.’ But most folks don’t ground their concerns in any kind of actionable framework or mental model about how change occurs (or doesn’t).

So this week I’m going to write about change. I’m a school leadership professor. We talk a lot about change. How to facilitate good change. How to avoid bad change. How to think about change.

Those of you who are longtime readers know that I like to try and keep it fairly practical. So don’t expect any long-winded academic treatises from me on school change and reform. Instead, each day this week I’ll share a change framework, a quote, a diagram, and a suggested reading. All are resources that I’ve found interesting and useful as I think about facilitating positive change in K-12 schools. Hopefully you'll find them helpful as well. Finally, there's a poll on the left that I hope will interest many of you.

On with the show.

Comments

[Kelly Christopherson]

1.

I'm a bit behind this week but I'm looking forward to the sessions on change. This comes at an appropriate time as the school year comes to a close and we begin to look forward to a new year with the possibilities that it promises. Will be reading with interest.

[Miguel Guhlin]

2.

Scott, just finished skimming your entries. Nice series on change. Now, what do I do on Monday morning?

Miguel