How do we create a consistent curriculum while also supporting responsive instruction?
A question worth exploring for literacy leaders
This is one question that I come back to often (and which I still don’t have a clear answer).
In fact, this might be the question a school leader regularly ponders.
I think the reason we don’t have a good answer for it is because there isn’t a clean response to it. As administrators, we are caught between two competing agendas:
Ensure all students have access to challenging and engaging instruction.
Respect all teachers as professionals and trust in their ability to teach their students well.
Ultimately, we have to make a decision; that should come down to the first agenda.
And yet we are also challenged by so many factors that influence teachers’ day-to-day decisions:
Lack of time to adequately prepare for effective instruction.
Lack of resources to offer a curriculum worth learning.
Lack of respect from families and community members regarding teachers’ efforts.
Lack of value assigned to the time, resources, and respect for what teachers need to do this work well.
As school leaders, we can feel like these are no-win situations.
What can we do?
First, I believe it is important to publicly acknowledge these constraints teachers experience regularly. It helps them feel acknowledged while also pointing out the fact that, as leaders, we often have little influence in these situations. We can build trust by recognizing reality. From this shared understanding, we are better able to move forward in developing a curriculum that better works for all students.
Second, we can find common ground in moving forward collectively toward a more challenging and relevant curriculum by identifying that next step toward success. Too often, we as leaders set lofty goals without articulating the indicators that denote we are on the right path. For example, if we want all of our students to be engaged readers, how will we know our work is initially guiding them toward that goal? It’s important that we find agreement on what success looks like every step of the way.
Third, teachers need to feel affirmed about the practices they are already doing well. This might seem obvious to you, such as the teacher who regularly facilitates deep dialogue with their students around important social studies topics. But to the teacher, they need to hear from you as the instructional leader a) what they are doing well, and b) how their practice is making an impact on student learning. When you can clearly demonstrate a through-line of action to impact, it happens more frequently.
Finally, there are opportunities for teacher feedback that fortify their practice instead of depleting their confidence. I am not against constructive criticism. But I have also, through my own experience, shared interpretations about instruction that could have been communicated in a way that would have led to improvement instead of resentment. These situations are unique, and I encourage leaders to proceed with both caution and compassion.
Do these four recommendations read as a script?
I hope not. It would be an antithesis to the original question I continue to ponder. What I offer instead are four way points to guide your own school’s journey to excellence.
My only hope is that, with more questions than answers, we learn to appreciate that our professional learning journey is ongoing, and that the only solution for an organization is to commit to continuous improvement.
An original version of this article was part of a series of responses for Education Week with Larry Ferlazzo. It summarizes some strategies from my most recent book, Leading Like a C.O.A.C.H.: Five Strategies for Supporting Teaching and Learning.
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