How to Spark a Movement in Your School

Making a difference in a school doesn't require a 5-year strategic plan. You can spark a movement right now. When you see a problem, you can do something about it. You can be the catalyst for positive change. And it's outstanding when people from every corner of the school, not just administration, are initiating change.

A couple of months ago, I was drawn into a conversation a few of our teachers were having about getting our high school students more excited about reading. These teachers had joined together to study Book Love, a fantastic read by Penny Kittel. 

They began to share with me their vision for establishing classroom libraries. They wanted students to have more choices for reading, more time for reading, and greater voice to share their reading with others. They were completely energized and nothing could stop them. They had a vision for how a stronger culture of reading in our school could impact students forever.




It was the beginning of a movement. Soon, classroom libraries began to take shape. We started placing orders for new books from a variety of genres. 

Students were surveyed to learn more about their reading habits. Teachers from every content area were recording book talks to share personal reading with students. 

Our librarian even decided to reorganize the entire library collection by genre, all a result of a few extraordinary teachers, a book study, and a vision.

Students were talking about it. Teachers were talking about it. There was a spark.

Not every movement results in lasting change, at least not in a substantial way, but there's always a chance. It really depends on the meaning behind the movement and the commitment of the movement leaders.

So how can you spark a movement in your classroom or school? Follow these 5 easy steps.

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5 Steps to get a movement started in your school

1. Start with empathy. What are you passionate about? What breaks your heart? Empathy isn't content to see a problem and do nothing. Empathy makes us want something better for our students and our school. Dream about what could be.

2. Learn Together. Find at least one other person who shares your concern. Together, become informed, share ideas, plan, discuss. Think of ways the problem could be addressed. What are possible strategies based on the information gathered?

3. Rally support. Reach out beyond the initial group. Bring admin and other teachers on board. But don't stop there. Get students and parents mobilized as well. Have a call to action. Ask, "Will you help us?" Be ready to suggest ways your new converts can help. Listen carefully to new ideas that might be brought forward too.

4. Turn energy to action. Now it's time to follow through on the great ideas. Encourage the troops. Get moving. Communicate clearly who is doing what. Set timelines for reaching goals. Give more encouragement. 

5. Celebrate. When something great happens with your movement, let people know about it. Make it visible. For the movement to continue to grow and become lasting change, you have to help people stay energized.

Question: What movement will you start at your school? What needs to be change? Leave a comment below. Or share your ideas on or .

Why the never-ending pressure for kids to learn more, younger?

Of course, we want students to be challenged and to achieve their potential. But it seems there is an unhealthy press to have kids learn more, younger.

Kindergarten kids must read.

Elementary students write research papers instead of personal narratives.

Algebra I happens in 8th grade, or even 7th some places.

Some students are graduating from high school with upwards of 30 hours of college credit. Confession: Dual credit has saved our family a ton of money on college tuition so it's hard to be critical here.

But I have to wonder what is the point of all this? Is this what is referred to as the human race? What are we racing against? Life expectancy is steadily increasing right? We have MORE time to reach our life goals last time I checked.

With the recent ESEA Reauthorization (goodbye NCLB, Race to the Top), it seems some of the madness may be ending, at least from the standpoint of federal policy. For some reason, policymakers seem to think raising standards will "fix" education. But higher standards don't necessarily result in better learning for kids. Great learning is about developing great teachers, great schools, and stronger communities.

An ineffective teacher or school will still be ineffective even with higher standards. Change happens when the process changes, when educators change how they do business.

So maybe instead of pressing more curriculum down on youngsters, we could make learning more personal and meet the needs of individual learners. Some kids will read in kindergarten, or even earlier. Some kids might benefit from Algebra I in the 8th grade. Some kids need more time but will get it eventually.

Teach students first, curriculum second.

So we don't need to hurry learning. No more pressing. Create great learning environments and experiences and allow students to find their passions and become adaptable, lifelong learners.

Maybe there is still hope for finger paint. And learning to be kind. And just being a kid.

Question: What are your thoughts on kids learning more, earlier? Leave a comment below or share on or .

Expecting kids the same age 2 learn the same thing is like expecting kids the same age 2 wear the same size clothing pic.twitter.com/Kr8pkjfMDd

— Dr. Justin Tarte (@justintarte) November 7, 2015

So You're an Educator and You're Not Reading?

Image Source: https://goo.gl/2V5cMn

With the amount of information available for teachers, it is just unacceptable to continue making uninformed decisions about what works in the classroom. Never before has so much information been available to improve your practice. 

Take your pick. There are articles, blogs, books, social media, and more. You can connect with other educators all across the globe to discuss ideas and learn from one another. And you can do it all from the comfort of your sofa.

And yet, there are still educators who are not growing and learning. They are still doing it the way it was when they were in school. Teaching as they were taught. They rest in their longstanding beliefs without testing them against research and new ideas.

In a recent Seth Godin post, Did you do the reading?, he suggested that the more professional your field, the more vital it is to read, think, and understand--to stay caught up. To stay current. We want teaching to have increased professionalism, right? We want to our field to be respected. We want our profession to shine.

So we need to make sure we are contributing to the profession. We need to behave like professionals. That means we are reading the important books in our field. It means connecting with other professionals who can push us and test our ideas. And it means reflecting on how our practices align with our beliefs.

It doesn't mean you're going to agree with everything you read. But if you aren't reading material that offers a viewpoint different than your own, how can you be sure of what you believe? My ideas are stronger when they are tested and hold true for me.

I realize if you are reading this post, you are probably among those who are growing and learning and moving our profession forward. You are doing the reading. You are connecting and seeking and innovating. I applaud you.

But teaching gets a bad wrap. Educators are under fire. And if that is going to change, we need to do everything we can to increase the professionalism among our ranks. I urge you to share what you're reading with other teachers in your school. Use your influence to lift others up and strengthen the profession. 

I believe ours is the most important profession. We need to treat it as such.

Question? How can we get more educators taking ownership for their professional growth? What should teachers be reading? I want to hear from you. Share your answer on or .

A few books on my reading list...

Book Love by Penny Kittle @pennykittle 

The Innovator's Mindset by George Couros @gcouros

Uncommon Learning by Eric Sheninger @E_Sheninger

What Connected Educators Do Differently by Todd Whitaker, Jeff Zoul, and Jimmy Casas

Some of my favorite blogs...

Connected Principals

Starr Sackstein

Ditch That Textbook

The Principal of Change