change

=Ten Strategies for Change Agents= By [|Mark Wagner, Ph.D.]

If schools and governments are going to realign their priorities, change will have to happen on a large scale. This change will involve far more than individual teachers adopting new pedagogy or assessments; it will require changes in attitudes, belief systems, and visions of the future. Educational institutions and society at large are likely to strongly resist these changes.

If a significant change in educational practice (such as the implementation of a curriculum that helps students develop 21st century skills) is going to be effective and sustainable, a great deal of organizational change will be necessary. Thankfully, educators can look to organizational change theorists for guidance in facilitating change and overcoming resistance to change.

//Facilitating Organizational Change//

In order to facilitate organizational change, it is important to respect the realities of change. To be successful, change agents must recognize that organizational change is a complicated, difficult, and time-consuming process – especially in an educational institution. It is also important to establish vision and goals in an organization so that everyone involved can focus their efforts on the things that are most important. Systems thinking, as opposed to linear or rational-structural thinking, can also be a positive tool for change agents to understand and use in educational institutions. Systems thinking can help make big-picture patterns clear and help individuals work to change them effectively.

In the tradition of professional learning communities, individual educators can do their best to support personal learning, collaborative learning, and the development of leadership in their organizations. Any organizational change begins with individual change, and any change requires learning. This makes individual learning the foundation of any organizational change. Personal learning may be a necessary condition for organizational change, but it is not sufficient; there must also be a degree of collaborative learning as well. This is the best way to combat isolation and stagnation in an organization. Both personal and collaborative learning are necessary for organizational change, but even these two are not sufficient without strong leadership. Educators who hope to bring about positive change in schools must also take steps to develop leadership at all levels of their organization. Because teaching is one of the best ways to lead, it becomes even more important for educational institutions to also develop teaching in all their members. Ultimately the ability of an organization to teach and learn will be the determining factor in the success or failure of any change initiative, including any effort to introduce 21st century literacy skills into the curriculum.

//Overcoming Resistance to Change//

To overcome resistance to change, it is important to respect that resistance. Change agents who recognize the realities of resistance will be more likely to successfully deal with and overcome challenges. Resistance is, after all, a healthy and necessary reaction to organizational change. It is also important to remember psychological factors, and that resistance to change is not merely a matter of logic, but of emotion. In addition, it is critical to seek effective strategies for responding to specific obstacles, challenges, and barriers.

Any effort an educator puts into facilitating organizational change or overcoming resistance to change is lost if the effects, or more importantly the process, cannot be sustained. A state of continuous improvement is necessary for sustained change, particularly in the challenging field of education.

//Social Change//

An important element of sustaining change in an educational institution is to include families and the community in the change effort. Schools do not exist – and school change does not happen – in isolation. Educators working to embrace change in schools must consider not only the changes necessary in the school, but the effect of these changes on the community. Changes in the community may even be necessary for the project to be successful, or the project may need to allow changes to accommodate the needs of the community.

In the end, parents and the community do not exist so much to improve schools, as schools exist to improve the community, or society at large. Organizational change theorists tend to subscribe to the view that the purpose of any school change is to effect positive social change.

In short, to effectively facilitate change in schools, remember these 10 strategies:

Facilitate Organizational Change:
 * 1) Respect Change
 * 2) Use Systems Thinking
 * 3) Support Personal Learning
 * 4) Support Collaborative Learning
 * 5) Develop Leadership

Overcome Organizational Resistance:
 * 1) Respect Resistance
 * 2) Remember Psychology
 * 3) Sustain The Process

Move Beyond The Organization:
 * 1) Include Family and Community
 * 2) Effect Positive Social Change

//A Call to Action//

If you are an educator who believes in the need to help students develop 21st century skills, it is imperative that you arm yourselves with the tools of an effective change agent so that you can act locally as you think globally. To explore these topics further, start with the recommended reading below. To make a difference, start by taking a risk and making an effort to effect change in your organization or community.

Recommended Reading:

//The Human Side of School Change//, Evans, 1996 //The Fifth Discipline//, Senge, 1990 //Professional Learning Communities at Work//, Eaker and DuFour, 1998 //The New Meaning of Educational Change//, Fullan, 2001