Imagine a middle school girl: she is a strong student enrolled in a fine independent school. She works hard to perform to the highest standard; she is eager to please and to learn. At the moment, she is overwhelmed studying for a unit test on the digestive system. Her teacher has provided a clearly outlined study guide that requires her to memorize a broad array of facts--from the length of the esophagus to the names of the enzymes working within the digestive process. Her learning task, from her perspective, is clear: memorize all the terms and definitions (neatly transcribed on index cards) and earn an A. She labors hard and asks her mother to quiz her. Her mother obliges but is concerned by her daughters stress level, which pops up a notch each time her recall fails. What if she can’t remember everything? She seems to have stopped learning and is focused on her mounting concern for what will happen if she can’t memorize everything. 

If We Want to Reimagine the Model for School, We Must Reimagine the Model for Change

Change in organizations is hard but there are ways to make it easier, if we are willing to think differently about how we do it. And never has there been a more critical time for change in schools than now. Start by making the case for change, and then approach change in a whole new way. Here’s how in a nutshell...