What is the Problem?

Andy Pronto and I were working on a project the other day and he mentioned an article he had read while getting his oil changed. He said it was about how hard it is for us to change how we teach, integrate technology, or try other type methodologies into what we do. The article resonated with me as I have done professional development in many different settings for many years and often feel discouraged at the pace of change that comes from the work. It is not because attendees do not value what they learned. There must be something else especially when we all have seen the world change around us in so many ways.

The author; Zachary Herrmann  points out some really great insights in his answers to this question:

So what does a teacher stand to lose by changing her/his practice?
1. A traditional sense of one’s own competence​
2. The comfort of predictability​
3. Familiar successes

“Every time we find a gap between our values and our practice we have an opportunity to reflect and ask, Why? What is really getting in the way?”

“Teachers must embrace the same message we give to students: Learning is about taking risks, trying, failing, and improving.”

The Challenge of Change
RESOLVING TO CLOSE THE GAP BETWEEN OUR VALUES AND OUR DAILY WORK AS EDUCATORS

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/uk/blog/challenge-change

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