Initiating Change

I believe one of the best ways to influence change is to lead by example. In a situation where a teacher is encountering resistance for a change, I would tell them to start small by introducing change within their classes. For example, if a teacher was met with opposition when trying to implement fitness testing she could start by administering the test with one of her classes. After a period, the teacher could then share the success of the program and possibly influence the members of her department.

I have been teaching for ten years, and I still encounter resistance when trying to implement change. Early in my teaching meeting resistance to change was very frustrating. It would stop my progress and stifle my teaching practices, but slowly I learned to work around it. Like in my example, I started implementing change first within my classes. Assessment was something I had been trying to implement in my department. My coworkers were resistant to any formal type of evaluation, and so for years, we had no agreed upon methods for assessing students. So, I learned to work around it. I currently have implemented plans for grading and assessing, and I have been able to work that into the framework of my department. For example, my department moved to a pass/fail grading system, and I was able to work my self-assessment grading practices into that framework. I found a way to create online rubrics that did not have to be graded with the letter grade system. In this way, I was able to keep my system of grading and work within the policies of my department.

One last piece of advice I would give to a teacher who is meeting resistance is to have research to back the decisions that they are making. For example, if a teacher wants to implement using technology in their classes she should have some research to back why that method should be utilized. Research and proof that a new program or idea is beneficial may help influence others to jump on board with the notion.