Overcoming Barriers and Resistance in Schools

Hi.

Welcome to The EDU Files, bringing education insights, stories, and vibes to your inbox every Tuesday.

This weekend, amidst the scorching Florida heat, I found solace on the water with my family.

I also delved into the pages of 'Brave New Words' by Sal Khan, and I couldn't help but be captivated by its insights on AI. I highly recommend it if you want a primer on this fascinating subject. 🤖

But enough about me, let’s get after it.

Now, shall we?

Deep Dive 🤿

Overcoming Barriers and Resistance in Schools.

I have been listening in on conversations recently in several school districts we support. The themes around school leaders dealing with barriers and resistance in their work were consistent.

So, I thought I’d offer strategies and insights to manage and overcome these challenges effectively this week.

Gaining Understanding

As with most leadership strategies, you need to know what you’re dealing with. Determining your barriers would be a great first step. I would also discuss the sources of resistance with your leadership team.

I asked ChatGPT to identify some questions a school leader could ask to better understand barriers and resistance. I highly recommend using these as a starting point.

It is important to use the lens of strong leaders in this process. Think about some strong leadership strategies when navigating change. Keep the traits of effective leaders in mind: empathy, communication, and vision.

Strategies for Overcoming Barriers

Building trust and relationships is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. It is about our people. The importance of trust in the school building cannot be overstated. Think about strategies that help to accomplish this.

In my experience, two big ones come to mind: transparency and consistent (effective) communication.

Covey says, “Trust is the glue of life. It’s the most essential ingredient in effective communication. It’s the foundational principle that holds all relationships”.

Open forums were a strategy that I used to ensure effective communication. I had an open door—always. My door was literally always open. In addition, I went out and found my people. I dropped into their classrooms during planning, sat at the teacher's lunch table, and held roundtables with staff.

I also created short surveys that I could use to pulse check my people.

“Effective communication in education requires not only the dissemination of information but also the building of relationships and the fostering of understanding” (ASCD).

Supporting your people will also help. What barriers can you clear out of the way of your team through continuous learning and support? Think about how you can support internal professional learning to do this work. Do not wait for others to do it for you.

Buy-in can be built by involving teachers, students, and parents in the change process. “When teachers, parents, and students are actively involved in the educational process, schools are more likely to experience significant improvements” (Education Week).

Lastly, think about how you can rally people around your shared vision. You all must be working toward the same goals. Not only in the same direction but on a tightly aligned path toward the goal.

Now Go Do It

Now, I call you to action. How will you persist and adapt to move the work in your school building forward?

If you need me, I am here to support you.

Track of the Week 💿

Turn on, tune in, and check out…

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Surfing the Web 🌊

Here is my favorite EDU content from the web this week.

• Brave New Words by Sal Khan

That’s it this week. With all of the conversations around AI, this is a must-read.

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See ya next Tuesday! 🍏

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