“Myself” as a Change Agent

Jeffrey M. Oberg - Virginia Commonwealth University

Working the System: Building Capacity for School Change by Judith A. Zimmerman

• Leaders Facilitate Change

• “Build Capacity” = “Buy In”

• Change is School Wide/System Wide

Working the System: Building Capacity for School Change by Judith A. Zimmerman

• Professional Development = Teacher Self Efficacy

• Self-Efficacy is…

• Sometimes, there is still Resistance

Understanding, Facing Resistance to Change by Howard Margolis

• Resistance Can be Good

• Why do Teachers Resist?

• Understanding, Open to Listening

Understanding, Facing Resistance to Change by Howard Margolis

• Resistance = Brainstorming

• Principle NOT Personal

• Meaningful & Helps Students

Investing For Sustainable Turnaround by Education Resource Strategies

• Assess Resources

• No Lasting Change

• Leveraging Resources

• Evaluation Process

Working the System: Building Capacity for School Change by Judith A. Zimmerman

• Leaders Facilitate Change

• “Build Capacity” = “Buy In”

• Change is School Wide/System Wide

• Teachers said students’ lack of motivation = low test scores, class failures

• Build Capacity/Buy In – certain teachers want the strategies, other do not (resistance)

• District wide (thus school) initiative to facilitate new/different learning strategies

Working the System: Building Capacity for School Change by Judith A. Zimmerman

• Professional Development = Teacher Self Efficacy

• Self-Efficacy is…

• Sometimes, there is still Resistance

• All schools/teachers provided professional development

• Looking for these strategies in observations & teachers are encouraged to try strategies

Understanding, Facing Resistance to Change by Howard Margolis

• Resistance Can be Good

• Why do Teachers Resist?

• Understanding, Open to Listening

• Use these sessions to brainstorm ways to implement the new strategies or take these reasons back to leadership team and brainstorm answers to resistance in meetings

Understanding, Facing Resistance to Change by Howard Margolis

• Resistance = Brainstorming

• Principle NOT Personal

• Meaningful & Helps Students

• Goal is to get teachers to buy-in to how these strategies will help reach unmotivated students and improve student achievement which will in turn help teachers be successful in relation to test scores and/or failures.

Investing For Sustainable Turnaround by Education Resource Strategies

• Assess Resources

• No Lasting Change

• Leveraging Resources

• Evaluation Process

• Investing resources in professional development to implement instructional strategies and tools that can continue if the district/school decides to stop this initiative

• The goal here is to have this initiative be self-sustaining if the district decides to allocate resources in a different direction

“Myself” as a Change Agent

Jeffrey M. ObergAssistant Principal King William High School

joberg@kwcps.k12.va.usVCU Doctoral Student

obergjm@vcu.edu