A few weeks ago, I was invited to share the progress of a curriculum design and mapping initiative I am facilitating in a local district with the members of the Western New York Middle School Principals’ group at their monthly luncheon. As I began planning for this conversation, I was tempted to focus on the driving forces behind this work, the processes that we’re using, and the core map that we’ve recently drafted. This isn’t where I decided to go though, and for good enough reason: many teachers and admins in our area are eager to move beyond this conversation. In fact, some have been neck-deep in their own curriculum mapping initiatives for many years now. They’re ready to transcend the stuff of just about any staff development initiative and begin exploring the factors that contribute to meaningful professional learning and change…..and those that impede it. So, that’s where I headed in my presentation that afternoon, and it’s the place that I keep returning to every time I reflect on the work that I am doing and the difference that it might be making. I’ll be sharing more about what I’ve learned so far over the next week and how it’s influenced the strategic planning and decision-making that’s taken place as a result.
I’ve gained more than a bit of wisdom from the following people, who have devoted much of their lives to studying and facilitating change. Who inspires your learning in this area?
