PBL Collaboration within Your Faculty
This episode focuses on the crucial role of faculty collaboration and strong team dynamics in successful PBL implementation. Host Ryan Steuer emphasizes that establishing a culture of continuous innovation requires intentional effort from administrators, starting with fostering a collaborative environment among staff.
Key Takeaway:
Administrators play a critical role in fostering a collaborative and innovative environment by establishing clear structures and processes, modeling best practices, and addressing conflicts constructively.
Main Topics Covered:
- The Power of Protocols: Ryan recounts an anecdote about a principal who instinctively sought staff input on establishing a protocol for a discussion, highlighting the positive impact of transparent leadership and a culture of protocols. He emphasizes that high-performing schools prioritize structured processes, as they are key to achieving desired outcomes.
- Three Simple Moves for Creating a Culture of Continuous Innovation: Offer Strategies for Collaboration During Staff Meetings: Ryan stresses the value of using protocols during staff meetings to ensure everyone's voice is heard, gather effective feedback, and streamline discussions. He recommends the "tuning protocol" as an effective method for gathering feedback and emphasizes that introducing protocols might require persistence.
- Practices Need to Permeate All Aspects of Human Interaction: Ryan advocates for using protocols in all interactions, from one-on-one meetings to large group discussions, to create consistency and foster a collaborative culture. He emphasizes the importance of always having an agenda, even for brief meetings, to ensure focused and productive discussions. Modeling these practices as an administrator encourages teachers to adopt them, which can then influence student interactions.
- Discuss How to Address and Resolve Team Conflicts Constructively: Ryan acknowledges that conflicts are inevitable in any team environment. He urges administrators to proactively teach conflict resolution strategies, such as check-ins and the 24-hour rule. Role-playing can provide teachers with valuable practice in addressing and resolving conflicts.
- Creating a Culture of Continuous Innovation: Ryan reiterates that achieving a culture of continuous innovation requires deliberate action and highlights the importance of modeling desired behaviors for teachers. He emphasizes that these practices scaffold success for both teachers and students, creating a positive and productive learning environment.
Call to Action: Ryan challenges administrators to rework their faculty meetings to be more collaborative, ensuring they are productive and engaging for teachers.
Resource:
Looking Ahead: Ryan reminds listeners that the next episode will delve into scaffolding skills for success.
Magnify Learning - www.magnifypbl.com
