Change Starts With You

A few months ago, a trio of teachers walked into a principal’s office. They had a three page list of ideas that could revolutionize their school . . . as long as their principal was willing to play along. The list covered topics such as staff morale, parent involvement, and student involvement. Flash forward a few months and everything about the school seems different . . . better somehow. The teachers smile more. Goodies appear in the staff room for no reason at all. Students flock to join new clubs. There’s joy again in the hallways. So how did they do it? All it took was a simple attitude adjustment. So here are the ten steps to creating an education revolution.

1.       If change starts with just one person . . . be that person. Others will eventually follow suit.

2.       Unhappy at work? . . . do something to fix it. Chances are everyone else is unhappy too.

3.       Want to excite students? . . . make school fun again. Start a club and open it up to all students. Yes it is hard work that you might not get paid for, but the benefit is worth it.

4.       Don’t like grumpy teachers? . . . supply the staff with food and watch the frowns flip around.

5.       Teachers set in their ways? . . . shake things up. Every teacher should be forced to get out of their comfort zone and learn something new. Regardless of what they might say, it doesn’t kill any teacher to learn a new grade level.

6.       Lackluster hallways? . . . decorate something. Wall stickers are a dollar at the Dollar Tree. Posters are cheap. Grab some butcher paper and set up a new bulletin board. Display your student projects where they will be seen.

7.       Have a great idea? . . . spread ideas by word of mouth. Announcing your ideas to an entire staff, begs for a pessimistic response. Share your idea with a couple like-minded friends and let them help spread the word. It’s far easier to win people over, one at a time.

8.       Staff feeling overworked? . . . Gratitude goes a long way. Stop and thank someone for all that they do. People want to be noticed and appreciated. Bonus? It doesn’t cost a single cent.

9.       Want to do something? . . . just do it. Ask for forgiveness later. Chances are your good deed will be appreciated.

10.   Want to sustain the change? . . . create an open and honest line of communication. Teachers spend lots of time in meetings but they rarely get time to discuss things like the craft of teaching. Teaching is an ever changing art form that only gets better as you learn from others.

So get talking, get learning, and get started. It only takes one person to start an education revolution. Be that person.