10. Treating the classroom as a place where you teach, but not learn

In comparison to other professions, teachers have been historically slow to change and adapt. Professional development, in widespread use only in the last 30-40 years, has tended to be after hours of off site. Teachers have come to see that where I learn professionally is outside of the classroom, and where I teach is in the classroom.

Hence, systems have been struggling with PD efficiency for years. Very little of teacher professional development makes its way into practice, simply because teaching is a highly task and socially intensive activity. There is so little time, space, ability reflect or to experiment – all needed for lasting change to occur.

Research suggests that once the early learning curve of classroom practice flattens off, teachers learn vey little in situ, despite a strong desire and belief that they can.

The most outstanding teachers consistently treat the classroom as a professional learning opportunity. Every class, every day. They do this by reflecting with peers, with students, with a coach. They seek informal and formal feedback, make adjustments to practice, and seek more feedback. They are continuously oscillating between reflection and action. Stuck teachers are either doing lots of reflection with no action (i.e. experimentation), or more commonly, they continue with the same practice with no reflection.

Treating the classroom as a ‘place where I learn’ is often the ‘X-factor’ difference between motivated teachers, and those grinding in a rut.

Parting Word

A final observation here: all 10 mistakes above apply, in the context here, to teachers. The principles of each point discussed apply equally to school principals, to business leaders, and to parents.

More strategies, skills and techniques around brain-aware, coaching-based behaviour management, check out our new manual, the Success Zone Classrooms Manual (http://www.successzoneclassrooms.com/).

The original book on Blue and Red Zones – The Success Zone – can be found at good book stores, at http://www.thesuccesszone.com and several other online bookstores.