5 proven ways to get buy-in from teachers for pedagogic change

1.       Support the innovative ideas of your teachers

2.       Create time for teachers in teams to exchange ideas and devise strategies for implemention

3.       Grow the capacity of every teacher – believe in everyone’s capacity to grow and advance the vision

4.       Empower teachers in practical ways – and value their input

5.       Align existing and planned learning spaces around the learner and their learning experience

One way that we have used to promote excitement in the vision is to empower any teacher to become associates of the school’s research and innovation unit SCIL - the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning www.scil.nsw.edu.au. We’re thinking of ways to enable others to become SCIL Associates and share the journey.

“Spaces are themselves agents for change. Changed spaces will change practice.”

— http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/PUB7102a.pdf

Inside the SCIL Building @SCIL www.scil.nsw.edu.au

“Learning spaces are not mere containers for a few approved activities; instead they provide environments for people” (Brown & Long)

Going mobile with the ‘Scaddy’ - improving teacher workplace experience.

Teachers @SCIL (NBCS) were given the option of going mobile in 2011. That means they give up their static workspace desk, gain a Scaddy (mobile work caddy) and can choose any staff lounge or work area for the day/week/month/year. Where desks are lost - new de-centralised lounge areas have been created and teachers can also hide in a ‘cave’ room for quiet work.  

The outcomes?

·         Great cross-discipline creative conversations

·         Improved daily social and professional experience for many staff

·         The different learning styles of teachers are better catered for

·         More visibility across the staff for mobile teachers – greater recognition

Tomorrow’s School Today @ SCIL - using furniture to transform the learning environment. You don’t need to re-build the building to create 21st century learning spaces. You just need to change the furniture. Day One with the new lounges (The Scofa - “looks like a lounge, acts like a chair”). The student verdict: “Mr Harris - you got this so right!”

Read more about the research and innovation work of the Sydney Centre for Innovation in Learning at www.scil.nsw.edu.au or twitter @scil

“Tomorrow’s School Today - twitter @SCIL: “it’s not about new technologies, it’s about good pedagogy”; “the space allows for us to be instantly creative and highly kinaesthetic – I love it”; the students love having different teachers with different learning styles – it helps keep everyone engaged”; “the collaborative teacher workspace has really decreased the need to hold meetings”; “the space is so flexible – no compromise is needed and it is extremely easy to team teach”; “we all experience moments of high energy every day – we can draw from each other and the combined energy of the team has lifted exponentially”

Tomorrow’s School Today - a series of photos to capture your imagination