Since teacher buy-in matters, make it easier
I agree that taking years or even months to get teacher buy-in is not feasible for schools and districts under pressure to improve student achievement. But since buy-in can influence student learning, how can schools do a better job of getting teacher buy-in, quickly?
According to November, one piece of the buy-in puzzle is to understand that teacher hesitancy in using technology or changing to a new innovative practice is often based in the fear of failing; of being reprimanded by administration or teased by students because of this perception of failure. Hesitancy is also due to a “sense of loss” of tried-and-true methods. He writes:
“I am convinced that the difficult work of transforming teaching and learning with the help of EdTech is not about teaching teachers how to use new tools; it’s really about the emotional side of letting go of control and managing the anxiety that comes with a sense of loss.
November emphasizes that in order to build teacher buy-in, administration and leadership must understand these emotional barriers and offer support — both in their communications and school and district practices.
Outside mitigating emotional turmoil, Samuel Mormando, director of Technology for Garnet Valley School District, writes that offering professional development in a style that mimics what the district would like to see in the classroom is a great way to achieve teacher buy-in. He writes:
“All sessions are driven and organized based on feedback from staff and analyzed by the district’s LEAP Committee, all utilizing face-to-face, synchronous, and asynchronous blended instruction. Our teachers choose their specific learning topics at their own pace with their preferred instructional model.”
The question of teacher buy-in is a critical one at this peak time of technology and innovation saturation in education. We welcome your comments and opinions!
[Editor’s note: This piece was originally published on edCircuit here.]
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