Good People in Good Places

Sometimes there are people that have good ideas, but don't do anything with them.

Sometimes there are people who have good ideas, but don't know how to implement them.

Sometimes there are people who have good ideas, and know just the right way to implement them and follow them through.

Here is a very good article on a good man who is making a positive and informed change in education. 

Stuart McNaughton and some others from the Woolf Fisher research center have been researching Manaiakalani, and while I was in a Manaiakalani school I was able to listen to and be a part the research.

Stuart is a change maker, and change is something that is ever present in the education sector, sometimes being something that accelerates us forward, and sometimes making us stop and reflect on what we've been doing.

One research feedback session that I want to left a particular impression on me, it was all about effect size.

As many teachers know, with some kids, the National Standards are over here, and the students are over there.

There is so much to teach and so little time to teach the students in to try and get them to this bar. 

BUT in our teaching we need to think about how we're teaching and using our time.

We'll never reach the bar if we're taking lots of little steps, we need to  take large steps with purpose. Covering lots of ground faster, but more intentional. 

When I'm planning my lessons I try and keep this in mind.

Am I planning for lots of little steps?

or am I planning for strides?

It's time to be a change maker!