Thriving staff learning cultures have a certain feel to them – there is an energy to them – a buzz that is occurring. The talk is about the work, the people are connected and it is an exciting place to learn and collaborative as professionals.
Focusing on building a thriving collaborative learning environment will help you keep momentum – out of the danger zones of corrosion and complacency and into committed collaboration. Helping each other engage in the purpose and intent of the school through meaningful activities aimed at moving up towards the buzz will provide the momentum for growth and transformation.
In essence, staff in thriving collaborative school environments are passionate about the need for a co-created vision and set of beliefs that help align staff with purpose. They use strong debate to shape strategic actions. These things together create an environment where people can work effectively together. The end game is the students – the individual and the collective – receiving the best education possible. The best education is at the core of these visions, and the strategies and culture that fall out of them.
KEY ELEMENTS OF THE BUZZ: MINDSET, ENVIRONMENT, DIALOGUE
Element #1: Build a Growth Mindset
At its base the culture of a learning organisation springs from the beliefs held by the individuals within; most importantly by those of influence. Clarifying what growth really looks like and the internal approach we need to take to tackle challenges, obstacles and change is key to developing culture. Growth behaviours come from growth beliefs. Growth beliefs are about forward action and internal responsibility to learning. When we move to action, we attempt new things, tackle obstacles and persist with challenges. Growth beliefs help people see obstacles and challenges as opportunities to be flexible and adaptable.
As a team, setting clear outcomes and purpose allows us to collaborate on finding the way forward. In terms of mindset, articulating where we are heading can give certainty. When we set our intention and the outcomes we are looking for, we seed the movement towards it. It gives us internal clarity. We can start to co-create and collaborate, or simply experiment, learning along the way, gaining momentum through commitment towards it happening. It also gives us the opportunity to really see if we have alignment between what we are thinking and how we believe we are going to achieve it.
Element # 2: Create a Compelling Environment
A connectedness happens in an environment when people are learning together. It is not visible, yet it can be felt if we have our radars out. This connectedness contributes to the buzz. It’s based on trust and a willingness to collaborate and grow together. We need to create compelling spaces in schools for learning, collaboration and exploration. This space takes in not only the physical set-up of rooms and meetings, but also the energy that is created.
Creating a compelling environment is also about strategically using processes that enable exploration of the challenges, strengths, context and possibilities. As leaders we need to lead, facilitate and contribute to these discussions skilfully, ensuring we are not afraid of divergence of opinion. Divergence of opinion is a vital part of robust problem solving and a thriving learning environment. Carefully chosen processes and tools can move this divergent discussion into convergence around options, proposed strategies and actions.
Rich debate about our school requires us to get over seeing feedback as conflict. A compelling environment is all about being able to have these conversations in a positive and exploratory frame – one of inquiry rather than right and wrong.
A thriving environment for learning is also about using a variety of ways to activate adult learning. We do this for students but not so much for ourselves. We tend to use too much auditory – one person speaking, everyone else listening. Yawn…
Great learning cultures don’t spend precious time talking at people. To gain traction and engage people in the forward direction of the school, we need to provide opportunities for learning through a whole range of strategies.
Element # 3: Have Authentic Dialogue
Dialogue that is rich and fruitful is the third foundational element to creating the buzz. In buzzy environments, robust conversations about teaching and learning are the norm. People feel supported to state their opinions and these opinions are valued. Diversity of opinion is seen as a core element to finding the right path. Authentic dialogue is essentially about building trust and connection – then the real work and collaboration can begin.
Dialogue that is authentically about the work, about learning and about continually improving, is dependent on the work we have done in setting up a growth mindset and the environment. These elements create the recipe for purposeful and fruitful discussion. They create THE BUZZ!