Trying New Ideas In Teaching How To Share What Works Without Adding To Workload
As the start of the new academic year begins to get underway, rhythms and routines are established.
When working in busy and ever-changing school environments, having these in place is integral. Particularly when it comes to keeping on top of communications, tasks to complete and the myriad of responses which are received from the pupils (academic, pastoral and everything in between!) In addition to the administrative, you may also be considering adaptations to curriculum and classroom environments, either landing on an idea or feeling in need of finding one.
Depending on your position within your school, you may be responsible for putting organisational structures in place or your role may require you to be at the forefront of new initiatives. Perhaps you don’t hold a leadership position but are keen to experiment with an idea or strategy which you have heard about. Yet often, difficulties with developing and embedding nifty, new or time-saving solutions do not lie with the person who has found or is implementing them.
Perhaps you recognise this situation within your own classroom or setting? You have been told about a platform which supports the organisation of your daily and weekly tasks; recommended a book with practical ideas for increasing engagement in the classroom; or attended a course with some new suggestions around curriculum development which you can’t wait to try out within your next unit of learning. You may be filled with enthusiasm for giving ideas a go but could be left feeling flat when others may seem less interested, when scepticism is felt or perhaps when you feel like you have to ask for permission to get started.
Conversation around the topic of new ideas and initiatives may sometimes cause a little friction. Particularly when teachers and leaders are busy and the idea of taking on another task could be seen as causing a feeling of overwhelm. However, if you are reading this article feeling confident with a system which you have developed, or you have been experiencing tangible success with your pupils as the result of an idea actioned, raising this with team members may well save them time and enable them to have a renewed sense of enthusiasm within their day-to-day actions and routines.
So, how might you share a new idea with colleagues where the balance between being supportive and perceptive of daily demands is achieved?
- Try it out in your own classroom, or within your own routine, first. The approach you are experiencing success with is best demonstrated to colleagues in action. If something feels abstract it can lean into the unachievable or time-consuming. Tangible examples, and a low-stakes invitation to ‘come and take a look’, can break down any pre-conceived thoughts or barriers.
- Pique their curiosity. This doesn’t need to feel calculated but a little pre-planning may be necessary. Suggesting a team meeting takes place in your classroom if your idea is on display. Sharing celebratory points over lunch. Making conversation by the printer, as you prepare any physical resources as part of your idea
- Talk about the idea in terms of impact. Where new ideas can feel overwhelming is where they may be framed (or perceived) as an add-on. If your idea, approach or system is solving a problem or making something better, conversations with team members and leaders can begin with what positive difference it is making.
Perhaps you are reading this having identified an area which needs to change but you haven’t found the solution…yet! Schools can very easily become well-meaning echo chambers when each day, week and term is so busy. Finding the time to search for the answer is a task in itself.
So where might you start when looking for fresh ideas?
- Utilise the generosity of teachers on social media. In the last few years, the rise of educators creating their own Instagram accounts, posting on LinkedIn and writing blogs on platforms like Substack has risen hugely. What is helpful about many of these resources is that once you land on one person (or focus area) which resonates, a list of similar profiles is shared – thus widening your net for landing on an idea which may work for you and your context.
- Consider how teachers’ interests are invested in (including the communities which they are involved with) and how they are nurtured. Whether in a subject leader role, or as part of professional learning pathways, finding spaces (be these physical or digital) for teachers to connect and to share is so powerful. These may be on a local level or national – perhaps even international. Subject associations often offer a number of free resources, be these physical or linked to continued learning, and memberships are also often priced reasonably.
- Create spaces for ideas found to be shared. Utilising the development of technology makes the sharing of helpful tools easy and accessible. Adding a visual or interactive element to these can be even more impactful. A culture where teachers are encouraged to try out ideas and evaluate authentically – within each unique context. Capturing and organising ideas under headings (or in folders) which are responsive to identified focus points also invests in the idea that these are not additional, but supportive. Equally, holding space at the beginning of team meetings for staff to share anything they have been trying out, is a great way to invite interest and intrigue.
Hopefully, as you are reading this article, your interest has been ignited. Your enthusiasm for continuing to develop, or to actively engage with finding, an idea has been warmed up. What you do next is important. Remember, sharing and embedding new approaches can take time. Relieve yourself of any pressure which may be associated with ensuring that the idea or focus point you are currently experimenting with needs to become a whole-school initiative. Lean into authentic growth. Start small and build upon feedback. Opening up conversation with teaching colleagues and leaders is a powerful place to begin. Most importantly, take that first step and turn your idea into action. Reflection, feedback and adaptation for your unique context and setting is guaranteed to follow.
Laura has worked in education for over seventeen years across the UK, Spain and Dubai as a classroom teacher, leader of primary English and Lead Practitioner for Teaching and Learning. Committed to cultivating joyful, meaningful and high-quality learning experiences for both children and educators, she continually aims to invest in teacher agency, curriculum development and the creation of classrooms where curiosity and possibility can flourish.
