Educational Leadership - October 2010

the Adults

other practices as well. We began
looking at grading policies, discipline
plans, scheduling procedures, and point
systems. Some teachers used positive
behavior support strategies to manage
their classrooms; others preferred tradi-
tional disciplinary or punitive methods.
Some used point systems consistently;
others hated them and came up with
their own reward systems. Some
was our defense mechanism, our way
of explaining our inability to reach our
students.

We started having challenging
conversations with staff members
about the behaviors, expectations,
and values of the adults in the building.

teachers strictly enforced schoolwide policies; others created their own.

In short, our behaviors were inconsistent, impulsive, and often unfair. Our actions often served as triggers that led to outbursts and crises. The more we analyzed what we were doing, the more we realized that we adults were the biggest obstacle to our students’ success.

with a focus on behavior (Sugai, 2010); the goal of the program is to help eliminate the need for suspensions and expulsions.

We’re now ready to take the next step. We’ve become better at analyzing both traditional and nontraditional data trends. We’re questioning past practices and making modifications where needed. Instead of just presenting data and becoming frustrated with our trends, we now focus on discussing root causes and finding solutions. In our team meetings, we feel more comfortable sharing our beliefs, values, attitudes, and best practices. We’ve become less defensive. Although we continue to experience high levels of stress and crisis, we’re more confident, better prepared, more supported, and more optimistic.

Our willingness to change has made all the difference. It’s also made us more credible, effective, and trustworthy in the eyes of those who matter most—our students. EL

Less Impulsive, More Deliberate
So we started having challenging con-
versations with staff members about
the behaviors, expectations, and values
of the adults in the building. We dis-
covered, first of all, that we often acted
with a sense of “determined impotence”
(Reeves, 2006). We blamed our lack of
progress on our students, their families,
and their circumstances. Adminis-
trators complained about the teachers,
who complained about security, who
complained about the clinicians. This
teachers let them use their cell phones
in classes; others did not. Some staff
members let students roam the hallways
alone; others insisted on escorting them.
As a school, we needed to draft an action
plan with input from all stakeholders—
and consistently stick to the plan.

References

Fullan, M. (2008). The six secrets of change: What the best leaders do to help their organizations survive and thrive. San Francisco: Wiley.

Reeves, D. B. (2006). The learning leader: How to focus school improvement for better results. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Sugai, G. (2010, March). What does SWPBS have to do with RtI? [presentation notes]. Retrieved from www.pbis.org/common/ pbisresources/presentations/WI_SWPBS_ RtI_2010.pptx.