Many schools treat “teacher training” for a new curriculum like a ninety-minute orientation with a binder and a presentation. That is an orientation, not a preparation. There is a big difference between the two. Great teacher training has a lasting impact on how teachers implement the curriculum in their weekly classroom practice throughout the program.
If you are a curriculum director or PD coordinator charged with the task of bringing a values-based leadership curriculum to your students, here’s what great teacher training actually includes:
Start with the Philosophy, Not Just the Lesson Plans
It is important that teachers understand the ‘why’ behind the curriculum, not just the ‘what’ or ‘how’. Why do we start with a question not an answer? Why is the curriculum built for peer to peer conversation not teacher to student discussion? Why does self-leadership come before leading others?
Getting this out on the table sets teachers up to be flexible in their practice, and great teacher training for a leadership curriculum starts with the philosophy so that teachers can answer those ‘why’ questions that students, parents, and even other teachers might ask that didn’t go through the training.
Teachers who understand why students lead themselves first can adapt on the fly. In addition, great training gives teachers the research behind the practices so that they can believe in the work not just do it.
Practice Facilitation, Don’t Just Review Slides
In order to lead the peer to peer conversations the curriculum calls for, teachers need to practice facilitation. They need to get off the soap box and get comfortable with the discomfort of facilitating a discussion, even if that means sitting in silence or letting a disagreement play out.
Great teacher training for a values-based leadership curriculum means teachers get to practice facilitation. They need the practice, the muscle memory if you will, of doing what they will be asked to do when they try to implement the program.
This is best done by having teachers experience a lesson as a student and then practice leading it themselves. Many one day or week long trainings fall short because they focus on information over the mechanics of facilitation. Once it comes time to lead thirty students, the new teacher forgets the theory and goes back to lecture mode.
By practicing facilitation in a low stakes environment, teachers gain the muscle memory to facilitate their classrooms.
Build a Shared Language Across Your Staff
A leadership curriculum only creates a stronger culture and deeper engagement when teachers share a language. Great teacher training builds a foundation of communication so that teachers and students can understand one another.
When an advisor asks her students to think about how they can “lead from the inside out,” take on “real-world challenges,” or take “world-changing action,” she is using the curriculum language to help drive the conversation. She knows that she is on message with her colleagues who have also gone through the training. This common language is what brings a set of disconnected leadership activities together into a coherent journey.
It also gives administrators something concrete to listen for during walkthroughs. When students go from homeroom to their advisory period, they are hearing the same language from different teachers and that helps reinforce the excitement and importance of student voice and student leadership in the school environment.
It is a gentle reminder that leadership isn’t just something that happens in their English class, but throughout the school culture.
Opt for Ongoing Coaching Over One Time Training
A day, week or even month of training can’t cover all the questions teachers will have in week eleven of running a leadership program. Great teacher training centers on ongoing coaching that extends far beyond the launch of the curriculum. While it is true that the launch should involve a lot of practice and discussion about the philosophy and research behind the curriculum, coaches are needed to help teachers navigate the day to day challenges of working with their students.
One time training can answer the ‘why’ and ‘what’ of the curriculum but not the ‘how’ for each individual class and unit as it relates to their specific group of students.
For example, a group of ninth graders may push back on a discussion topic, while a group of second graders may need the activity broken into smaller pieces than the lesson plan suggests.
The initial training gets teachers to the starting line but it is the coaching that gets them through the race.
It all ties back to a Maxwell Leadership axiom that great leaders who train leaders don’t just train and then leave, they keep multiplying capability by staying involved.
Training Is the Foundation, Not Just a Checkbox
Great teacher training for a values-based leadership curriculum includes all of the above and covers none of it in isolation. If teachers miss out on even one component, the program becomes fragile and implementation becomes about the minutiae and individual interpretation of the curriculum rather than building a solid foundation of philosophy, practice, common language, and ongoing coaching.
Growing Leaders builds this kind of training into every iLead implementation, Elementary, Middle School, and High School alike. A curriculum is only as strong as the adults delivering it, and we know that investing in teacher training for our leadership programs is an investment in success.
If your staff is ready to roll out a values-based leadership curriculum to your students from day one, you can learn more about our teacher training at growingleaders.com.
