REPLY Society Strategy Development (SD7182)

[SDMAIL Diana Fisher]

Posted by  Diana Fisher <dfisher25 at verizon.net>

Bill,

Although I have not had the experience of someone else exerting total
control over what I do in my classroom in the US, I hope I may be able to
provide some suggestions:

I have found parents to be powerful allies in supporting change.  I have
taken every opportunity, as a teacher, to explain to parents the new methods
I use in my classes (especially if they are quite different from what they
may have seen/heard about in other classes).  (I talk about systems ideas &
modeling at "back to school night" - for parents each fall, at parent
teacher conferences - when I talk about their child, at "8th grade parent
night" in the spring when parents are trying to choose a high school for
their 8th grader,  and whenever prospective parents, interested business
people, or visiting academics come to my school.)  I have yet to find a
parent, business person, or academic who was not excited for their child to
have these modeling experiences.

For someone who is not actually teaching it may be possible to speak more
informally to other parents at the school.  If your children attend the
school you are probably attending various activities that would put you in
contact with other parents.  Of course, you will want to find a teacher who
would be willing to have you come into his/her classroom to demonstrate the
modeling process using an appropriate problem, or it will be necessary to
find a way to help the teacher gain skill and confidence outside of the
teaching day, so he/she would be able to do a lesson with a class, should
the opportunity arise.  I have found science teachers to be the most
receptive.  Additionally, I have found that administrators are much more
receptive to parents and the pressure they can exert, than to teachers.

Another approach is to offer a modeling club after the final class of the
school day.  I don't know if there are clubs available for student at the
schools in Canada, but I would think there are some academic activities for
students after school (Chess clubs, programming clubs, environmental action
clubs?)  Of course, any good student work that is produced should get some
kind of recognition.

Finally, it will become important to find out who creates the standards to
which the students are to achieve benchmarks.  In some places in the US
there are teachers on these committees, and sometimes concerned citizens.
This path takes longer.  But if schools are required to teach to the test,
then it must become important to have systems thinking questions start to
appear on the tests.  To appear on the test they must be listed on the
standards to which the test is an assessment tool, to judge whether students
are reaching that standard.

It is much easier to reach students by infecting teachers.  But if teachers
are locked into a curriculum that dictates what they must teach each class
period, there are still ways to foment a more subtle revolution.  It will
just take longer, (except for the possible "modeling club" idea).

I hope some of these ideas may give you encouragement to continue to try to
affect change in your school(s).  I have had the opportunity to work with
some creative, innovative administrators, but unfortunately, I have found
those administrators to be more the exception than the rule.  I have found
most administrators interested in maintaining the status quo.  Another
caution, teachers - especially high school teachers in the US, are quite
resistant to top down initiatives.  It seems we have to deal with new ones
every few years.  Most last only a few years, so we tend to pay little
attention.  Perhaps it is different in Canada.

Diana Fisher
Posted by  Diana Fisher <dfisher25 at verizon.net>
posting date  Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:32:53 -0700