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Leadership
BASICS
Continuation
The ideal situation is when everyone is motivated, everyone feels needed and everyone does what he is supposed to do without too much guarding or supervising.
To reach this goal, it is self-evident
that those we lead have to be listened to (What are their needs and
how will they be fulfilled in a new situation?!)
that changes are brought about in a way that they find
meaningful and can accept
that changes are useful and make things easier, better, successful
that those we lead have to be informed about the goals
that those we lead have to get the skills and tools to reach those
goals
that workers feel proud of their profession and their contributions!
It is easier to work hard and efficiently if these conditions are met!
OUTER CHANGE can INITIATE INNER CHANGE
During my time at the Teacher's College in Malmo, Sweden, I practiced in a 3rd grade. The children were - still - very weak readers and moreover they all disliked each other thoroughly. Bullying occurred and the children were not used for working in goups. Several immigrant children were very shy and didn't dare to speak up during whole class lessons. They didn't speak at all in school and so never got the practice that they needed.
What I did, when the teacher in methodology came to visit, was this:
I had decided that reading and writing would be included in absolutely EVERYTHING these children did during their school-day. There was no time to waste, they were to begin the 4th grade soon!
Second, they were to be socialized. Third, communication between children, immigrants and residents alike, were to be a daily ingredient of the teaching.
I divided the class into groups and each group was provided with a different set of math. problem solving and measurement tasks (written instructions only) and laborative materials accordingly. Better readers were put together with weaker readers with instructions to take turns to read the instructions. Time: one double lesson for research work and another for sharing the results with the class.
The result was - from these simple changes - that every single child was eagerly at work, discussing the math. problems with the other children in the group, when the teacher in methodology entered. The weak children were just as engaged in the activities as the better students. (Goups were small, only three children in each.) The silent immigrant children were those who talked most - and they laughed together with the other children in the group - in a classroom where laughter had never been heard.
It was a big change to make all at once. Why did it work?
I had listened to the children's needs. The change was meaningful, acceptable and useful for them. They were properly informed what to do - the list was there in front of them and everyone knew what to do.
They were provided with the tools needed to reach the goals: working together in groups instead of individually. Communication was initiated through activities and it included talking, reading, writing and listening. Social skills were trained. And guess what?! They felt successful, happy and proud! - That had never happened before!
Did they want to continue? - Guess!
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