What is the role of a leader in sparking innovation? Part 1

We all know organizations need to innovate or they become irrelevant. Schools are no different. Take a peek into classrooms and you see on the faces of students just how irrelevant schools are. Those which are not, are vibrant, dynamic and attuned to the needs of the 21^st century learner. Those which are, are lumbering their way through the daily schedule teaching students content that has no connection to their lives and is outdated and of little use to them. In spite of the best efforts of remarkable teachers across the country, this is too often the case.

Can a leader make a difference? What can he do to spark an innovative mindset in the teachers? How can she create a culture where teachers not only feel safe, but also inspired to create new and fresh ways to reach our students? Teachers will imitate the school’s culture in the classroom so it is the leader who needs to establish a culture of innovation.

To create an innovative culture, you’d be surprised at how much you already have at your disposal!

·       Reward and stimulate cross-departmental collaboration

Rewarded behaviours are reinforced. It sends a clear message to teachers the kinds of things leadership want them to do. A school that breaks down the silo mentality between departments and teams by setting up opportunities to collaborate will find that cross fertilisation of ideas enriches the school and provides rich connections and ideas not usually available.

      i.         Celebrate teachers and departments who collaborate on integrated projects. Have the teachers sharing with their colleagues. Not only does it highlight good practice, these sessions are also empowering for those presenting and gives confidence to their peers to stretch their practices.

     ii.         Celebrate teachers who find ways for students to connect with students in other grade. levels/schools/buildings.

   iii.         Pick a school-wide pedagogy. This common language for planning and assessing makes it easier for teachers to communicate. Communication speeds up when common frameworks and approaches are used. Understanding by Design, Teaching for Understanding, Habits of Mind are all examples of powerful frameworks.

·       Be willing to let teachers (and students) fail while trying something new

The culture of allowing people to make mistakes is often absent. Celebrating successes are a crucial part of any school’s building of a positive culture but it can lead to people being overly concerned with success and avoiding risk. Giving people space to fail often and fail early will develop a less of a risk-averse culture. By establishing a growth mindset in your people, they will be more open to feedback as they see it as providing opportunities for development encouraging them to continue to learn and grow. The school with teachers (and leaders) who have a fixed mindset will see failure as an indictment on their talent and ability.

      i.         Openly celebrate teachers trying something new even if it didn’t work out perfectly. This means the leader needs to have his ear close to the ground and visiting classrooms daily. A weekly email of magnifying the innovative practices go a long way to fill teachers with confidence, excitement and a willingness to try new approaches.

     ii.         As a leader, model risk-taking. Be open about it, saying, “This could fail...” “I’m going to give this a go…”. Learn something new and share (or even show) what it feels like. This is a key element of leadership. When people see the leader openly learning and improving it creates an environment of enthusiasm around innovation.

   iii.         Say “Yes, and…” instead of “No.” In Australia we had an incredible Year 9 program that disrupted schooling as we know it. In this integrated year, students competed in triathlons, attended school in the city center, inquired into juicy problems and looked deeply into issues of poverty and social justice. With the commitment to “Yes, and …” we grew the program yearly pushing the team and students to be more innovative.

    iv.         Encourage teachers to allow students to fail. They won’t do this if a grade is attached so schools need to create ‘safe classes’ where students are held accountable but not graded. We tend to think that students won’t care if there isn’t a grade related (what a sad indictment on our system), but when the topic is relevant and has intrinsic meaning for the students, they will be motivated. We have Integrated Studies classes, basically problem-based classes, where we give teachers the space to try audacious projects and because there are no grades, students are given the space to really stretch their thinking and not be too worried about making mistakes.

These two simple culture pieces have the power to create a school where at least attempts at innovation will occur. It is in these schools that the leader will be able to create an environment that will be more relevant and stimulating for students and teachers alike. If you as a leader want innovation in the classroom so that students are thinking deeply, creating, solving problems and asking huge questions, then create that culture with your faculty. The culture you create will be exhibited in the classroom!

Peter Dry October 2016