This is one of an occasional blog post from BIE's partner schools and districts.

There was a time when I felt it was a challenge to change the habits of my students. Then I attempted to change adults. Adult secondary teachers, no less. I am in the middle of a journey of change whose primary objective is to transform the delivery methods of seasoned teachers to match the learning needs of the modern student. I have spent the last three years attempting to motivate teachers into action, to take a chance and change out their traditional styles in exchange for exciting, student-driven learning. Needless to say the motivational techniques utilized had a low success rate.

However, rather than dwell on the bitter part of the journey, I would like to recommend the sweet discoveries I was fortunate enough to have reached. After three years, and a lot of reflection mixed with adaptation, I finally have the momentum to continue change for the benefit of our students.

My school is Abraham Lincoln High School in San José, California, where about 70 percent of the student population are of Hispanic origin, about 14 percent are English language learners, and more than 60 percent are considered socioeconomically disadvantaged. A few years ago we partnered with the Buck Institute for Education and had a highly successful PBL 101 workshop for our staff. But it took some real effort to move from that to whole-school adoption of PBL. Here are seven of the major take-aways I would like to pass on to any individual or group who seeks to attempt large-scale change in the educational setting:

1. Ensure clear and consistent communication from administrators.
The administrative team had a relatively high turnover rate during the three years that Project Based Learning was implemented, and the messages from the administration to the teachers changed each year. Because the assistant principals rotated year after year and often lacked background in the new approach, teachers began to focus less on PBL initiatives and more on their traditional methods to meet district benchmarks and state mandates.

2. Strengthen district awareness and support.
The school district was on board with the PBL redesign but had little flexibility to exempt teachers from rigorous pacing calendars, leaving many teachers feeling as though they had to choose between PBL and external expectations. We would have experienced less teacher resistance if there had been consistent messaging and ongoing professional discourse among the district, administrators, and teachers. This would have created a safer environment for instructional and cultural change.

3. Manage misperceptions.
Myths began spreading about what was expected of all teachers on campus. Originally, as part of our redesign plan, all teachers who were trained in PBL by the Buck Institute were required to implement at least one project a year, which was about 80% of the staff by year 3 of our redesign. However, not all teachers were convinced they were responsible for this. There was also a misperception that PBL was something the school could implement overnight, too slippery a slope for some. One solution the school could have used to address this misperception is the concept of starting with a small group of teachers and ensuring quality and success before launching as a school-wide reform effort. For more details, see the next step.

4. Start small and grow.
A small group of teachers at a given grade level who believe in Project Based Learning can clarify expectations about PBL and ensure that teachers have the time, space, and access to the technology they need to succeed with the approach. At Lincoln, a handful of 9th grade teachers designed several interdisciplinary projects, creating a “school within a school.” Next year will be our first year implementing this program, and then it will spread to 10th grade-12th grade. Here is the promotional video we created to recruit willing teachers.

5. Use modeling to encourage others to challenge their comfort zones.
When teachers who haven’t tried PBL witness the success and enthusiasm of students involved with the approach, they may be more inclined to try it. Teachers also must be willing to forego the comfort that comes with relying on tried-and-true lesson plans.

Our PBL Newsletter has helped in this regard. It features projects that teachers and students are completing, student perspectives on the project, and evidence of successful outcomes. Our focus on using media to share the benefits of PBL and on structurally developing PBL encouraged teachers who had been on the fence to become advocates for the approach.

6. Get teacher buy-in to showcase student work.
The idea of altering the format of our Back to School Night to showcase student work was originally approved by the administration without full teacher input. We met opposition from many teachers, who felt blindsided by a change that required students to complete a project for display. However, when they saw the positive feedback coming from classrooms in which teachers had showcased student work, many reaffirmed their decision to participate in PBL.

7. Encourage communication and collaboration among teachers.
Teachers have varying reactions to their experiences--some positive, others tentative--and they know that the best source of information and support often comes from their colleagues. Providing time for teachers to talk about their successes and failures with PBL can create a community bond that reinforces the idea that they’re not alone in their efforts and that they can measure progress in multiple ways—through student voice, through engaged interactions, and through their collaborative partnerships.

Next Steps
Keep in mind during any pilgrimage of change how indispensable patience and reflection can be. It’s vital to collect data to document ongoing change and to ruminate on how well things are going and where they need tightening.

Any administration or group of teachers can effect change in a school – when they place their faith in an idea and maintain that faith. Our experience at Abraham Lincoln High School suggests that the keys to overcoming resistance include taking a systematic approach that incorporates clear and consistent communication, modeling, realistic goal setting, and demonstrations of the value of the change. But perhaps the most important component any attempt to change the status quo is keeping student success at the center.

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