Overview
What does a successful marriage, a first-time skydiver, and a educator/administrator relationship have in common? They all rely on a foundation of trust. A marriage between a couple who lack trust in one another will likely end in divorce. A skydiver who lacks trust in their instructor or equipment may plunge to their death. An educator who lacks trust in their administrator or an administrator who lacks trust in their educators may drastically limit the opportunities for growth for themselves as well as their students. While this third scenario may not be as immediately consequential, the long term effects make for an environment with little respect, learning, and integrity.
My master’s cohort has spent the last several weeks looking in depth at ISTE standard #4 for coaches, outlined below.
ISTE Standard 4: Professional Development and Program Evaluation – Performance Indicator B
Design, develop, and implement technology rich professional learning programs that model principles of adult learning and promote digital age best practices in teaching, learning, and assessment.
After all I’ve studied on this standard, I felt a bit “burnt out” when I originally read this week’s triggering question:
“What role should administrators play in professional learning programs and how do we advocate for their involvement and adequate professional learning support for technology-based learning initiatives?”
I immediately thought of the necessity to differentiate professional development, but I’d covered that in a previous reflection. I then thought of the value of teacher voice and formative assessment but I’d done that too. Luckily, my professional learning circle helped steer me towards a realization—most of my research and reflection has been based on how to plan and deliver great professional development. What I had neglected to look at was the groundwork administrators and educators must lay to create an environment for powerful professional learning opportunities. This led me to look at the necessity of building trust between administrators and educators as I studied the question:
Before teachers and administrators can collaborate together on professional and technology-based learning they must establish a relationship of trust. How can they build this trust and what might stand in their way?
Characteristics of Trust
In her Edutopia article “When Teachers and Administrators Collaborate” Anne O’Brien, deputy director of Learning First Alliance explains that “trust alone does not guarantee success, [but] schools with little or no trust have almost no chance of improving” (O’Brien, 2014). So how do we build trust? To begin, we must understand what combined characteristics create trust…
How do Educators and Administrators Build Trust?
Future Questions
- What elements, aside from trust, are necessary as part of building a framework for effective professional development?
- Gordon, J. (n.d.). 11 Ways to Build Trust. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://www.jongordon.com/positive-tip-buiild-trust.html
Resources
Alrubail, R. (2015, March 19) Administrators, Empower Your Teachers. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/administrators-empower-your-teachers
Brewster, C., & Railsback, J. (2003, September). Building Trusting Relationships for School Improvement: Implications for Principals and Teachers. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://educationnorthwest.org/sites/default/files/trust.pdf
Gordon, J. (n.d.). 11 Ways to Build Trust. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://www.jongordon.com/positive-tip-buiild-trust.html
OBrien, A. (2014, November 20). When Teachers and Administrators Collaborate. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/when-teachers-and-administrators-collaborate-anne-obrien
