Module 3: Developing Your Teachers and

Teacher Leaders

Staff Buy-In

30/60/90 rule: 30% of staff will be your early adopters for initiatives. Use them as early support and to share the excitement for the initiative to others. The next 30% will be easily converted and will eventually join the initiative once it's been proven successful. The third 30% will be a struggle, but will eventually join in as they see success, but this could take a long time. The final 10% will likely not join in on the initiative. 

Teacher Development

• Start by building trust and confidence with your school community. Spend time to learn the school’s culture, mission, and vision. Be inclusive and value the diversity of your teachers, administrators, students, and staff.

• Develop high-performing teams and build authentic professional relationships with them. Listen carefully to what they say and show you are interested, available, and able to solve problems together. 

• Create space for open, honest, respectful conversation where both sides can voice concerns and share their opinions. Teachers’ suggestions and input are important to the work of teacher development. 

• Tap teacher-leaders or volunteers to pilot a new initiative before rolling it out to the rest of the staff.

• Explicitly acknowledge that progress can be uneven, and then provide clear support along the developmental journey. Most people need to feel comfortable taking risks and experimenting. 

• Consider and respond to teachers’ interests and preferred ways of learning to help them accept and embrace change. Teachers will be at varied levels of readiness for change and development.

• Create the space for learning, feedback, and practice, while holding teachers accountable for making changes in their teaching.

Module 3 Problem of Practice

Key Takeaways (Provided by HBS)