There is No I in Team

by | Mar 7, 2022 | administrators, coaching, collective efficacy, Education, Efficacy Resource, Hattie, Professional Development, professional learning, rural schools, teachers, training, U.S.

EN ESPAÑOL

(But, There Should be a We.)

“All kids are capable of amazing things!”  

“We grow student achievement!”

What would the impact be in a school if the above two sentiments rang true for teachers and administrators? What if teachers and administrators actually believed these sentiments, and they weren’t just lip service?

Collectively, teachers and leaders need to believe that all students are capable of amazing things, AND the group needs to place intentional effort on gathering information on the impact they are having on student outcomes.

Hattie and his research team outline ten mindframes that characterize effective teachers.¹ These mindframes can be used to develop a language of shared responsibility, collaboration, and efficacy. Hattie’s mindframes typically begin with the pronoun “I.” Because efficacy has to do with the collective approach, I propose that first-person and second-person pronouns such as “we,” “us,” and “you” be considered instead.

  1. We believe our fundamental task is to evaluate the effect of teaching on student’s learning and achievement.
  2. We believe the success and failure of student learning are about what teachers or leaders did or did not do.  We are change agents.
  3. We want to talk more about the learning than the teaching.
  4. We see assessment as feedback about our impact.
  5. We engage in dialogue and not monologue.
  6. We enjoy the challenge and never retreat to ‘doing our best.”
  7. We believe it is our role to develop positive relationships in classrooms and the school environment so that learning can occur in a place where it is safe to make mistakes and learn from others.
  8. We inform all about the language of learning.
  9. We recognize that learning is hard work.
  10. We collaborate.

See, from my perspective, using words like “we,” “you,” and “us” can help to establish language that embodies the role of the group and their collective responsibility to the school environment and students. It also reflects the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of the group with respect to their contribution to producing positive outcomes.

Download an infographic of the 10 mindframes for easy use with your teachers and staff!

DOWNLOAD

Visit the blog in the coming weeks as we close out our series with a focus on the importance of language.

¹ Hattie, J., Zierer, K., and Arens, B. (2018).  10 Mindframes for Visible Learning:  Teaching for Success.  Brattleboro, VT:  Echo Point Books & Media.