Adam Robbins Education

Recently I’ve been engaging with a few American teachers via social media. These colleagues are trying to change their teaching practice to become more evidence-informed. Often they express frustration with the climate they work in. Much of the profession seems stuck in an ideological gridlock, unable to recognise the power of the techniques these teachers are employing.

We often look to leaders to drive these changes and assume a classroom teacher lacks the reach or authority to make an impact.

It made me wonder: can one teacher change the teaching culture of their school? And if so, how would they go about doing it?

So if you’re a lone teacher trying to improve your school, or just interested in how behaviours spread, strap in and enjoy the ride!


1. Awareness is Not the Priority
A classroom teacher has an awesome idea, spaced retrieval using a daily quiz, for example. They think, “This is so great that the only reason people aren’t doing it is because they don’t know about it.” They resolve to spread the word. They go around the staffroom telling everyone about this new idea and how well it’s going. Fast forward a few weeks and… nothing has changed. Why?

The teacher has made a common mistake: they think the idea is so good that it’s a simple contagion, something that spreads as soon as people are aware of it.

Behaviour, however, is rarely a simple contagion. It’s a complex contagion. For it to be adopted, we need to communicate not just the information but the social support behind the change. It’s a complicated topic that forms one of the three theoretical pillars of Unlocking Teacher Development if you want to learn more.

The consequence of this is that raising awareness can actually work against the teacher. The more aware people are, the more they also notice that others know about the idea, and still aren’t doing it. By raising awareness, you can inadvertently strengthen the “don’t adopt” signal.

2. Slow but Steady Wins the Race
Instead of trying to increase awareness, look first to the teachers you work most closely with. Maybe they teach the same classes or are friends you already collaborate with. Hone the idea in your own classroom, then share it with them.

The aim is to build a small network of adopters who are in regular contact with each other. This is a network of strong ties, often with some social redundancy, because they not only mix with you, but with one another.

3. Pitch the Idea Correctly
When introducing an idea, don’t start by announcing that you’ve discovered something incredible. Instead, focus on the problem the idea solves. If you’re unsure, think in terms of Kennedy’s persistent problems.

A teacher trying to promote retrieval quizzes might start with:
“I find it so frustrating when my students forget the basics and I have to go over things I taught last month. Do you have the same problem?”

This begins a discussion around the problem. Now it’s time to introduce the idea and listen closely for change talk.

Change Talk and Motivational Interviewing
Change talk is any statement a person makes that leans toward positive change; showing desire, ability, reason, or commitment to do something differently. In Motivational Interviewing (MI), the goal is to notice, reflect, and gently amplify this language so that motivation grows from within the speaker rather than being imposed by the listener.

I’ll probably write about this in more detail once I have more experience in the field, it will likely be my first expansion pack for Unlocking Teacher Development.

The most common framework for recognising it is DARN-CAT. Below is each type with an example:

Desire: wanting to change. “I’d really like my students to remember more from last month.”
Ability: believing they can change. “I could build in more quick reviews at the start of lessons.”
Reason: explaining why change matters. “If they could recall the key terms more easily, it would make everything else flow better.”
Need: recognising importance. “I need to find a way to stop all the forgetting between topics.”
Commitment: intending to act. “Next week I’m going to try short retrieval quizzes.”
Activation: preparing to act. “I’m planning to use last term’s starter questions again.”
Taking steps: beginning to act. “I’ve already started adding a ‘last month recap’ slide to my lessons.”

When you hear these kinds of statements, reflect and encourage elaboration:
“You mentioned wanting them to remember more — what ideas do you have for helping that happen?”

The key principle in MI is to encourage and evoke change talk so that it outweighs the anti-change or sustain talk.

4. Introducing the Strategy
Once you sense momentum behind change, look for a natural moment to introduce the strategy you’ve been using.

“I think you’re right about quizzes. I’ve decided that I’m going to quiz students at the start of every lesson. I’ve written a bank of questions so they can practise at home.”

This opens the door by showing a simple, pre-made solution; effectively shrinking the change.

The conversation can then shift to logistics. When they identify potential barriers, empathise, agree, and explain how you’ve either mitigated them or found that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Then ask them to reflect:
“I was also worried students might lose motivation if they were consistently unsuccessful. I’ve tried scaffolding questions to reduce literacy barriers, re-using questions early on to build momentum, and drawing attention to their progress. What do you think?”

Remember; the key thing is to get them to articulate the reasons to change.

5. Regularly Check In with Your New Adopters
Once you have a small group of converts, it’s time to strengthen this network. Check in regularly, share successes casually, and keep reinforcement high; ideally above the 25% tipping point (see Unlocking Teacher Development if you’re interested).

6. Wait and Trust in Strong-Ties Diffusion
Now the following should happen: people on the edge of your network, those who share close ties with you or your adopters, will notice what you’re doing. You can encourage this by having similar conversations or simply saying,
“Jim and I are both trying quizzes to start our lessons.”

Soon others will notice, adopt, and begin doing the same.

7. Pounce Once the Powers That Be Notice
Sooner or later, TPTB* will take note. It might be because others share how useful the approach is, or your improved results spark curiosity. That’s when you explain the problem you faced, the decisions you made, and the strategy you used. Then repeat stage three, but remember that leaders will focus more on logistics and whole-school implications than on classroom detail.

What About a Really Obstructive Leader?
From what I’ve heard, some leaders and administrators can appear blind to great ideas. If that’s true, how can this advice still help teachers in that situation?

While leadership support is valuable, it’s worth noting that if the idea is sound and the network is strong, it can still spread without the leader’s backing. It’s just easier if they’re on board.

If you’re a pioneer teacher trying to change the world one class at a time, I hope this helps. It’s a valiant and important act and I encourage you to keep up the good work.

Reference

William R. Miller and Stephen Rollnick, Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change, 3rd ed. (New York: Guilford Press, 2013).

*Shout out to the Buffy fans!