Trust
My son turned five in May. To my chagrin, he has not learned to ride his bike without training wheels. There are many reasons (excuses) why I have been unable to teach him to ride his bike without training wheels. Come on, I’m a full time principal and my job and students take all of my time. Very poor excuse in the eyes of a five year old!
Two days ago, I decided to take time and teach him the basics of riding a two wheeler. Reluctantly, he agreed to start the process. He helped me take the training wheels off, found his helmet, and I laced up my running shoes. Together we set off down the street. I directed him to keep his weight centered and to peddle faster, but he continued to look back at me while I held on to his seat for support. He was able to remain balanced during the first jog down the block, but faltered each time he looked over his shoulder. We stopped to give me a break and to review his accomplishments.
I sat on his front tire facing him and his face showed apprehension. He was afraid to fall. My words of reassurance fell on deaf ears, but his fear was subdued when we took time to review the facts. He needed evidence that I would be there to catch him.
I reminded him that he had lost his balance each time he looked over his shoulder. Each time he tipped to one side or the other I reminded him that I was there to catch him. The break was over and I continued to catch him as the bike leaned from side to side each time causing the breath to leave his lungs and each time I was there to catch him.
By the end of our short ride I was exhausted and he was able to ride for a short distance without the assistance of his father.
During the school year, teachers experience fears similar to my son. Apprehension is the rust that causes the gears to seize. While teaching my son to ride his bike, I got lathered in sweat. Leaders need to lather up and guide their teachers the same way. Teachers will look over their shoulders and good leaders will be right there encouraging them to continue and when they start to lean off course they will gently assist them as they regain their balance.
My work with my son’s riding isn’t done. We have to practice this newly formed skill over and over until automaticity is accomplished. In fact, I think he could have done it without my assistance, but he needed some affirmation and trust in his father.
As the new school year begins, don’t forget good teachers only need affirmation and the trust of their leaders to learn to ride. Give them time to practice and develop benchmarks to check their own progress.
Teaching Cole to ride isn’t the end goal. I want him to learn to ride so he can become a proficient rider and we can explore larger areas together. Teaching teachers a new skill is never the end goal. Walk along side of them as they practice and implement their new skill with their students and continue to give positive feedback for the progress attained.
I believe that all to often school leaders do not realize the importance of creating an atmosphere of community. It seems that the average teacher is so afraid of failure that they do not try anything new at all. Even in the most supportive environments teachers are still afraid to take risks. Why is that? On one end of the spectrum are people who are the innovators. We cannot wait to try the latest tool or piece of equipment. We are visionary and we can see how these things can work to help improve the education that we are providing to our students. At the other end of the spectrum are the laggards who dig their heels in and refuse to even acknowledge that change is happening. How do we reach the majority that falls in the middle?
As a teacher who has sat through several technology training sessions I can say that most of the time it is approached in the wrong way. It scares teachers to death when in the course of a few hours 50 different tools are thrown at them. Newbies are not ready for that kind of overload. My suggestion? Use teachers to train others in house. Most schools have a few teachers who are the early adopters who cannot wait to teach others what they know. Administrators must participate in these sessions as well. It is not excusable for school leaders to not be fully aware of the tools that they are asking their teachers to use. Ignorance has not been an acceptable excuse for a long time. They cannot support teachers if they don’t know what they are doing!
Thanks and I agree. Scott Mcleod wrote in his blog, “Create an instructional model, not a technological model.” How true is that?!? Your passion is very obvious in your comments.
I apologize for my original link to this on Twitter. Adam is @adewitt2 on Twitter!
To extend your metaphor a bit, Adam…
Our son did not need much of our help to get riding. He went out the garage and took the training wheels off his bike with a wrench when he was three. We needed to guide him to make safe decisions on his bike–remember your helmet, don’t drive out on the road without looking. Our daughter wanted to ride but was afraid of falling. Friends suggested we teach her to ride on grass. We played a few rounds of “fall down” prat falls on the park grass which got her more comfortable with what falling would feel like. Then she launched across the field without her training wheels. Yes, she fell a few times, but she got it.
Where I think this fits with tech pro d and leader/learner support: people will have different fears and needs when it comes to technology. Some will need a lot of “how to” to build confidence, and others will need guidance with designs for learning. We have to see each learner as an individual and be willing to experiment. And we have to build trust brick by brick.
Love your metaphor–good luck to you and your boy–what a great journey.
Hi Adam,
I love the analogy of teaching your son to ride a two-wheeler and teaching teachers new technology skills. You were right there to catch him when he failed (failure leads to success), you talked about the dynamics of his progress and failures, and you made plans for follow up sessions. You were not trying to teach him to ride while standing up on the pedals, ride with no hands, or do wheelies. You started at the point where he was ready to learn – to ride a bike without training wheels. I totally agree with Beth’s comment, “It scares teachers to death when in the course of a few hours 50 different tools are thrown at them.”
I also liked how you continued the analogy when you said you were exhausted after the short session and he could only go a short way. You made the commitment to your son to provide more practice sessions so that he will become proficient. You will be there behind him so he can develop trust and be affirmed in his successes. And you are looking forward to the day where the two of you can explore biggers areas together.
That is the same game plan our leaders need to develop when trying to train teahcers how to use technology.
Beth’s comment, “It is not excusable for school leaders to not be fully aware of the tools that they are asking their teachers to use,” also rings true. Imagine if you didn’t know how to ride a bike or tired to teach your son by showing him PowerPoint slidshow and telling him how to do it for hours. Would he have had any success that first day? I bet your son is probably begging you for another bike training session every time you walk in the door.
If you adopt that training model with your teachers, they to will be begging for more sessions.
Thanks for the additional comments Paula and Beth.
Adam, what jumped out to me is that to be ultimately successful in the process, you have to be looking forward, not down, not back, but forward. Not where you are, where you have been, but where you are going.
Sometimes, reality is rather simple. Thanks for reading Rob.