March 14, 2023
There is a lot of talk these days about how to teach basic executive functioning skills in schools as well as SEL, DEI, and stress reduction. With learning and social-emotional skill loss due to COVID, teachers are feeling the pressure to refactor existing lesson plans to include DEIJ and SEL, promote student agency, differentiate learning opportunities, and help catch up on missing skills and knowledge that might be contributing to the burnout we have been witnessing.
As an enterprise agile coach, I would encourage teachers to simplify their job by “doing less”. For close to two decades I have coached leaders in the private and public sectors on how to engage with “knowledge workers with the intention of delivering the highest quality experience to the customer.” In that time I have leveraged many frameworks and methods, each designed to help organizations simplify and improve on Quality, Predictability, Productivity, and Employee/Customer Satisfaction. Regardless of the approach, practices, and tools, success has always come down to values and how aligned the teams of people, responsible for their delivery, are with those values.
The skills and values found in the Learning-Educational Agile Framework (L-EAF,) support teams and their ability to respect and value diversity, inclusion, equity, and justice in education while actively participating in the learning journey. The framework prioritizes the development of a collaborative and inclusive learning environment, where every student feels valued and respected, and is provided a space to share their voice and idea flow, where the responsibility for learning is shared by all. Students learn that better results are generated when worked on with more people, with a wider range of skills and backgrounds, and when partnered with peers who are aligned on a shared goal.
Collaboration is key to creating a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can contribute to their full potential based on their unique life experiences. By bringing together different perspectives, views, and backgrounds, teams tap into a wide range of skills and knowledge, which can lead to a more meaningful and impactful educational experience. The goal is to create a culture where differences are appreciated, and everyone feels heard and seen.
Transparency is a critical component in building trust between students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders. It encourages open communication, accountability, and a shared understanding of goals and expectations. This can help to ensure that everyone is working towards…
