Schools That Learn

Schools must evolve to meet the needs of our students. Although I agree that a strong basic educational foundation is a must and very important, our students’ future also requires that they are creative, have the social and emotional skills required to work in teams and be a problem solver. Though change is slowly coming it is being met with resistance. Many teachers and administrators are reluctant to change the way schools have been run. In order for true change to occur the school (teachers and administrators) and the community have to be willing to work together for the students.
Schools That Learn by Peter Senge is a must read for anyone in the education field. The book aims to create an alliance between the community, the students, educators, parents, and the school. This book contains the theory that schools can change, be re-created, and made vital by involving everyone in becoming aware and expressing their aspirations. Throughout the book, Peter Senge uses examples and gives advice on how to make changes and not just talk about it. You can’t help but feel inspired after reading this book. I felt motivated to take action and try to make changes in my school building, although this was not an easy task. Where should I begin? I found that by joining committees and taking more of a “set example by doing” stance, I was able to contribute to and become part of the decisions that affected what and how I taught. Although my involvement didn’t alter the dynamics of the school district as a whole, it did reshape the way things were done in my building and the success led to other building following suit.
I focused mostly on the classroom section of the book because I am a classroom teacher and that is where I believe I can make the most change. I agree with the notion that teachers are the designers of the learning environment. I believe that we can learn a lot from one another.
We all have different strengths and weaknesses and its important to be comfortable admitting that we don’t have all the answers. Children as well are all different. What works for some, might not work for others. Differentiating instruction is so important. I enjoyed reading the section about “Seeing the Learner”. I work in a district with an extremely high percentage of second language learners and over the years I've seen the district try to deliver the same curriculum it had many, many years ago. Thankfully, we have made adjustments and changes. We are “seeing the learner” and “demystifying the child”. We are differentiating, using a more constructivist approach to teaching, and infusing technology. I know that change can’t happen overnight, but I am comforted in seeing its slow, steady progress in my district.