The 5 steps of change management When it comes to change management, many organizations struggle. They may have a change management process in place, but it's not followed correctly, or employees are not prepared for changes.
Reprint: R1312B Attention is the basis of the most essential of leadership skills—emotional, organizational, and strategic intelligence. And never has it been under greater assault. If leaders are to direct the attention of their employees toward strategy and innovation, they must first learn to focus their own attention, in three broad ways: on themselves, on others, and on the wider world. Every leader needs to cultivate this triad of awareness, in abundance and in the proper balance, because a failure to focus inward leaves one rudderless, a failure to focus on others renders one clueless, and a failure to focus outward may cause one to be blindsided. The good news is that practically every form of focus can be strengthened. The author of Emotional Intelligence, Social Intelligence, and many other books on the power of cultivating awareness explains why focus is crucial to great leadership. Focused leaders can command the full range of their own attention: They are in touch with their inner feelings, they can control their impulses, they are aware of how others see them, and they can weed out distractions and also allow their minds to roam widely, free of preconceptions.
A primary task of leadership is to direct attention. To do so, leaders must learn to focus their own attention. The ArgumentPeople commonly think of “being focused” as filtering out distractions while concentrating on one thing. But a wealth of recent neuroscience research shows that we focus attention in many ways, for different purposes, while drawing on different neural pathways. The SolutionEvery leader needs to cultivate a triad of awareness—an inward focus, a focus on others, and an outward focus. Focusing inward and focusing on others helps leaders cultivate emotional intelligence. Focusing outward can improve their ability to devise strategy, innovate, and manage organizations. A primary task of leadership is to direct attention. To do so, leaders must learn to focus their own attention. When we speak about being focused, we commonly mean thinking about one thing while filtering out distractions. But a wealth of recent research in neuroscience shows that we focus in many ways, for different purposes, drawing on different neural pathways—some of which work in concert, while others tend to stand in opposition. A version of this article appeared in the December 2013 issue of Harvard Business Review.
When it comes to addressing a wide range of skills and abilities in your classroom, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. As a teacher, you have to tailor your lesson plan to different learning styles, student backgrounds and a variety of other factors. If this sounds like a daunting challenge, Eugenia Mora-Flores, EdD, has some reassuring guidance for you. Mora-Flores is the chair of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program at USC Rossier. (Prepare to make a difference in the classroom.) As a Professor of Clinical Education, former K–12 teacher, author and consultant to K–12 schools across the country, here is her expert advice on how to educate students of varying skills and abilities in your classroom. Use differentiation Differentiation is the process of making education accessible for all students. It’s a personalized approach to teaching that addresses individual learning needs rather than using one strategy to address everyone. Additionally, differentiation is a useful tool for promoting equity in the classroom. It not only accounts for different learning styles, but student backgrounds and experiences as well. Use differentiation to accommodate visual, aural and verbal learners, gifted students and students with moderate disabilities—all while acknowledging the unique cultural perspectives of historically marginalized students. Differentiate at every phase of the lesson plan Differentiated instruction means using “a range of strategies to communicate the same information in a lesson,” said Mora-Flores. Lesson plans are typically structured in phases. “In each phase of the lesson, there may be opportunities to accommodate [different] needs. [But we don’t want] teachers to think they need to create 15 different lessons.” Here are some common phases with examples of accompanying differentiation strategies: The introductory phase In the introductory phase of a lesson, you may want to use visuals to recap the previous lesson, while asking a higher-level question to engage gifted learners. You can also break students into groups to discuss prior learning. The research/Inquiry phase In the research phase of the lesson, you can offer a variety of resources for students to learn more about a subject. By providing different modalities such as articles, podcasts, videos, models, experimentation opportunities etc., you ensure that everyone is able to connect with the topic. The demonstration phase Use think-alouds (i.e. ask questions and discuss how to understand the content that you’re reading) to demonstrate how to acquire comprehension skills. The practice/application phase As students work on their own, you can address them individually. Support them by prompting their thinking and guiding them through challenges. Explore other instructional strategies Differentiation is a broad term that encompasses many different instructional strategies. In order to address a wide range of skills and abilities in your classroom, explore different tactics under the umbrella of differentiation to find out what works for you and your students. Creating peer interaction groups for students can be effective. Whether it’s partnerships, small or large groups, each has its own unique benefits. Switching partners or groups within group discussions can also help keep perspectives fresh. For students who require support developing their academic language, teachers can use language tools such as sentence frames and key academic vocabulary words, as well as providing opportunities to talk to their neighbors or table mates to rehearse the language. “We also have strategies that help students organize their thinking,” Mora-Flores added. “Graphic organizers [help students] figure out just how to organize the range of information that’s coming in.” Consider intentional grouping Intentional grouping is when teachers organize students by common interests, backgrounds, or other criteria. For example, students who demonstrate an interest in pursuing a topic at an advanced level or perhaps students with varying academic ability, can work together to tackle a specific question from your lesson plan. Through collaboration, they use their shared interests or attributes to better engage with the material as individuals. Take a holistic view of students’ needs It’s important to consider a wide variety of factors that affect students’ ability to learn. Mora-Flores adds that teachers should “look beyond formal identifications of students in our classrooms to really think about students as individuals.” Here are a few important formal (and less formal) categories of students whose needs you should plan to accommodate:
Addressing diversity requires thorough planning All students bring a range of cultural and social experiences and assets to build upon at school. To ensure that your classroom is equitable for everyone, first reflect on class subject matter as a whole. For example, if you’re tasked with teaching American history, compare the range of diversity in the United States versus the European perspective of your textbook. Does it represent the experiences and history of the students in your class? Then, once you’re organizing your lesson plan, determine how to engage students about equity and diversity. Allow them to have critical dialogue with each other so that they can understand different perspectives. Collaboration enhances learning for everyone Collaboration is a key tool to addressing a wide range of skills and abilities in the classroom. “The opportunity to hear something from a different perspective helps us understand the bigger picture of what we’re studying,” said Mora-Flores. Additionally, collaboration can have the following benefits for students with varying needs:
A Master of Arts in Teaching empowers you to support more students While there are other paths to earning your teaching credential, aspiring teachers can build an enhanced set of skills at an accelerated pace through a master of arts in teaching program. For example, USC Rossier’s MAT program prepares you to meet teaching profession standards, as well as standards for supplemental certifications. You acquire the knowledge to teach in a general education classroom, and can choose to pursue an Education Specialist Credential, California Bilingual Authorization for Spanish, or Gifted Education Certificate. With your enhanced preparation, you’ll be equipped to address more student needs in your classroom once you start teaching. Ready to help all students succeed? Become a Teacher |