To help teachers become transformational teachers, we must understand why they resist change.
One tool that we can use is an empathy map. You cannot help teachers improve unless you know where they are coming from. You cannot go to their schools and tell them that your intention is to change them because you do not want any child to be left behind.
You do not tell the veteran teachers especially those who have started teaching even before you were conceived. You do not sell to them the idea that you know better simply because you know technology.
You do not go to a school head and tell them that you want to train their teachers. Don’t assume that you know better than her on how to develop the very people entrusted to her.
They will not buy you and your mission of improving schools unless they know you are coming from their side. So, go to where they are coming from.
How are you going to do that? Map the system.
List down all the stakeholders, the people who have an interest in the fulfillment of your mission. No one will resist the idea that we need to help our teachers become better teachers. No one will resist the idea that every teacher must be a transformational, a catalyst, and a changemaker.
But they want it done according to their terms. Every one of them has values they hold so dearly. Find out what’s important to them.
Every one of them associates themselves with something. Learn about their loyalties. They can be loyal to a person, to a cause, or an idea of how teachers should be.
More importantly, find out what they don’t want to give up now. To make a change, you must sacrifice, give up something. You must show them that giving up will have bigger returns.
Let’s make change happen by seeking to understand first.
