In a recent presentation by John Draper, I was reminded of the power of language. Language is a culture builder, pain inducer, confidence booster, safety provider, and more. How we frame problems makes a difference. How we describe actions provides insight.
Dr. Draper shared a story about a potential employee for Disney. Potential employees don’t go for interviews, they go to auditions. If they are hired, they’re not called employees, they’re called cast members. If you visit Disney, you’re not a customer, you’re a Guest. Disney intentionally uses those terms because they mean something special for their organization.
Dr. Draper shared a story about a potential employee for Disney. Potential employees don’t go for interviews, they go to auditions. If they are hired, they’re not called employees, they’re called cast members. If you visit Disney, you’re not a customer, you’re a Guest. Disney intentionally uses those terms because they mean something special for their organization.
Words shape culture, and they can shape how we learn, too.
We used to call our monthly meetings ‘PD sessions.’ Neutral, boring, and uninspiring. This year, we renamed them Collaboration Hour. That small change, paired with intentional design, made a huge difference.
For the first meeting, we changed the name, but I didn't give much direction to our teachers who were leading the meeting. There was a little collaboration that happened, but more was needed to maximize learning and create more of a "shared experience" for our teachers. For the most recent one called Write to Learn, I talked with the two teachers who would be leading the session and told them that I really wanted them to design the meeting so that teachers were DOING - and not just listening about - the strategy they would be teaching.
The teachers did a fabulous job in creating a truly Collaborative Hour for our teachers, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming. Teachers are now sharing strategies from Collaboration Hour in their classrooms. One teacher said, "I finally feel like I can take a strategy from the meeting and use it tomorrow." Another said, "I loved actually doing the work instead of just hearing about it."
For the first meeting, we changed the name, but I didn't give much direction to our teachers who were leading the meeting. There was a little collaboration that happened, but more was needed to maximize learning and create more of a "shared experience" for our teachers. For the most recent one called Write to Learn, I talked with the two teachers who would be leading the session and told them that I really wanted them to design the meeting so that teachers were DOING - and not just listening about - the strategy they would be teaching.
The teachers did a fabulous job in creating a truly Collaborative Hour for our teachers, and the positive feedback has been overwhelming. Teachers are now sharing strategies from Collaboration Hour in their classrooms. One teacher said, "I finally feel like I can take a strategy from the meeting and use it tomorrow." Another said, "I loved actually doing the work instead of just hearing about it."
What small change could you make to your PD that would completely change how your staff engages and learns?
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