How does one create change in schools? 

 Over coffee at Schuler’s this week, Tony shared insights from his work in Coopersville and Muskegon.  Tim shared wisdom from Kentwood.  Kari and Jan from Belding.  Their advice?  Start small.  Work with those who want to work with you.  Gain the trust of a couple of folks by building relationships.

 Tony and I have been running “Embedded Institutes” at two schools this year, combining days in classrooms with after-school workshops for whole staffs of teachers. Wisely, Tony has focused his coaching on two teachers who are already doing excellent work.  Our goal with these Embedded Institutes is to encourage leadership that can be sustained after our visits end in May.  Sustainability.  It means more than eschewing Styrofoam coffee cups at our get-togethers.  We value sustainability in professional learning because endless cycles of new curricular mandates only exhaust and deplete teachers.  The LMWP wants to nurture individuals to claim teaching as a life-long vocation.  Imagine the education that our cadre of teacher leaders could offer if we continued to grow in wisdom for decades.