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By: Ryan Steuer, CEO
Magnify Learning
Dallas, TX
This is part 3 of the Leadership Series on research around Project Based Learning by the Lucas Education Foundation research.
How do we get better with PBL throughout the school year?
We do a lot of our training over the summer. Teachers are out of school and they’re asked, “Hey, can you guys come in for three days? We'll pay you, we'll give you lunch, and you can learn really great stuff, get great training.” And teachers love our training. So that happens. But now what do you do? How do you keep things going throughout the school year?
You Need A Coach
You need to have a PBL coach. It’s essential. In the early days when we just had the summer touchpoints. Sometimes we'd see teachers at Jump Start, and they wouldn't see you again until the next summer, in the Advanced PBL Training. When we see them again for the second year, we ask what participants need to know based on their implementation the previous year and they sometimes say, “Well, you know, I didn't really get to fully implement because I wasn't sure about my community partner.” If they had a coach in place, we could have helped with that in five minutes. And they could have implemented and implemented it again and again, and that one school year and learned so much. And now we've lagged for a year.
That's really how our virtual coaching was born. With just a few touch points, we can really help your staff implement PBL with success and fidelity. And that's exactly what we found so far. With ongoing coaching, the implementation rate skyrockets; PBL becomes embedded into the culture and confidence is built, and the projects have fidelity.
Coaches Aren’t Just for Teachers
If you are an administrator, you, too, probably need a coach. I have a coach that I bounce ideas off of, and I expect him to push my ideas and poke at things. You need someone who is outside of your staff outside of your district to push you. We provide that through Magnify Learning, and I also have some great places that can refer you to. But you really need to find a coach. It's an investment in yourself. But it's also an investment in your school.
I’m Ryan Steuer – author and thought leader who specializes in Project Based Learning training, coaching, community, and content to help educational leaders fulfill their vision of deeper learning in their schools. I’ve worked with leaders in school districts of all sizes, from 400 students to 100,000 students. These visionary leaders care about their students, but they are often stressed, overworked, and overwhelmed with the work ahead of them. That’s where I come in! I help leaders achieve their PBL vision, lead their staff, AND stop working weekends.
When I’m not guiding school leaders through Project Based Learning mindset shifts, I am outdoors with my wife and 5 kids - canoeing, hiking, biking, and traveling the US in our RV.
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