I had one of my best years of teaching as a result of being part of a pilot program for EAL inclusion. From the beginning, the way the program was introduced had a positive feel. The third grade team was approached by our curriculum coordinator to ask if we would be willing to take part in a pilot year of co-teaching and full inclusion for all of our EAL students. We felt flattered that we were invited to pilot the program because we were already considered a high-functioning team. So the first thing our school got right was creating an initial positive feeling towards the change (Fleet, De Gioia, & Patterson, 2016, p. 78). Another strong point of this change process was that we were invited (not mandated) to be part of the pilot, so the school’s leadership decided to work with the willing, which we definitely were. 

An additional important factor that contributed to the success of this change was the preparation we received. According to Fleet et. al., change is more likely to be successful when the leader prepares staff for the level of commitment and provides professional learning to prepare for the change (2016, p. 78). Co-teaching can be a very stressful experience without education and preparation. We were given a release day to attend a co-teaching seminar led by our curriculum coordinator. While most members of the team had already been working together, it was explicitly made clear that co-teaching would be a different, more challenging, and potentially more rewarding, type of collaboration. 

As we worked through our first year together, we had several check-ins with the curriculum coordinator, with a view towards sharing our experiences with teachers for the next year’s expected full implementation. The preparation, education, ongoing support and accolades we received through this experience resulted in a very positive experience of change.

Because I left the school after this year, I do not know if everyone perceived the co-teaching EAL inclusion change as positively as our pilot group. I think one feature that could not be replicated in the school-wide implementation was how we felt special as the “chosen group.” We received support, attention and positive feedback throughout the year which made the process especially rewarding. It would be difficult to authentically make every team feel this way, but perhaps an attentive leader could spend time with each co-teaching team and highlight their successes (no matter how small). This could create the sense of accomplishment that motivated us even in more challenging times. 

Features of transformational and situational leadership would best facilitate a positive change process. The transformational leadership attributes most important to the change process are providing an inspirational vision taking and a personalized, caring approach to each individual. The situational leadership attribute required is the flexibility to work with each team and individual at the appropriate level of support. In both leadership styles the differentiated approach is emphasized. Some highly skilled individuals or teams would need little support or direction and thus could be called upon to act as mentors; while other teams would need direct support and/or coaching. With more awareness of the features needed to implement effective change, I hope to someday be a leader in a positive change process such as this one. 

References

Fleet, A., De Gioia, K. & Patterson C. (2016). Engaging with educational change. Retrieved from ProQuest Ebook Central.