EDUC 6145-Wk2 Assignment-GLC CHANGES IN BEHAVIOR

Grade Level Culture Change-Post Mortem Review 

Context: From school- year (SY) 2020 until SY 2022-2023, I was the grade level chair/ team leader for our 7th-grade team. I was in charge of a very unique task: Reintegrating 7th-grade students back into the classroom setting and establishing an overall new system of grade-level culture for both teachers and students. A very daring task for a 4th-year teacher and without support from the administration ( they had their own fires to put out and everyone on the team was new. Talk about building a plane while flying it!)

In the end, we welcomed our 7th graders back through hybrid, and the first year of "new normal" instruction, and some of our work was rolled into the overall campus guide.

1. Are you proud of our finished deliverables (project work products)

If yes, what's so good about them? If not, what's wrong with them? I am very proud of the work products we produced. As far as something tangible, we helped create the overall campus behavioral system and  detail out exactly what action received what consequence, and what action received an award/reward. I also helped redesign our "zestfest" or Friday festival which celebrates our student's weekly achivements so that all students can feel acknowledged by teachers. Lastly, I instituted the 3:1 ratio and weekly calls, so that for every 1 negative phone call, we made three positive calls or points of contact. This effectively led teachers to view students, even the most difficult ones, in a more positive manner. 

2. What was the single most frustrating part of our project? The single most frustrating part was the lapse in support at certain points of the process. At times, it felt like I was walking in the woods with just a little bit of light. I was left to figure out how to do something extraordinary oftentimes on my own, however, I discovered my own strengths in the process.

3. How would you do things differently next time to avoid this frustration? God forbid if there is a next time! If a similar situation arises, I would partner up with others who either have already developed and implemented overall cultural changes and work with those who are starting off in the same place I am and create a team.

4. What was the most gratifying or professionally satisfying part of the project? Adult educators often times vent and complain about students. That is normal and human. What was gratifying was seeing this venting session diminish over time and our conversations become more about celebrating students.

5. Which of our methods or processes worked particularly well? Using project maps and board to track and manage overtime who was doing what

6. Which of our methods or processes were difficult or frustrating to use? Not sure

7. lf you could wave a magic wand and change anything about the project, what would you change? I would like more artifacts of knowledge that I can keep. I left the school so I no longer have access to that information

8. Did our stakeholders, senior managers, customers, and sponsor(s) participate effectively? If not, how could we improve their participation? Somewhat. In order to improve, we should have met more often and spent time on students' emotional learning loss. Perhaps bring in a counselor or even a psychiatrist to help us with the re-integration process and challenges students face with social anxiety, PTSD, and other trauma-related issues. This was all done against the backdrop of COVID-19 still being a daily concern.