There are three types of people who seek professional development, and therefore change:
1. People who are forced to change.
2. People who see either short term or long term personal gain in change.
3. People who are passionate and see the purpose in change.
I lead professional development because I am in the third category, but I am not under any delusion that I am in the majority. But let us turn this paradigm on its head. what if we substitute the word learning for the word change. Teachers do not force learning, they do not see learning for only personal gain. In fact, teachers, by their very nature are passionate about learning. They see purpose in it.
So, what does it take to see learning in the same light if learning is change?
It takes first steps and next steps, and baby steps and giant leaps for no kind but your own. It takes just-in-time knowing-where-to-go. It takes the creation of a network, the whole-hearted support of others with the same passion. It takes time.
The instantaneous shift from 1.0 to 2.0 is a myth. I’m not talking about incrementalism; I’m talking about reality.