System-level leaders are charged with evaluating instructional quality and nurturing an environment where teachers can flourish in their careers. But those skills don’t come intuitively: they must be learned.

In this episode of The Best of Us, Jeremy and Jen Cheatham delve into Jen's course "Leaders of Learning" at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Dr. Cheatham is an expert on fostering adult learning and mindset change in educational settings, and shares a wealth of practical tips for education leaders seeking to transform their practice.

Join us as we navigate the ins and outs of helping educators see themselves as change agents. We also explore avenues of growth, personal reflection techniques, specific practices for creating adult learning conditions, and much more.

Listen now:

The purpose of Leaders of Learning (00:01:52) - Jen describes the course's focus on system-level leaders and creating conditions for student and adult learning.

Expanding the role of leaders of learning (00:03:26) - Jen explains how the course challenges traditional instructional leadership and expands to managerial and political leadership.

I used to think, now I think (00:09:15) - The importance of changing one's mindset and the ability to learn and adapt in leadership roles.

Examples of mindset change (00:12:39) - Jen discusses examples of educators changing their perspectives during the course.

Creating a space for authentic conversation (00:15:35) - The importance of building an intimate and supportive environment for educators to reflect and discuss their mindset.

The makeup of the class (00:20:07) - Description of the students in the class, their roles, and their professional trajectory.

Challenges of changing adult mindsets (00:21:41) - The difficulty of changing the strong points of view of mid-career educators.

Practices for creating conditions for adult learning (00:22:52) - Specific moves and practices implemented in the course, starting with the reflection piece.

Community Circle and Graffiti Wall (00:23:13) - Creating conditions for adult learning and mindset change through personal goals and sharing experiences.

Rituals and Routines for Building Community (00:24:26) - The importance of building strong relationships through rituals and routines in a learning community.

Leveraging Participants' Expertise (00:26:06) - Encouraging participants to bring their diverse expertise and experiences to the learning environment.

Co-Designing the Learning Experience (00:29:24) - The flexibility and collaboration in designing the course to meet the needs of the specific group of participants.

Anchoring Professional Learning to a Shared Vision (00:34:08) - The importance of professional learning being centered around a shared vision of excellent teaching and learning.

Creating Space for Broader Conversations (00:39:02) - Balancing the urgency of day-to-day teaching with broader conversations about excellent teaching and learning.

Creating Strategic Conditions for Learning (00:42:38) - Discussion on creating strategic and supportive conditions for teachers and students, emphasizing the importance of time and strategic conversations.

Building Trust and Focusing on Culture (00:44:54) - Emphasizing the importance of trust in schools, the impact of accountability movements, and the role of specific district departments in building or killing culture.

Role of HR and Research Departments in Culture Creation (00:46:10) - Highlighting the role of HR and research departments in creating positive cultures, guiding and teaching managers, and using data to make humanizing decisions.

Professional Learning and HR Collaboration (00:48:58) - Exploring the potential collaboration between professional learning and HR to create conditions for educators to do their best work.