I am a head teacher in a large secondary school in Scotland. Here the trade unions are very powerful and automatically resist any proposed improvement in learning and teaching practices on the basis that it will involve increased workload. As with all other unions, their priority is of course the well-being of the staff and not the wellbeing of the pupils. Over the years I have evolved the following 5 steps with regard to managing change:
1. Come up with a good idea for improving teaching - either your own good idea or someone else's good idea.
2. Give credit to the school trade union representative for coming up with the good idea, pointing to the trade union's publicly declared commitment to pupil well-being in all things
3. Oppose the idea vehemently - no way is the trade union going to dictate what happens in your school, over your dead body etc.
4. Grudgingly give in to the idea, acknowledgeing that the trade union has you over a barrel
5 implement the idea with no further di
(...) Read more? Sign up for free