Check and Adjust
I look forward to the second half of a school year perhaps even more than the first because it offers a chance for course correction, much like a football team making halftime adjustments. Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, I reflect and discuss with colleagues, mentors, and student leaders to enrich the student experience within our program.
With time always at a premium, how do we ensure we move in the right direction? We have a concert in six weeks, a fundraiser kicking off tomorrow, and we need to focus on learning Region Band music. Is it even worth revisiting what didn't go well? From my experience, the answer is almost always yes.
Dr. W. Edwards Deming, celebrated for his role in the post-World War II reconstruction of Japanese industry, once noted that "a system will produce exactly what it's capable of producing." After exploring his philosophy in my early years of teaching, I felt compelled to evaluate and tweak our methods and goals to align with our core mission. Are we using the best approach to meet our objectives? If not, what adjustments are necessary?
Just as the first reading of a new piece for a concert or marching from one set to another isn't perfect, our initial attempts at anything are rarely our best. Yet, there's always something to learn and improve upon. Developing processes that are both efficient and effective can take days, weeks, months, or even years, requiring patience, reflection, and constant refinement.
Below are the steps I've found effective after years of personal adjustments:
Create Your Initial Plan - Clearly articulate not just the 'what' and 'how', but also the 'why' behind the process. Also, devise ways to measure progress. If these aren't clear, pause and reconsider before moving forward.
Implement - Roll out the plan. There will always be some anxiety about unforeseen issues, but they're part of the learning process.
Check - After implementing the plan at least twice (if possible) with an emphasis on intention, gather feedback from your data, those directly involved (like colleagues and students), and external observers (mentors, state evaluations) to assess what adjustments are needed.
Adjust - Return to steps one and two with new insights. Sometimes, this means scaling back in one area to benefit another (choosing less challenging music to focus more on literacy skills).
I’ve learned over the years that I won't get everything right the first time, but the goal is to make as many correct decisions as possible. The first planning and implementation is like waiting for the perfect conditions to launch a rocket. Once we get into evaluating and adjusting, then we are performing mid-mission repairs like Apollo 13 ("Houston, we have a problem"). In this situation, if an opportunity for adjustment arises, I’ve found it’s best to act swiftly because time is precious. This might be the last chance this school year to make something better.
Ultimately, the steps we take to improve student experiences will evolve as we learn. We must give ourselves grace, not expecting perfection in developing our processes any more than we expect from students learning an instrument. Do your best, then check and adjust. Admitting we've been heading north when we should have been going west isn't easy, but it's better to reach your destination late than to never arrive at all!
As a teacher, I find nothing more rewarding than seeing students grow through our collective efforts to improve. This isn't just about me; it's about all of us in education striving to do better. Best of luck on your journey!
Yours in Service,
Matt
In education, there are always things beyond our control. We can adjust but we are often thwarted in our efforts. Since I’ve taught a couple of years longer than you- I’ll say that I’m happy to take individual wins- a student finally sings a scale with correct pitch and solfege- to leave each day with a smile.
You will do great things- so grateful to work with you!