Learning to Change

The success of school reform measures greatly depends on the support and commitment of teachers. This book examines the realities of educational change from the frontline perspective of reform-minded teachers. It charts the perceptions and experiences of twenty-nine teachers in grades 7 and 8 from four school districts–showing how they grappled with such initiatives as integrated curriculum, common learning standards, and alternative modes of assessment. This book moves beyond the bandwagons of rhetorical change and examines how these changes work in practice for better and for worse. Authors Andy Hargreaves and Lorna Earl focus on how reform proposals have brought new complexities to teaching practice and why major investments of time and support are required if teaching innovations are to become lasting and effective. Most importantly, they highlight the intense emotional demands that school change imposes on teachers, and they outline practical strategies for helping teachers through the difficult transition process–thus ensuring that worthwhile reforms flourish and endure.