Begin with the Why

In our current, pressure-filled climate caused by reduced resources and higher accountability for results, we are wise to consider the sage advice shared by Lois Brown Easton, in Learning Forward’s spring 2012 issue ofTools for Learning Schools. Lois sets forth a compelling argument that we need to take time to consider the why behind change efforts before we rush to the how and what. In her article, theWhy, How, and What of Professional Learning, Lois suggests that professional learning communities embarking on change efforts would do well to explore the following questions before planning a course of action:

• What do we know? What do our data tell us?
• Are we satisfied with what we have learned about our students academically, socially, and personally?  Is their status quo good enough for us?
• If not, are we willing to make change in some way?  (p. 7)

 Experience reminds us that our tendency to jump to solution, before careful exploration of problems, has often resulted in failed change initiatives and a sense of initiative overload on the part of our fellow educators. While it takes time to pause and determine root cause for the deeply rooted problems we face, we would do well to remember that we save time and resources in the long run by taking this critical  first step. As Lois Brown Easton states so well, “Shared beliefs, common purposes and focused passion emerge from delving into why.”