Building a Culture of Collaboration

Recently, I was a guest on the Jigsaw Learning Podcast with hosts Kurtis and Lorna Hewson, and it was a fantastic conversation. You can listen to the full episode here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K53nYQVALY4.

During the show, we discussed how districts move from a collection of “isolated heroes” to one connected team, and I walked through five shifts that make it happen:

• Treat the district like a connected universe — much like Star Wars or He-Man, every department should tie back to one shared story instead of operating in silos.
• Redefine the coach’s job — a coach isn’t there to “work with teachers,” they’re the vehicle for delivering the district’s strategic plan.
• Coach vertically, not horizontally — start with a whole-staff demo, move to grade-level application, and save one-on-ones for deep implementation.
• Follow the leadership dance — the superintendent sets the goal, the principal becomes the first follower, and the coach carries the move to everyone else.
• See the coach as the district’s conductor — the one person holding the full score, keeping every classroom playing in tune with the strategic plan.

Underneath all of it are Impact Standards — the bridge that keeps technology tied directly to curriculum and district goals.

I highly recommend checking out the great work that Kurtis and Lorna are doing at Jigsaw Learning

• Website https://jigsawlearning.ca
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JigsawLearningAB/
• LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/jigsaw-learning-inc
• Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jigsawlearningab/

For more information on the systems behind these ideas, check out my book, Impact Standards: Designing District Systems That Power K–12 Learning, or visit TeacherCast.net.

And if you’d like to have me on your show, I’d love to join you — reach out here.