Agility and regeneration - a fad in education?
Maybe it is only the case in my circles, but it seems that two buzzwords are being used more than they were before the Corona period: regeneration and agility.
Since we at Guide and Lead have been practicing both for years, without having this kind of jargon in our mouths, I would like to draw a context in which I can see why the keyword agility actually offers more chances (for a long time already) than the fashion of terminology suggests.
AGILITY?
First of all, it seems a good idea to take a brief look at what lies behind this term: namely, the ability to adapt effectively and promptly to challenges, but in the next step not only to anticipate them, but above all to create them oneself in a process that serves development.
So when we speak of an agile mindset, it does not mean at all that we can only react flexibly, i.e in other words to be passive. Rather, it is about actually promoting positive transformations of one’s own environment in a way that is not only beneficial to the entire organization, but above all is supported by it.
Well, that calls immediately for school, doesn’t it?
School – as a learning environment for children can actually be nothing more than an incredibly dynamic organisational structure, in order to absorb the dynamics of the many different children and to offer room for further growth.
And this is exactly the advantage of an agile school.
As we can see in the current challenges of education and school (and society), the very rigid school structures of a traditional school system geared to the needs of industrialisation are now finally reaching their limits, visible to everyone.
The system, but also the individual school, and often enough even the individuals within it, seem to be too rigid, inflexible and above all not at all oriented towards the needs of the children.
Rigid structures that are not very suitable for children are now being patched up, digitally implemented (but not digitized!) and thus almost solidified and manifested in their rigidity. Again, decisions are made away from the teachers and students, often from far away office desks.
And it could be so easy!
Simply through agile school development.
This would answer many needs at once:
- Measures that are taken have a precise effect
- Those affected not only feel taken along, but they themselves are involved and included in the process
- The development process can be integrated into other development processes at the respective school
- The needs of each individual school community are answered, sustainably and with the prioritization that the specific situation of the overall organization demands
- The intensity and also the speed of this development and the measures associated with it can be adapted precisely to the learning needs of those affected.
- The process of transformative school development comes more into focus and not just an imaginary final goal that often enough seems threatening or unrealistic.
- The wind is taken out of the sails of naysayers, blockers and doubters through integration into the self-organized teams, but above all through constant joint reflection and further development of the development goals and interim results
- School development processes can be scaled up: in some schools it makes sense to start small and work through a short project first, but with well-established teams it can be a longer and more in-depth process.
Agility as an answer
The last school year has shown that the way school development planning, curriculum distribution and budget planning is organized in most schools (terribly often enough prescribed by outside agencies such as authorities, accreditation bodies or inspections) has not worked.
It seems therefore complete nonsense that nevertheless supervisory bodies and school administrations are again sitting on these annual plans, which must be submitted on time and of which it is actually clear from the outset that what schools can actually achieve is nipped in the bud: A wonderful dynamic game of supply and demand, of initiating and opening up to new things, of human contact, which offers and even co-creates spaces for out-of-the-box thinkers, which recognizes talents, offers a sense of security and appreciation of personal growth.
It does not help to equip this culture of suffocation with digital means.
It simply makes no difference whether the worksheet, which can be planned months in advance, is ultimately available to the child in paper form or as a PDF ( – the fact that digitization of school works quite differently is worth several other blog posts, some of my points can be read about in my Twitter feed).
Agile school development is therefore also a clear call for more autonomy for the school’s internal teams.
In the different schools I am in charge of, a school community is a system that reminds me very much of the system of a family. Here, too, measures introduced from outside would not only not work, but would automatically cause distrust or even refusal. Failure, high financial, but also systemically relevant non-monetary costs will thus ultimately further weaken the system.
Change needs courage.
So much has been called for change in the education system, yet digital devices are only a tool, never the change itself.
A transition to agile school development can, however, offer exactly this change and certainly also improvement of a venerable but nevertheless transformation-needy system, even this in small or large steps, exactly as needed for everybody involved.
Requirements would be among others:
- More autonomy for individual schools
- Organization of school development processes in self-organized teams
- School development in project character (shorter duration, with structured processes)
- Support for individual schools according to their needs (not according to the needs of the school supervisory body)
- Provision of external coaches to provide support when needed
- Freeing up more staff for these tasks
- Appreciation of active participation in school development processes
And what about the other catchword “regenerative”?
Well, you can answer that very briefly (or very long, if you like):
Every transformation in school, which is the goal of needs-oriented agile school development, will also be regenerative. The journey is the destination, as described above, and through the constant reflection of processes and projects it is ensured that a constant renewal, “regeneration”, takes place.
Agile school development works against any stagnation.
If this develops an agile mindset from the clear awareness of the focus on the needs of everyone in the school community, it will be regenerative.
Guide and Lead has specialized for years in supporting this kind of agile, needs-oriented school development, and we can offer the necessary coaching techniques, training and in-depth knowledge of digitization and EdTech.
Let us know if your organization needs our support. We are here for you.