8/6/2024

Leading in Learning Mode: How School Administrators Can Drive Literacy Transformation

When challenging outdated literacy instruction models, school administrators must balance institutional progress—like improving test scores and learning data—with the interpersonal obstacles of changing long-standing teaching practices. 

Balancing the roles of school leader and mentor while driving students towards better educational outcomes can be daunting even for the most experienced administrators. Implementing effective literacy initiatives becomes more manageable when administrators approach change with empathy.

More than just a snappy slogan, "leading in a learning mode" is a mental framework that considers empathy and collaboration to be foundational leadership qualities in a school setting. With it, administrators can galvanize their staff to overcome the institutional barriers that hinder literacy growth.

What Does Leading in Learning Mode Have to Do With Literacy?

For many American schools, the task of increasing literacy rates requires a fundamental shift in established methodology. 

For the past three decades, many American schools have focused on the balanced literacy model for teaching reading. However, experts now recommend lesson plans based on Structured Literacy—an approach grounded in the science of reading that is clinically proven to be more effective.

• Balanced literacy emphasizes a combination of whole language and phonics instruction, and aims to create a more versatile and engaging learning experience with shared reading, guided reading, and independent reading opportunities. However, it often lacks a clear method for teaching foundational skills like phonemic awareness and decoding and has been proven to be ineffective by decades of research.

• Structured Literacy is an instructional approach grounded in the science of reading that emphasizes systematic and explicit teaching of foundational reading skills. Unlike the balanced literacy model, which integrates whole language and phonics instruction in a more eclectic manner, Structured Literacy provides a clear and sequential method for teaching phonemic awareness, decoding, and comprehension strategies. This approach is clinically proven to be more effective—particularly for struggling readers—as it relies on evidence-based practices that ensure all students acquire the critical skills necessary for proficient reading.

Despite better outcomes for children who learn to read with the science of reading, changing 30 years of dogmatic literacy education is an uphill battle for administrators. Before any real progress can be made, administrators and educators must approach their shared goals through a place of understanding and empathy.

Adopting a stance of humility and open-mindedness as building leaders can help administrators drive collaborative literacy transformation in their schools and create the kind of systemic change that will benefit all students.

What Are the Three Tenets of Leading in Learning Mode?

In practice, "learning mode" is a mindset meant to help administrators deepen interpersonal relationships with educators. The three core tenets of this approach include:

1. Vulnerability

Modeling vulnerability allows administrators to engage with career educators by respecting their expertise and soliciting input from a place of openness and willingness to learn. This can look like asking questions such as:

• “What are the methods you’ve used successfully in the past?”
• “I’m unfamiliar with that concept—would you mind explaining it to me?”
• “What are the reactions you’ve had to this method?”
• “How would you change this approach based on your experience?”

In a recent webinar on the subject of equipping school administrators to lead more effectively, Rich Zaragovich, principal of Lordstown Elementary School in Ohio, elaborated on the necessity of vulnerability between administrators and educators.

“Don't ever be afraid to admit that you don't know something,” he advised school leaders in attendance. “It’s OK, you're human … but make sure you get answers. Don't leave your staff hanging. Tell your staff, ‘I don't know the answer, but I'm going to find out for you.’ Allow your staff to share ownership.”

When administrators openly acknowledge their own shortcomings and uncertainties, they create an atmosphere of trust and authenticity. This transparency encourages educators to share their own struggles and ideas without fear of judgment, fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation essential for the effective adoption of new literacy practices.

Vulnerability in leadership is particularly impactful as it demonstrates that taking risks and making mistakes is not only acceptable but a necessary part of the learning and growth process. This approach is critical when integrating the science of reading, which often requires educators to adopt new methodologies and abandon long-standing practices. 

When administrators are vulnerable, they help break down hierarchical barriers, making staff feel more valued and understood. This empathetic approach leads to stronger, more trusting relationships between administrators and educators.

2. Coalition-Building

Teaching students to love reading is a collective effort. Recognizing this shared responsibility is the basis for coalition-building, which helps administrators and educators find the common ground necessary to drive literacy transformation. Communicating these shared goals and emphasizing a collaborative learning-minded culture supports literacy advancement by ensuring all stakeholders are aligned and motivated.

By leveraging their oversight of both administrative goals and classroom challenges, administrators can foster mutual respect and shared commitment to new literacy initiatives, ensuring that both policy and practice are aligned for successful implementation.

However, bridging this gap requires administrators to understand the personal and logistical challenges faced by teachers. They can do this by drawing from teachers’ existing expertise.

“Starting with acknowledging and tapping into what teachers already know about the science of reading as you're making that shift, I think is really important,” said Paula White, executive director of JerseyCAN. “And that, quite frankly, is going to be contingent upon administrators knowing their teachers, right? If you're not taking the time to talk to them, to give them feedback in the classroom, to look at their lesson plans, you don't know them.”

Some concrete steps for coalition-building include:

• Identifying “peer leaders” who already have a knowledge base in the fundamentals of literacy to work with other educators
• Clearly communicating the reasons behind a changed curriculum and setting reasonable expectations that educators can refer to
• Recognizing progress as it is being made as a positive example for other educators to follow

This collaborative approach ensures diverse perspectives and expertise are integrated into decision-making, enhancing the relevance and effectiveness of the changes. Additionally, coalition-building generates broader buy-in and commitment, making new curriculum implementation smoother and more sustainable.

Ultimately, a strong coalition ensures that the curriculum changes are not only well-conceived but also embraced and effectively executed.

3. Empathy

Perhaps now more than ever, leading with empathy is vital to support teachers as they adapt to unprecedented challenges in technology, student needs and behavior, and even political attitudes. As an administrator, the importance of being empathetic in the pursuit of curriculum changes cannot be overstated. 

“I think it's important that you let people know that you care about them,” said Zaragovich. “You care about them as teachers, you care about them as individuals, you care about them as human beings away from the school building. So I think those are critical.”

In practice, administrators should create regular opportunities for open dialogue—such as weekly check-ins or feedback sessions—where teachers can voice their challenges and suggestions without fear of judgment. Addressing the specific stresses and anxieties teachers face might include:

• Training in new technologies or strategies for managing student behaviors
• Acknowledging personal milestones
• Offering flexibility for personal issues
• Showing genuine interest in teachers' well-being outside of school

Empathy allows administrators to effectively address the anxieties and resistance that often accompany significant changes. Valuing the input and well-being of all stakeholders increases trust and open communication. When educators feel heard and understood, they are more likely to engage positively with the changes and contribute constructively to the transformation process. 

Final Thoughts

Driving meaningful change in literacy education should be a goal for every administrator, but doing so requires genuine expressions of empathy and willingness to learn alongside educators. Together, these leadership qualities create a strong foundation for meaningful educational reform, ensuring that all students have access to effective, evidence-based literacy instruction. 

To learn more about the value of empathy in school leadership and hear about the results in the real world, watch the full-length webinar from Lexia’s Science of Reading Week!