What does it take to help people move through change?

Last week, as our district began the first full cycle of professional learning for a new literacy resource we are implementing, I saw one answer: make room to learn.

I spent weeks planning with our leadership team, literacy coaches, educators, and our consultants. The behind-the-scenes work was time consuming and complex, but it had an important purpose: to make room for educators to ask questions, explore, and feel supported as they began.

As I watched the learning unfold, I kept thinking about the book Situated. In her book, Angela Duckworth recounts how psychologist James Gross presented the Three Boxes model: situation, thoughts, and response. The model gave me a way to reflect on my role in this change. I couldn’t control exactly how every educator would feel, but I could help shape the situation by making time to explore the resource, learn alongside colleagues, ask questions, and adjust. Those conditions can influence how people think about a new challenge and how they respond to it. 

The thoughts shown in the image are possibilities, not direct quotes from teachers. 

I saw teachers exploring the resources, asking thoughtful questions, challenging ideas, and planning together. I saw educators who were excited and overwhelmed, yet willing to try. They knew they could make adjustments as they learned.

George Couros writes in his book Forward, Together, “Often, when we fear trying something new, it’s not because of an abundance of information but a lack of it.” Our time together gave teachers a chance to build understanding, learn alongside colleagues, and consider what to try next.

Making room to learn also meant having our administrators in the sessions, learning alongside teachers. That meant so much to me. Literacy is the foundation of learning, and their presence showed their commitment to supporting our teachers and standing with me and the literacy team as we lead our educators, students, and community through change. It reminded me that we were in this together.

As the learning unfolded, the coaches and I created family resources and walkthrough tools in response to what educators needed. We listened, adjusted, and kept students at the center. We didn’t need to have everything perfect. We needed to keep learning together.

In my book The Leader Inside, I wrote, “Leadership is not a title, but an opportunity to recognize the greatness that lives inside others.” Last week, I saw that kind of leadership in the people who showed up, shared their thinking, and helped one another take the next step. The small wins were adding up.

So, what does it take to help people move through change? When we make room to learn together, change feels possible.

Three things leaders can do tomorrow:

1. Make one part of the change easier to navigate. Check whether staff have the time, materials, or clear next steps they need, then address one barrier.
2. Learn alongside your team. Join a learning session, explore the resource, and ask a question yourself. Your presence shows that learning through change is shared work.
3. Ask what support would help next. Invite staff to name one thing that feels clearer and one question they still have. Follow up with a resource, planning time, or coaching support.