This month’s guest blog post is by Robert Abney, the founder of Eleven Words Consulting, a company that focuses on providing leaders in all organizations with philosophies, practices and skills that support effective leadership through establishing shared values, developing consistent actions, building trust and facilitating strong relationships. Robert has 28 years of experience in New Mexico public schools as an educator, school administrator and athletic director. We share a passion for collaborative teacher practices that support learning for all students, which is why I invited him to share his knowledge and passion with us.

Walk the Talk:
3 Strategies to Support Effective UDL Implementation
by Robert Abney

When we think about implementing new approaches to learning in our schools, it is critical that leadership provide more than lip service in support of these initiatives. We know that Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a critical component of effective instruction because of its focus on providing authentic learning experiences for all students through increased student engagement, multiple means for students to perceive and comprehend information, and varied opportunities for students to navigate their learning and demonstrate what they have learned (CAST, 2018). In the work I do with Eleven Words Consulting to support school leadership teams, one of my tasks is to make sure they are walking their talk – that they are doing what they say they will do every day. School leaders can easily use the concept of “Walk the Talk” to support effective implementation of UDL practices in their schools by providing teachers with support and resources, modeling effective practice, and ensuring implementation.

Providing Support and Resources

How many times have teachers seen this happen in their schools: At the beginning of the year, teachers are told that they are expected to implement something in their classrooms - like UDL. They are given a half day of professional development (PD) to introduce the topic; then there is no further supporting PD, but teachers still receive feedback stating that they need to improve their implementation in the classroom. How in the world can anyone be expected to demonstrate mastery of any skill or strategy when they have been given three hours of instruction with no follow-up support? If school leaders are going to ask teachers to effectively utilize any practices in their classrooms, it is incumbent upon those leaders to provide the training and resources needed for teachers to effectively develop those practices. Then, and ONLY then, can teachers be held accountable for the skills they are expected to have.

Modeling Effective Practice

Effective school leaders understand that they must be able to demonstrate that they have the skills needed to effectively fulfill the requirements of their position (Covey, 2008). Instructional leadership requires that school leaders be able to effectively model basic practices that they expect their teachers to implement. Not only does the ability of a leader to model demonstrate that they have the skills to do their job, but it also gives the leader credibility in observing and evaluating practice, as well as a jumping-off point for deeper conversations.

Ensuring Implementation

More commonly known as the concept of “inspect what you expect.” How many times is professional development given in August that is essentially forgotten by the first week of December? If school leaders state that something is a priority, then they must be diligent and regularly ensure that stated priorities are being addressed, and that steps are taken to provide needed resources and support to those teachers who are either unable or unwilling to support those priorities. The easiest way to do this is to simply be in classrooms, watching teachers do the work. This provides school leaders with the added benefit of having a pulse on how their teachers feel about their work, and the need for any additional support.

Sum it Up!

If school leaders wish to “Walk the Talk” and effectively implement UDL practices in their school, they must ensure that their teachers have the necessary training and support, so that they understand what they are doing, why they are doing it and how to do it. They must be able to model effective UDL practices, so they can establish competence with their teachers and have a jumping-off point for deeper conversations. Finally, they must be diligent in regularly visiting classrooms to ensure that UDL practices are being implemented, and whether further training and support is necessary.

If you are interested in learning more about Eleven Words Consulting’s workshops, webinars and coaching, you can contact Robert at elevenwordsconsulting@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @abney45.

If you are interested in learning more about modeling UDL for teachers as administrator, in professional learning or in the classroom, you can contact us here at Growing Minds Consulting and schedule a free consultation.