Implementing PBL, but No Strategy? Here’s a Better Idea.

Implementing PBL in a District or school invariably begins with a simple bullet in the Strategic Plan: “Train teachers in PBL.”

And too often, that’s where the planning ends. Too late, Districts discover the task has been vastly underestimated. Too late, teachers discover that PBL is not just another ‘strategy’, but a philosophical sea change than can turn a school upside down. It impacts every aspect of school culture and structure, including schedules, collaboration time, conversations about testing and achievement, grading and assessment, and ‘coverage’ issues in every subject.

When there is ‘failure to plan,’ PBL rarely succeeds. Done well, it becomes the centerpiece of a school-wide discussion about transformative practices and a high-performance tool backed by a high-performance organization driven by a vision and careful thinking.

So, the goal? Strategically plan for PBL implementation, THEN train teachers.  

Do Districts and schools have staff to do this? Usually not. PBL has not yet spawned strategic planners who have sufficient experience to understand all the ramifications of PBL and can anticipate the tasks and timeline ahead. Can Districts hire someone? Yes, but education doesn’t generally recognize this kind of assistance. There are ‘bond’ consultants, budget ‘consultants’, and technology consultants, but there is not yet a cadre of ‘inquiry’ consultants’ who can help evaluate and plan for the dramatic changes that accompany the switch to an inquiry mode of teaching and learning, with all the attendant communication, clarification, and mindset-changing issues that inevitably arise in the teaching force and administrative structure.

But I can suggest one unique resource: PBL Global. As a leader in the PBL movement for nearly 20 years, I’ve published two books on PBL, trained nearly 6000 teachers, coached staff at close to 400 schools, founded a PBL-based high school, assisted numerous other start up PBL schools, and worked with District leadership to establish successful PBL programs. This is rare experience—and it matters. One or two days of days of strategic planning with your staff will save time, frustration, and overspending. Get quality PBL launched quickly. Plan for success and anticipate challenges. Know the pain points and overcome them. If you would like to learn more, contact Thom Markham. [email protected].