Modeling Kagan Structures
Back in 2013 and again in 2015, I wrote articles for the Kagan Online Magazine outlining the implementation of Kagan Cooperative Learning structures at the two schools I was principal and the resulting improvement in academic achievement, behavior, and social skills. As a direct result of implementing a minimum of one Kagan Structure per lesson each day every day, student achievement improved drastically, behavior problems decreased, and positive social behavior improved. As a school leader, I attributed successful implementation to several strategic steps: becoming a certified Kagan School Trainer, providing clear expectations for implementation, providing extensive coaching and feedback, providing materials to enhance implementation, and creating an environment of success. All of these contributed to implementation with fidelity, but the step I believe to be the most powerful was the modeling of Kagan Structures during each and every staff meeting and professional development opportunity.
Modeling the Expectation as a School Leader
As the leader of a school it was critically important to be the instructional leader on campus and model the use of Kagan Structures each and every time I was in front of the staff. This happened during staff meetings and formal professional development. Each meeting always started with either a Classbuilder or a Teambuilder. I modeled what I wanted my teachers to do with their students. Structures were explicitly taught as a structure a month. Structures were also used during every other PD topic. This is where the light bulbs go off for teachers. No matter the content, I modeled how structures are used to teach and engage. It didn’t matter what the topic was: state testing, PBIS, reading intervention, staff handbook, data analysis, new state standards, etc. Teachers experienced how structures can be used with any content, and more importantly, they felt the difference between a two hour PD where the leader talks to them and being actively engaged. Once they felt the difference, they wanted the same for their classrooms. They also felt the difference between cooperative learning and group work. Understanding the difference between cooperative learning and group work led to rapid and radical change in instruction.
Modeling the Expectation as a District Leader
I transitioned from principal at Madison Camelview Elementary School in the Madison Elementary School District in central Phoenix, AZ, to the Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction in the same district at the beginning of the 2014 school year. My new challenge was to figure out a way to implement Kagan Structures at eight schools instead of just one. As a district leader I employed many of the same strategies. We provided extensive training and hosted multiple Kagan Regional Summer Academies. But once again, the most powerful strategy was modeling the use of structures every chance I had. This included at all administrative staff meetings and professional developments, and every time I was working with teachers. As a district leader it was difficult to assess the level of implementation. I was in classrooms regularly and saw the use of structures but I was not in classrooms every day to truly judge the level of implementation. I think the best indication of the level of implementation I have is anecdotal evidence from the beginning of the pandemic and the transition to online learning and eventually hybrid learning where half the students were in person and the other half learned from home. I received many panicked phone calls and emails from teachers. They all asked the same question, “How do we do structures with our students online?” They had grown so accustomed to teaching with Kagan Structures, the thought of not being able to use them was extremely stressful. We instantly went to work figuring out how to use structures when we were all online. We figured out how to use breakout rooms, we hosted and attended Kagan workshops specifically on the use of structures online, and again me and my team of five instructional coaches, continued to model the use of structures during all of our online staff meetings, professional developments, and administrative staff meetings. We paired in-person students with online students for paired structures and two in-person students with two online students for team structures.
Once we returned to in-person learning the same questions arose. “How do we do structures with social distancing, masks, and not sharing materials?” Again, we adapted structures and modeled every chance we had how to still use structures despite the limitations placed on us from the pandemic.
Modeling the Expectation As a Superintendent
I transitioned from the Executive Director for Curriculum and Instruction in the Madison Elementary School District to the Superintendent of the Saddle Mountain Unified School District in western Buckeye and Tonopah, AZ (very west Phoenix metro area), at the beginning of the 2022 school year. The new challenge is to ensure successful implementation of Kagan Cooperative Learning structures at all schools in the district: currently three elementary schools, one middle school, and one high school.
The vision is to once again expect the use of a minimum of one Kagan Structure during each lesson each day. However, I cannot make that expectation until all staff have been trained. We are working on training. We conducted a day 1 Kagan Cooperative Learning training last year and are hosting days 1 and 2 in February and April of this year. In the meantime, I am modeling the use of Kagan Structures every opportunity I get. This includes during all Administrative Leadership Team (ALT) meetings and all Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) meetings. During ALT meetings all of our administrators attend, this includes administrators from the operational side of the District. All staff members experience structures. All ALT and ILT meetings begin with either a Classbuilder or a Teambuilder.
Every time I am in front of staff, I model the use of structures. This even included our back-to-school convocation event. We had every district employee in the high school auditorium for our annual kickoff to the school year. This was approximately 350 employees. We conducted several rounds of Mix-Pair-Share. Timed PairShare and RallyRobin were used as the sharing structures. We then used Pairs Pair to create teams of four and Continuous RoundRobin was used for sharing within the team. It was tough but we did it. Everyone participated. Modeling showed that if I can do multiple structures with 350 people, a teacher can use them in their classroom and a school leader can use them with their staff.
The leader’s modeling also sends a loud nonverbal message. It says, this is important and this is expected. If I can do it, you can certainly do it. It also allows you to demonstrate you can walk your talk. Site administrators model the use of Kagan Structures during their staff meetings and professional development sessions. Instructional coaches model the use of Kagan Structures during professional development sessions. All professional development sessions, including our teacher induction at the beginning of the school year, have the modeling of Kagan Structures. Teachers see, hear, and most importantly feel what total engagement feels like.