I am the principal of a 1st-12th ESL international school in Asia (not a language school). For two years I have been unsuccessful with getting my international teaching staff to adopt WBT.

The teachers from all grades (primary, middle and high) say it looks good for the other grades, but not theirs. Also, there has been consistent push back because they say it is too "corny".

Having failed at trying to get the whole WBT system adopted, I now would like advice or ideas on which parts would be best to get started with then move into more complete use as the school year progresses. That or any other ideas on how to get WBT into the classroom with resistant teachers.

I would start with the Teach/OK using gestures to teach concepts. That is key to the learning power of WBT.

Do you have assemblies? You could run your assemblies using WBT... You could do class visits and do a small lesson using WBT...

Good luck!!!

I agree with the post made before to start with teach/okay and gestures. In all classrooms use partner share or cooperative learning. With using teach/okay it is the same thing only it is easier to manange. When students say teach, they know they are responsible for teaching. In addition to that I would highly recommend using gestures. Many students are visual learners and using gestures in the classroom is a great way of helping students retain what they have learned. It has done wonders in my classroom!! There are a lot of great gesture ideas on the forum. I also think using class/yes is the best attention getter out there. Who doesn't want their students attention quickly? Once they start with these few fundamentals they will see how great WBT is. Then they can follow up by using all of the big seven. In my school district our principal showed the staff several youtube videos. Many had never heard of it. Since I was the first to start using it in the school, she had many teachers come observe what I was doing. Maybe you can get a couple teachers on board and have them lead the way. It has worked for us!!! I hope this helps a little.

Toni Garcia
WBT Intern Level 1

I would start by making the decision to make a set of school wide rules, which are of course, The "5 Rules of WBT". If anything, these rules set the foundation of the classroom and are the rock of everything else WBT offers. I would of course also start with using, Class/Yes, which as mentioned above can be taken into assemblies... I would also emphasize the importance and requirement of engagement strategies at your school and give the staff examples of WBT strategies/show you tube videos. I'm sure at least a few will be willing to take off and use WBT to show the rest how successful WBT is!

Inutini, Thanks for the idea of the assemblies. Yes, we do them weekly and yes I will start using WBT there.

In order to bring down the fear of the new program I have decided to lead by example and co-teach a class next semester and use/demonstrate WBT. This is possible because here in Asia such things are normal (our local vice principals routinely teach some classes).

As suggested, I will start with the teach/OK and gestures.

Along with my direct involvement in the classroom, I still am pushing the teachers to adopt WBT on their own.

Viewing several videos was suggested. Which videos are best to show to new teachers. By the way, most of my teaching staff are international ESL teachers who have landed in an academic environment. Therefore, things like WBT, learning modalities, multiple intelligences, inductive teaching models etc are new and can be a bit overwhelming to them. As a group they are very positive people with great rapport with their students. It is just that with so much going on, compounded by the ESL environment it can be quite overwhelming. So, the videos need to be the least threatening.

Jason,

Have you read any of the eBooks? The book "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids" is a really valuable resource. And, guess what? What works for challenging students works for ALL students! I think your idea of leading by example is a great place to start!

The videos on the WBT site are very non-threatening. You could begin with WBT, The Basics, and then move to the 8 part series by Chris Biffle. Your teachers do not have to be experts to begin. Could you have a staff meeting to watch a few of the videos, and then practice "Class, Yes", the 5 Rules, and "Teach, OK"? At my school, I did three little staff training/practice sessions before I began to see teachers gain enough confidence to use WBT in their classrooms. Even now, I continue to review with my teachers, and some are just at the beginning stages, while others have jumped in and are ready for more.

I taught in Malaysia, and I understand what you are saying about your teachers being hesitant to embrace WBT. The style is radically different than the standard lecture/take notes method of teaching. But, it is highly effective due to the micro-lecturing and the use of gestures. This would be a great tool if your classes have students coming from more than one language background, as I did in Penang. Vocabulary and concepts are solidified as the students teach each other what they have learned. Besides, it is a whole lot of fun!!!

Good luck! Keep us posted on how things are going for you!
Deb Weigel
WBT Intern, Level 1

Have you tried modeling WBT with your teachers and staff when doing PD? (Professional Development) Our Principal is trying something similar (not WBT, but other research-based instructional methods). And he has met resistance as well. BUT....teachers ARE slowly trying SOME of what he's promoting, and I think it's largely because of his leadership style, which I would characterize as gently relentless.

First, he never DEMANDS that we try anything new, just encourages us to do so, understands when it doesn't go smoothly (especially the first time) and coaches constructively (when observing) when offering advice.

Second, since he began this "journey" with us last Fall (when he first started promoting these new strategies), he has consistently and doggedly modeled what he wants to see with US, during OUR meetings and workshops. (I'm envisioning you using "Class/Yes" and "Teach/OK" with your staff - also gestures!) If you give them a taste of doing it themselves, and they see how fun and engaging it is, even for us grown-ups, I'll bet at least one teacher will be willing to try it in his/her classroom.

Third, be patient. My Principal really started his current initiative with us last Fall, and it's taken awhile for us teachers to get on board. Even those of use who are willing to try new "stuff" find it takes a lot of time and energy to do so. Most of us are trying a few things here and there, and trying to make sense of what's working and what's not....but there are still some who adamantly refuse to try anything new.

Remember, don't give up, be a good model, and eventually at least ONE teacher will try it out....then others will follow.

- Jen