Moving from Ideas to Implementation: A Principal's Journey Creating Buy-In with PBL

  The Ruckus Report Quick take: In this special coaching episode, a K-4 principal shares his honest struggles and breakthroughs in implementing project-based learning, revealing why communication and teacher buy-in are crucial for meaningful educational change. Meet Your Fellow Ruckus Maker Dan is a K-4 principal with an art education background, bringing a unique creative perspective to his leadership role. As a solo administrator in his building, he's passionate about transforming education through project-based learning while maintaining strong relationships with his staff. Breaking Down the Old Rules 🔨 In this episode, Dan challenges traditional education paradigms: Key Insight #1: Consistent Communication What's broken: Sporadic communication about new initiatives, assuming teachers will automatically buy in The shift: Consistently discussing and reinforcing PBL benefits while giving teachers autonomy to experiment Impact: Teachers feel more supported and are more likely to take risks with new teaching methods Key Insight #2: Building Authentic Relationships What's broken: Traditional top-down mandate approach to implementing new programs The shift: Building genuine relationships and understanding teachers' individual goals and aspirations Impact: Increased teacher engagement and willingness to try new approaches Key Insight #3: Meaningful Feedback Systems What's broken: Complex, jargon-filled evaluation systems that don't drive real improvement The shift: Simple, meaningful feedback focused on growth and celebrating small wins Impact: More authentic professional development and risk-taking in the classroom Quotable Ruckus "You have to have the mentality that everybody you meet is going through something that you don't know anything about. We have a saying here: 'Sweep the sheds.' It sounds kind of weird, but it's about humility and doing the work that needs to be done." -Principal Dan Your Do School Different Challenge Ready to implement these ideas? Start here: Tomorrow: Ask your teachers what's stopping them from trying something new in their classrooms This Month: Create a weekly roundup to celebrate teachers taking risks and trying new approaches This Semester: Develop an implementation plan based on teacher feedback and goals Connect & Continue 🎯 Get the full episode transcript: Link 🔗 Join The Ruckus Maker Club waitlist: https://ruckusmakers.club/join 💪 Apply to the Ruckus Maker Mastermind: https://www.betterleadersbetterschools.com/mastermind-application   Do you Subscribe to the Ruckus Maker Newsletter? Learn how to Do School Different 3x a Week. Join for FREE here.     Today’s Pod in Partnership with: IXL Meet your students where they are and take them where they need to go. Join over 1 million teachers who trust IXL to drive data-informed excellence in their classrooms. 🔍 Learn more here. Class Composer Is your elementary school still creating class lists with colored index cards or sticky notes? Class Composer offers a streamlined solution for making well-informed student placement decisions in less time. 🔍 https://survey.alchemer.com/s3/7625546/b577a4c88ce8. ODP: ODP Business Solutions® formerly Office Depot® Business Solutions Division has been a trusted partner for schools for over 30 years. At ODP Business Solutions, we’re by your side to meet your evolving education needs.🔍 Learn more here.     Twelve Practices LLC © 2025 | If Education Ain't a Bit Disruptive, Then What Are Your Students Learning?