Dr. Kelley Grorud
Director of Instructional Leadership and STEAM
School District of Beloit
June 2023 - Looking for the Bright Spots
In their book titled Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, Chip and Dan Heath offer lots of practical advice and examples of how to make positive changes, big and small. I have read this book a few times, and the one piece of advice that has continued to stick with me is “look for the bright spots”. They argue that all too often, when we are feeling the need to make changes, we look for what is wrong. While we cannot ignore what needs to be changed, when we instead look for bright spots, strengths, and things that are working well, we are much better equipped to make and sustain positive change. By studying bright spots, we can understand the nature of the change we need to make, and then work to scale it up within the system.
“It is imperative as adults in a community to commit to looking for the bright spots so that our students can have the best possible experiences, opportunities, and outcomes.”
Regardless of whether you do it in the name of accountability or excellence, ignoring or disparaging the bright spots will lead to failure. There are two reasons why ignoring bright spots fails. First, it can be hard to identify what changes are needed; ignoring bright spots can put change efforts on the wrong path. Second, when bright spots are ignored, people lose their motivation to sustain positive changes when the going gets tough. In today’s world, so many of the messages educators receive about their work and their district are negative. Bright spots are ignored, and the people within the system lose motivation. This is true for students as well. When adults within or outside of the system solely focus on what is wrong with schools, students can also lose the motivation they need to persist through the tough parts of their learning. It is imperative as adults in a community to commit to looking for the bright spots so that our students can have the best possible experiences, opportunities, and outcomes.
School District of Beloit Bright Spots in Science, Math, the Arts, and Physical Education
In that spirit, here are some bright spots that I know about in Science, Math, the Arts, and Physical Education that we should be celebrating from the past year.
• Students in grades 3-8 gave over $4000 to Beloit community partners by passing math lessons and donating their points.
• Six BMHS students participated in a regional science research conference and two won awards for their amazing work.
• Multiple students won performance awards at the Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival and Competition in New York City; this competition is a very high honor within the music community.
• Impressive math and literacy growth was seen this year in all elementary grades and schools; our elementary students are ready to tackle next year’s learning.
• Multiple community partners brought positive and new opportunities to students in our schools
• The district middle school track meet was revived this year. Families were very supportive and students performed brilliantly at the meet.
There are many, many other bright spots we could share. There are bright spots from other parts of our school district that could be named as well!
Ask and You Shall Receive: There are so Many Positive Stories
As we move through summer and into a new school year, I encourage you to ask students, teachers, and district staff about the many bright spots they know about in our district. There are so many positive stories we can learn from and that we should share. If you are looking for the bright spots, you will see students and a district that shine brightly! Check out our SDB Highlights webpage, our News Tab, Podcasts, Videos, and Staff All-Star Award Recipients.
