Small Wins, Big Impact: Progress in Education

Welcome to Teach-Lead-Innovate! This week’s Motivation Monday is all about the power of progress. Forget massive overhauls or overnight transformations—real success often starts with small, consistent steps.

In This Episode:

• The Progress Principle: Discover how small wins drive motivation and creativity, as highlighted by Amabile and Kramer (2011).
• Real Success Stories: Learn from the Freshman OnTrack initiative in Chicago, Finland’s education reform, and formative assessment strategies in classrooms.
• Actionable Tips: Get practical strategies for tracking and celebrating small wins in your teaching or leadership practice.
• Inspiration for the Week Ahead: Shift your focus from perfection to progress and see how small steps can lead to big changes.

References:

• Amabile, T. M., & Kramer, S. J. (2011). The progress principle: Using small wins to ignite joy, engagement, and creativity at work. Harvard Business Review Press.
• Allensworth, E., & Easton, J. Q. (2007). What matters for staying on-track and graduating in Chicago public high schools. Consortium on Chicago School Research.
• Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74.
• Sahlberg, P. (2011). Finnish lessons: What can the world learn from educational change in Finland? Teachers College Press.
• Dobbie, W., & Fryer, R. G. (2011). Are high-quality schools enough to increase achievement among the poor? Evidence from the Harlem Children’s Zone. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, 3(3), 158–187.

Call to Action:

What are your small wins this week? Share them with me on Instagram @thecyclingsuperintendent or via email at [e-mail]. Let’s celebrate progress together and inspire each other to keep moving forward!

Thank you for tuning in to Teach-Lead-Innovate. Remember: Small wins lead to big impact. Have a fantastic week!