How to Sustain Challenge-based Learning (CBL)

Educators almost have muscle memory for balancing competing and rapidly shifting priorities. They know how to pivot in a moment’s notice and completely drop their plans. Across IYC campuses, we know just how difficult it can be to implement and sustain challenge-based learning without intentional systems. In most of our blogs, we focus on teacher behavior. But for this one, I want to pivot to school leaders. How might school leaders ensure that teachers can sustain CBL in their classrooms? 

To sustain Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) effectively, school leaders must build a structural foundation that treats CBL as a core practice rather than a "special project." Based on the challenges that we see across our IYC network, here are three leadership moves to sustain CBL:

1. Design and protect collaborative planning time: CBL is a huge pedagogical shift that demands a lot of educators. Leaders can sustain the practice by protecting time for Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) specifically dedicated to unit planning. Leaders can provide a protected space for educators to engage in interdisciplinary planning blocks that allow traditionally siloed content teachers to plan side by side. This time is invaluable, as there simply is not enough time in the school day for teachers to develop meaningful challenge-based units.

2. Institutionalize Community Partnerships: One of the biggest hurdles to CBL is finding authentic partners for students to connect with. If a teacher has to find a new community partner every semester, they will eventually burn out. School leaders should act as the "Chief Networking Officers" by:

Hosting Expo Nights: Create a regular cadence of students presenting their prototypes to the public, making the challenge a high-stakes, celebrated norm within your school community.

3. Pivot Evaluative Metrics: Teachers often revert to traditional methods because they are evaluated on traditional metrics. To sustain CBL, leaders must align their observation and feedback cycles with the CBL process, not just the final product.