Levels of TM Training and Expertise

TSI strongly believes in facilitation and working in collaboration with our school partners and regional trainers to ensure that we all sustain the integrity of our purpose and the high quality of our change processes. At every level of our training and certification process, every person has a clear road map and support resources for where they are going – with access to the expanding TSI resources and network. Embedded in our training courses, guides and certification processes, is the use of research on learning and thinking. All of our trainers follow the Learning Pyramid for engagement shown below and included in our Growing Thinking Schools guide. A very high percentage of the training we provide is focused on “discussion”, “practice by doing” and “immediate use” of strategies and models for thinking. Given the above parameters and vision, here are the four levels of Thinking School International Training Certification: Level 1 – Participant Certification Level 2 – Regional Facilitator Level 3 – National Trainer Level 4 – Global Trainer

Clarity of Purpose and Guidelines for our Facilitators around the World

A step at a time: Our Role as Facilitators of Thinking

Most professional development groups focus on improving teaching, learning, and leadership by “training” people in a single programme and then move on, or what is called 1st order change. Every year educators receive workshops and online training courses that also helps them initiate new practices. While we do offer training in specific programmes and approaches, we also have a more “big picture” role. We see our role as facilitators in the process of working with you as YOU transform over multiple years toward becoming a Thinking School. This is third order change as shown in this excerpt from our Growing Thinking Schools guide:

Our approach as facilitators occurs over time and is adaptive to your needs.

Here are some basic guidelines we have set for ourselves and all facilitators who are certified around the world under the banner of TSI.

- We are facilitators of the thinking and planning for each school.
- As facilitators certified by Thinking Schools International, we are guides and offer our collective background, experiences and knowledge to help schools plan their own path over time as an ever-evolving Thinking School.
- We do not believe that there is only one way to becoming a Thinking School.
- Each school will create its own unique design for the ever-evolving process or journey toward a vision of a Thinking School.
- We, as facilitators, may have answers to many of the questions we are asked—and when we don’t have a solution or answer–we will actively seek out our links to experts in the field for their views.
- What we DON’T have is a solution for what your school “should” look like. This does not fit with the purpose of our work.
- We strongly believe in the interdependency and networking Thinking Schools so we all share the “practice” of Thinking Schools, qualitative and quantitative research, and the development of new ways of approaching this work.

We believe in the transfer of knowledge, so we have developed pathways for training and certification for individuals and school systems, organizations, and whole countries to develop their own Thinking Schools facilitators using our training guides.