Step Back to Move Forward: Engage in a Historical Scan

As school leaders, your days are often consumed by the immediate: resolving staffing gaps, answering community concerns, managing behavior data, and keeping up with shifting mandates. It’s easy to fall into a pattern of constant reaction—chasing improvement one initiative at a time. But real, lasting transformation doesn’t happen in isolation or haste. It requires stepping back, looking at the full landscape, and asking: Where have we been? What has shaped us? What can we learn together to create more coherent, equitable systems moving forward? This is where the Historical Scan protocol offers a powerful starting point.

OBJECTIVES

Build a shared narrative
Identify inflexion points
Catalyze strategic alignment

RESOURCES

IDRC Outcome Mapping

Historical Scan worksheet Download

From Timeline to Transformation: The Power of Perspective

The Historical Scan is more than just a timeline—it’s an opportunity to identify your school’s Inflexion Points: those pivotal moments where reflection can turn into redirection, and where collective experience can inform a more intentional path forward.

Uncover key events—both victories and challenges—across personal, school, community, and national contexts.
Identify patterns and turning points that have shaped your culture.
Surface missing voices and build a more inclusive foundation for decision-making.
Develop a shared narrative that can unite your staff in purpose and direction.

You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.
—Maya Angelou

This collective sensemaking not only builds trust and psychological safety, it lays the groundwork for deeper strategic planning that resonates with the people doing the work—and the students you serve.

Why Zooming Out Matters Now

If your school has been moving from one disconnected initiative to another, or if change feels reactive rather than visionary, it’s time to pause. A big-picture approach invites your team to align around what matters most. Here’s why it works:

It connects strategy to story—making your goals more human and more likely to stick.
It reframes readiness from a test-based outcome to a broader set of life-ready skills.
It values complexity over simplicity, and adaptation over compliance.
It empowers staff by honoring their lived experience, not just their output.

Transformation isn’t about doing more—it’s about doing what matters together. By initiating a Historical Scan with your leadership team, PLCs, or full staff, you create space for reflection, not just reaction.

Historical Scan Protocol

This protocol is designed to help your team reflect on the past, recognize key turning points, and develop a shared narrative to inform future transformation. It builds trust, perspective, and alignment—creating fertile ground for deeper strategic work.

Frame the Purpose (5–10 min)

Set the tone. Explain:

“We’re zooming out to look at the big picture.”
“This isn’t about blame or judgment—it’s about sensemaking.”
“When we understand our shared journey, we can better shape where we’re going.”

Consider starting with an opener that encourages authentic connection.

Individual Reflection (10 min)

Prompt: “What are the key events—personal, professional, schoolwide, community, or national—that shaped your experience over the last 3 years?”

Participants write each event on a separate sticky note:

Include month and year
Keep it brief (1–2 lines)

Encourage both positive and challenging events. Diversity of experience adds richness.

Tip: Consider alternate prompts that encourage folks to shift their lens. For example, it can be helpful to focus folks on their personal milestones if there is an obvious major event that could distract from the focus.

Pair and Record (10 min)

Participants pair up and discuss their sticky notes.
Ask them to:

Share the story behind a few events.
Clarify timelines.
Add or revise notes as needed.

Create the Timeline (10–15 min)

Invite all participants to place their sticky notes on the wall/board, organized chronologically.

Stack similar events vertically.
Let conversation happen naturally—this is part of the learning.

Gallery Walk and Noticing (10 min)

Everyone walks along the timeline and silently reads. Encourage jotting down observations or questions:

Where are there clusters or gaps?
What types of events are most represented?
Whose voices or perspectives are missing?

Whole Group Discussion (15–20 min)

Stand “shoulder to shoulder” facing the timeline. Ask:

How might we name the distinct periods or phases we see?
What patterns or turning points are emerging?
What surprised you?
How have these events shaped our current reality?

Optional: Have a notetaker capture themes on chart paper or a shared doc.

Tips for Facilitators

Normalize vulnerability: Share your own milestones and reflections.
Encourage multiple perspectives—there is no one “true” story.
Avoid rushing. The process is where insight happens.
Consider a follow-up activity to synthesize and connect insights to school goals.