Lean Management Fundamentals: Building a Culture of Continuous Improvement in the Classroom

Description

Schools today are expected to do more than ever: support learning, improve organization, foster student autonomy, and respond to constant educational and technological change.

Yet most teachers still lack accessible frameworks to develop process thinking, problem-solving, and continuous improvement skills – in themselves and in their students.

These are also the competencies that make it possible to use Artificial Intelligence tools critically and effectively, rather than passively.

This course will therefore introduce participants to Lean Management and explores how its core principles can be meaningfully combined with AI tools in everyday classroom practice

Originally developed in industry and project management, this “business” approach focuses on creating value, reducing unnecessary waste, improving organization, and developing a culture of continuous improvement.

The goal is to empower teachers of all subjects to embed these concepts into their everyday classroom practice and help students develop lifelong problem-solving and efficiency skills.

During the course, participants will explore the five core Lean principles — Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, and Perfection — through practical workshops and collaborative activities directly connected to school environments.

Participants will learn how to analyze classroom and school processes through Value Stream Mapping and identify the seven types of waste in learning activities and routines.

Furthermore, they will discover how to organize physical and digital learning spaces using the 5S methodology, use Kanban boards and visual management tools to support student autonomy and project work, and apply the PDCA cycle (Plan–Do–Check–Act) to classroom improvement projects.

Also, a special session will be dedicated to how AI tools (such as AI-assisted feedback, automated task tracking, and AI-generated learning materials) can complement and enhance Lean classroom practices.

Collaborative peer-learning sessions will then allow participants to co- create subject-specific lesson plans integrating both Lean and AI tools — whether in mathematics, languages, sciences, arts, or physical education.

By the end of the course, participants will have acquired a solid understanding of Lean Management fundamentals and a ready-to-use toolkit of classroom activities aligned with lower-secondary and upper-secondary curricula.

Concept by Leila Zangar

Learning outcomes

The course will help participants to:

• Understand the five core Lean principles (Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, Perfection) in an educational context;
• Identify and reduce the seven types of “waste” in classroom and school processes;
• Use tools such as Value Stream Mapping, Kanban boards, and the 5S methodology to improve learning processes;
• Apply the PDCA (Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycle to design and evaluate continuous improvement projects within their own subject area;
• Create subject-specific lesson plans integrating Lean tools across mathematics, languages, sciences, arts, physical education, and other disciplines;
• Develop a personal action plan to implement Lean thinking in their school;
• Foster a growth mindset and a culture of continuous improvement among students of all ages;
• Identify relevant AI tools (chatbots, automated feedback systems, AI-driven planning assistants) and understand how to integrate them responsibly into Lean-inspired classroom routines;
• Critically evaluate the ethical and pedagogical implications of using AI in education, ensuring student data privacy and equitable access.

Tentative schedule

Day 1 – Introduction to the course

• Introduction to the course, the school, and the external week activities;
• Icebreaker activities;
• Presentations of the participants’ schools.

Lean thinking in education: why and how it works

• Introduction to Lean Management: origins, key concepts, and relevance to education;
• The five Lean principles: Value, Value Stream, Flow, Pull, Perfection – workshop and group discussion.

Day 2 – Waste identification and value stream mapping in the classroom

• The seven types of waste in educational settings: recognition exercises using real classroom scenarios;
• Introduction to Value Stream Mapping;
• Workshop: mapping a learning process in participants’ own subjects;
• Group discussion: identifying inefficiencies and improvement opportunities.

Day 3 – 5S, Kanban, and visual management for learning environments

• The 5S methodology (Sort, Set, Shine, Standardize, Sustain) applied to physical and digital classroom organization;
• Designing Kanban boards for managing student projects: hands-on practice session;
• Visual management tools: creating information-rich learning environments for any subject.

Day 4 – PCDA cycle and Kaizen: continuous improvement projects

• The PDCA cycle: Plan, Do, Check, Act – theory and simulation exercise;
• Kaizen mindset: facilitating student-led mini-improvement projects in any subject area;
• Collaborative workshop: designing a PDCA-based classroom improvement project;
• Introduction to AI in the Lean classroom: overview of tools (AI feedback assistants, Kanban automation, AI-generated rubrics) and ethical considerations.

Day 5 – Lean + AI across all subjects: lesson design and action planning

• Subject-specific lesson design: participants create a Lean-and-AI-integrated lesson plan for their own subject, selecting at least one AI tool to support a classroom activity;
• Peer review and feedback on lesson plans: cross-disciplinary sharing session;
• Personal action plan: each participant defines three Lean practices and at least one AI-supported activity to implement in their school.

Day 6 – Course closure and cultural activities

• Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
• Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
• Excursion and other external cultural activities.

Download or share

Get weekly recaps on confirmed sessions!