This Year’s Story
Teachers have taken on a lot in this radically different school year—new forms of technology, new ways to virtually instruct their students, new ways to keep students engaged, new ways to assess progress—the list of “new” is endless. School leaders are facing their own challenges, not only trying to hold it all together but also ensuring some level of teacher effectiveness and student progress.
This year, we have led schools hoping to see maximum levels of effort on our teachers’ parts; and sometimes, we have not! Instead of banging our heads against the walls, it seems that a better action is to first try to understand why the undesired teacher behavior is happening and then acting on behalf of that teacher so he or she can experience more fulfillment and joy in the classroom. This is surely not the school year to simply apply more pressure or heat on that teacher. When times are unsettled and teachers are trying to get their footing, simply pushing or pressuring them may result in more push back. In that scenario, everyone loses—the leader, the teacher, and the students in his or her care.
Better Solutions
I have had lots of experiences in school and district leadership, yet I find it hard to comprehend the challenges teachers and leaders are experiencing this school year. These hurdles may unearth the following teacher behaviors, which may appear without warning. These three behaviors demand our analysis, understanding, and responses. There are real reasons why each appears:
Warning Sign #1: The Teacher Seems Willing and Capable, but for Some Reason Seems to Find All Sorts of Reasons Why the Idea or Strategy Will Not Work.
This is a warning sign for leaders because it indicates that the plan is not going to be implemented by that teacher and therefore, the students may not receive a quality learning experience. Lawrence (1969) explains that the teacher may fear he or she does not have the knowledge or skill to implement the new strategy, or fear that he or she will not have access to the information to be successful in implementing the technique. This lack of confidence in knowledge or skill may be masked by disturbingly overt behaviors, such as downright resistance or apathy; but these negative behaviors are just really ways of covering up the real fear. Your strategy as a leader is simple: a) Make sure that there are multiple opportunities for that teacher to acquire the knowledge he or she needs, and b) Find ways for that person to begin the work in a small way to experience success.
Warning Sign #2: The Teacher Seems on Edge and Exhibits Frustration at School and With You.
All of us seek three kinds of safety in our world—physical safety, intellectual safety, and social safety. Abrams (2009) tells us that when one of these kinds of safety is breached, the person experiences real discomfort and as Brene Brown (2017) describes it, “dehumanization.” This dehumanization can lead to overt signs of unhappiness or aggression. Again, our response is not to take this personally—instead: a) Find ways for that person to verbalize his or her feelings about the desired change; b) Check in regularly with that teacher to assess the safety he or she is feeling; and c) “Mirror” for the person, stating the kind of behavior you are seeing in him or her and genuinely asking how you can help. Our job is not to stop pushing for the change; our job is to combine that pressure with the kind of empathy and support that we want that person to feel as he or she attempts new things.
Warning Sign #3: The Teacher Shows Signs of Futility and Resignation.
This is ambivalence, plain and simple. Ambivalence is when the teacher has mixed feelings or ideas about what to do. He or she may indeed not be sure that this new way of schooling is worthwhile or even safe for teachers or students. Ambivalence comes with a toll. The teacher may feel pain, constant anxiety, or even loneliness. He or she may feel that he is yielding control or even not living by his principles. The issue with ambivalence is that it may lead to the feeling that the best solution is just to “get by” each day. Leaders have to address this futility and/or resignation by considering these possible actions: a) Find a way for that teacher to untangle all the complicated and conflicting thoughts he or she has about school; b) Find a way to allow that teacher to have the feelings he or she has without clouding his or her decision making; and c) Encourage compliance until there may be more clarity about the issue.
A Final Thought and Hope
Leaders may just wish these three warning signs would simply fade over time, but they may not. It’s smart for all of us to notice these warning signs and then give ourselves time to reflect on the signs before acting. If we allow ourselves to first understand the nature of the behaviors and the possible causes, it’s more likely that we can help teachers not only tolerate this highly unusual school year but also thrive in a culture of respect, honesty, and trust.
References
Abrams, J. (2009). Having hard conversations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Brown, B. (2017). Braving the wilderness: The quest for true belonging and the courage to stand alone. New York, NY: Random House.
Lawrence, P. (1969, January). How to deal with resistance to change. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/1969/01/how-to-deal-with-resistance-to-change.
Murphy, M. (2021). Built to last: The school leader’s guide for sustaining change while managing resistance. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Zuckoff, A., & Gorscak, B. (2015). Finding your way to change: How the power of motivational interviewing can reveal what you want and help you get there. New York, NY: Guilford Press.
