|
Colleagues, MVP: We often confuse self-preservation for apathy. The teacher is resisting the LETTERS program because they are completely overwhelmed. This second-year teacher is coming off of a horrible first year. The teacher struggled with classroom management, and the number of curriculum standards were overwhelming. The teacher took a course on classroom management in the summer and developed a year-long plan for covering the curriculum. They began the year optimistically, but they have two students who are very disruptive, and the LETTERS requirements are making it hard for the teacher to keep up with lesson planning. They feel the year spiraling out of control and are afraid that it is going to go like the last one. They think, “maybe I’m not cut out for this” and feel their dream of being a great teacher slipping away. The teacher withdraws and becomes apathetic to everything, especially LETTERS. It all hurts too much and becoming numb is easier. We often confuse self-preservation for apathy. Reflect:
Have a great weekend! The scenario:
The state has decided that all elementary school teachers must learn a science-based reading technique and structure their lessons and teach in a specific format defined by the program. Let’s be creative and call the program LETTERS. The training requires teachers to spend 2-3 hours a week outside of the school day. As compensation the state is providing a monthly stipend of $200. While some teachers are embracing the program, many are not. Cheers! Frederick
0 Comments
Colleagues, MVP: People may not have the skill we assume they have. The teacher is resisting the LETTERS program because the content is over their head. They began the program, but they have had very little training on literacy. The program also has components that require kids to work on their own while the teacher conducts small-group instruction, and the teacher is struggling with classroom management. In this case, the teacher does not have the prerequisite skills to make the program work. We could reasonably assume that an elementary teacher would have received substantial training in literacy and would be able to mange a classroom effectively, but in this case it isn’t true. The scenario:
The state has decided that all elementary school teachers must learn a science-based reading technique and structure their lessons and teach in a specific format defined by the program. Let’s be creative and call the program LETTERS. The training requires teachers to spend 2-3 hours a week outside of the school day. As compensation the state is providing a monthly stipend of $200. While some teachers are embracing the program, many are not. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, MVP: Past experience colors our predictions for the future The teacher is resisting the LETTERS program because of negative past experiences. Maybe they had a terrible principal (or assistant principal) previously, and the thought of being judged on LETTERS implementation by the new principal (or AP) creates overwhelming anxiety. Maybe they have had very negative experiences with state trainings. Maybe they tried to implement something similar before and it didn’t work. In each of these cases, the teacher is making a decision based on prior experience, not on the current situation. The scenario:
The state has decided that all elementary school teachers must learn a science-based reading technique and structure their lessons and teach in a specific format defined by the program. Let’s be creative and call the program LETTERS. The training requires teachers to spend 2-3 hours a week outside of the school day. As compensation the state is providing a monthly stipend of $200. While some teachers are embracing the program, many are not. Cheers! Frederick Colleagues, MVP: In the absence of information, we create stories to explain someone’s behavior, but these stories are often negative and usually wrong. Pre-pandemic I had been tasked with supporting a new principal. I emailed them multiple times, trying to set up a meeting. After weeks of trying, I reached out to someone else I knew in the building to get word to the principal. The next day the principal emailed me and explained that all of my emails had been going into their junk folder. We set up a meeting time. At the appointed time, the principal didn’t show up. This happened several times. By this time, I had figured out what was going on. For whatever reason, the principal did not want to work with me. I wish they had simply said as much. After six months of trying, we finally met. The principal began with… can you guess? “Dr. Buskey, it is so good to finally meet you. I have heard so many great things about you from the other principals, and I’m sorry it took so long to get together.” We went on to have a great meeting and to lay the foundation for working together in the future. In the absence of knowing why the principal didn’t connect with me, I created a narrative, a reason, that explained the behavior. I just made something up based on my own experiences, perspectives, and insecurities. Yes, I said insecurities. When we know why someone is behaving in a specific way, we make up a reason, and in the absence of a strong relationship, the reason is usually negative. Be aware of this tendency in yourself and others as we work thought the next seven days of M=V/E. The scenario:
The state has decided that all elementary school teachers must learn a science-based reading technique and structure their lessons and teach in a specific format defined by the program. Let’s be creative and call the program LETTERS. The training requires teachers to spend 2-3 hours a week outside of the school day. As compensation the state is providing a monthly stipend of $200. While some teachers are embracing the program, many are not Cheers! Frederick Colleagues,
MVP: People don’t do what we want them to because the perceived value is less than the perceived effort. Motivation equals value divided by effort (M=V/E). The next two weeks we are going to explore why people don’t do what we want them to do. I’ll outline the scenario today and refer back to it each day. The state has decided that all elementary school teachers must learn a science-based reading technique and structure their lessons and teach in a specific format defined by the program. Let’s be creative and call the program LETTERS. The training requires teachers to spend 2-3 hours a week outside of the school day. As compensation the state is providing a monthly stipend of $200. While some teachers are embracing the program, many are not. Why? Remember M=V/E, motivation equals value divided by effort. There is no such thing as laziness. When someone doesn’t do what we want them to do, it simply means that the perceived value is too small given the perceived effort required. Tomorrow we’ll begin looking at specific reasons why a person’s V/E doesn’t work. For today, think about people you work with who aren’t “on board” with a change. What’s going on? What is their V/E? Cheers! Frederick |
Categories
All
Archives
December 2024
|
RSS Feed