By far the most common complaint in a school is that there is not enough time. While I don’t have a specific study to cite here, I am fairly certain that this would be identified as the number one constraint in education by most teachers. Time has become even more of a constraint since the advent of the internet and improving technologies. To compound all of that, as I have recently written about, learners brains are interacting with time differently because of the pace of their world. To compound this even further (like we need more), teachers are being exposed to constant novelty. In the past, it may have seemed like we were implementing something new every few years but now it seems like the learning curve is almost a daily event. Implementing novel ideas takes a lot of energy. When humans get tired, they revert to what is easy and comfortable. This is natural and it is for survival. So, how might we survive under these conditions?

Habits

I have written about habits before and very much appreciated the book Atomic Habits in thinking about how habits can be developed most effectively. Developing habits and routines that are easy to implement is one way to combat the problem of time. If there is a new technology that needs to be used, figure out how it can become a regular part of your process. If there is a new task that needs to get done, figure out how it can become a routine in your classroom or in your schedule. Habits will become automatic and it doesn’t take that long for this process to happen. According to James Clear, in his book Atomic Habits, it doesn’t matter so much how long you do something as much as it matters how frequently you do it. Once a habit becomes automatic, it’s easy. So, if there is something new you want to do, whether it is a new task, a new technology, or something else, figuring out how to make it a routine will help implement it successfully and prevent the common slide back into the comfortable old routine you are trying to change.

Efficiency

It is a common and regular complaint in education that we move from one initiative to another without ever getting good at the last one and so we never really do anything all that well. I have written about this before as well. We don’t stick to something long enough to get good at it. If we continue to think this way, then that is exactly what will happen. A simple mindset shift can change this. First of all, we are going to have to do something new every year. We need to accept and get used to that. There are simply too many changes for this not to be the case. We don’t, however, have to start from scratch every single time we implement something new. A better way to think about new initiatives is, how does this idea fit with what I’m doing that is already working? And, how could this idea help me improve what isn’t working or needs changing? Changing mindsets is a simple shift in the way you approach something. It is a quick shift in your internal narrative and it is easy to recognize when you need to do it because you will be frustrated and annoyed. Nobody likes feeling this way.

Small Shifts

Because there are so many changes, it is important to look for the small shifts that can have a high impact and will likely stand the test of time. These are good choices because small shifts are easy. High impact shifts are motivating rather than draining. And, shifts that can be used no matter what other changes take place will reduce the amount of change that needs to occur. I am a big proponent of Project-Based Learning. I think it is a key to what will change in schools of the future. It is also a huge shift. It is very scary when it is viewed in its entirety. But, there are some smaller shifts that are related that can be more easily implemented. I would argue that one of the parts of Project-Based Learning that has a high impact is having an authentic audience. This one shift increases motivation and purpose. This piece can be added without having to change much else about an existing unit. Not only is this shift impactful for learners but teachers will get increased motivation as well. Any further shifts will begin to seem smaller and more doable. 

Making big changes seem small is a skill that administrators need to excel at if we are going to see wide scale change in our educational system. Teachers need more time to reflect on their practice as it is highly dynamic. They need time to learn new tools and gather information. So, implementation is an area where we can gain some of this needed time. Leaders in all areas of education need to begin to think about their users or good ideas and worthwhile change efforts will be lost in a sea of information, twenty-four hour time constraints, and teacher exhaustion.