Balance

It’s that time of year…teachers have just made it through conferences,  feast days, Halloween, and weeks of assessing students to plan for guided, small group instruction. In the State of Michigan, teachers are now at the end of our first “IRIP” (Individualized Reading Improvement Plan) window. It suffices to say, we are ready for a recharge and Thanksgiving break!

Leadership meetings and random office drop in conversations often lead to the same conclusion: We have to find a way to decrease the load of the “busy work”  and draw meaning from the collaborative nature of the recommended process.

I’d like to share a very good analogy that my superintendent used to explain the current underpinnings of a team approach in education. First, he commented on the shift from individualized medical practices to the team model now embraced by leading medical practitioners and systems - yielding a much more holistic approach to prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

“Yes, it’s very much like that now in education,” I stated, “but that is hard for many teachers who have for years enjoyed retreating to their own island behind classroom doors where it is undeniably comfortable and safe. These are great teachers who are good at what they do and many who have been doing it for a long time.” It is hard for some to embrace the fact that being on our island is no longer an option. “We have to address the anxieties involved with this shift openly,” I commented.

He agreed and stated that we certainly have left the island and are now on the ship. “It’s time to start throwing some luggage overboard to lighten the load!” he said. 

Wow - I thought. That is exactly where we’re at. We can’t possibly go on doing it all. Letting go is hard, but it is necessary for balance. Without a sense of balance, teachers will burn out. Decision-making and problem-solving for what needs to be "thrown overboard" will certainly be a process with its own demands.

John Hattie’s research identifies “collective efficacy” as having the effect size of d=1.57 on student achievement. It is the highest rated influence in a long list of successful practices. He defines it as the collective belief of teachers in their ability to positively affect students.

Original research by Albert Bandura defines collective efficacy as “a group’s shared belief in the conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainment.”

I recently went to the funeral of a loved one of a teacher in my district. I did not know her father-in-law, but was deeply inspired by his 61 years of marriage and a framed naval declaration stating he had successfully navigated around the world in the 1950’s.

I think about our technology now compared to then and how the sailors were not guided by a fancy GPS system, rather they relied on their shared belief in the conjoint capabilities to organize and execute the courses of action required to produce given levels of attainment…to virtually travel the circumference of the world. Survival was at stake amidst the unpredictable elements. Teaching is much like this today and it requires both personal confidence and trust in our team.

How can we work toward collective efficacy in our professional learning communities if members individually lack self-efficacy? Or, will the shared responsibility actually strengthen self-efficacy because our team will compliment each other’s strengths and weaknesses?

As I sit through meetings, some with strong meeting norms and others without, I see clearly how our temperaments can create division and discouragement if we lack self-awareness. Unlike the sailors on the ship that my teacher’s father-in-law once sailed, in our busy culture of immediate gratification, we have very little time for reflection. Self awareness suffers amidst our multi-tasking....so does forgiveness.

Without self-awareness and empathy required to honor one another’s intentions and ideas, collaboration can be overwhelming. We need trust, personal confidence, and most of all, balance.

Immediately I began looking for patterns and strategies to increase our own self-awareness as we journey onward toward new goals in education guided by neuroscience and knowledge about how our brain takes in and transforms knowledge.

I recalled a chart in Art and Laraine’s Bennett’s book, The Temperament God Gave You when I was trying to find an explanation for a teacher who felt calm and confident in one group, but “fight or flight” in another (101).

This is the type of self-awareness and reflection we need so we can establish safe and productive teams. I realized the group that made her feel calm was made up of others who shared her temperament…slow to react…thinkers that avoid conflict. The other group in which she experienced “fight or flight” was a bit more diverse in its make up.

I suddenly had a deep connection to how our own self esteem and worth can influence the joy and productivity that is possible in professional collaboration over a shared goal, especially when we are in a group with a diverse dynamic.

I connected the information from the temperament book to what we learned about behavior tendencies in CHAMPS training, which challenges educators to increase their self-knowledge regarding how one responds to conflict, what motivates us, and what causes us stress.

(For those who have not read the temperament book, I will put in parenthesis my connections to the CHAMPS correlating descriptors.)

Choleric (Dominant): Self worth based on what I accomplish; I have no self esteem outside of my projects

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult for the choleric because the project is not all their own.

Finding balance…increased impatience is a sign of being overextended. Rely on your team rather than trying to take on more alone. This is easier said than done for someone who likes to steer the ship!

Melancholic (Conscientious): Self esteem is based on meeting my high expectations

I wonder…if shared responsibility is difficult because others might not have the same high expectations

Finding balance…being overly critical of self and others is a sign of being overextended. Rely on your team and trust the process.

Sanguine (Influence): My self worth depends on what others think of me; I adapt myself to the group

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult because it is impossible to make everyone happy

Finding balance…becoming disorganized and distracted is a sign of being overextended. Be honest with yourself and your team. Rely on your team to prioritize goals.

Phlegmatic (Steadiness): I’d rather give up my own desires / be alone / be unhappy than be in the midst of conflict.

I wonder… if shared responsibility is difficult because conflicting views and challenging ideas is at the core of organizing and executing a shared course of action

Finding balance…becoming possessive or isolated is a sign you are overextended. Ask someone on your team to be your advocate and encourage you to trust the process when conflict arises in a group.
--------

This week I challenge each of you to be self aware of signs you are over-extended, how you operate in a group, and how much time you take for reflection on practices.

If there is not enough time to reflect, then it’s time to start asking God to show you what luggage needs to be thrown overboard. Trust in Him. He will safely guide you to shore.