I think it depends on ‘fear of what’? If the teacher is worried about the administrator’s reaction to a failure, caution should be used. If Administrative support is provided, then even when a new strategy implementation does not work as we hoped, the ‘failure’ still can help a teacher to learn and improve. I do not see fear as a roadblock in my particular building. Inertia may be hindering change. A few of the teachers I work with are ‘old school’ and are not going to do things differently – unless forced to change. ‘An object at rest stays at rest’ describes one particular teacher; thankfully it is only one of a staff of more than 25 teachers. Others seem willing to try new and different approaches to teaching. Those willing to implement new and different strategies are exciting to be around. Their intellectual vitality is encouraging to every member of the staff.
I agree with your statement about failure. In fact if you take it one step further we could assume that by being honest with our students about our own "trial and error" we can encourage them to do the same. Effectively creating a teachable moment.
It was nice in my previous building and position to know that what I tried and taught in my classroom would be supported, because that former principal knew that I was trying with all my heart to help my sped kids become productive citizens and get closer to their peers in their educational achievements. There were many times that if I tried something new, I would share with Mr. G and if it worked I got an "atta boy" out of him and if it was a complete failure, we got a laugh out of it(sometimes) and there was discussion of what not to do next time. I also had wonderful teaching peers whom I could go to to bounce ideas off of them. He also sometimes would refer to me as a bull in a china shop when I had something I wanted to try for a book unit or something else. Guess I didn't suffer from your definition of inertia LOL
As said in the post above mistakes is human nature and not something we should be ashamed of in any way. It is something that kids also need to understand that mistakes are a good thing as long as we can learn from it.
I think fear is easier to over come than inertia. When a new program or approach is introduced most everyone experiences fear. This can be fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or even fear of success (because then even more will be expected from you in the future)! When administrators break the program or approach down into small steps the fear eventually melts away and things seem suddenly more obtainable. However inertia is more debilitating because it involves more of a resistance to change, almost like stubbornness and unwillingness to change. That is much more difficult to overcome. My 6th graders just finished a Polar Express unit and one quote from the movie that applies to this is, "The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on." With all the changes coming down the pike that schools are having to go through fear will merely slow down a train but inertia will cause teachers to not even get on the train!
I agree with you that resistance to change is much harder to overcome than fear. Fear can usually be deflected with logic; resistance and stubborn attitudes, however, tend to not listen to reason and logic.
I think that small towns are controlled by fear much more than large towns and cities. Small towns want to stick with traditions and the way "it's always been". Administration and even teachers fear upsetting town residents and parents so they do not suggest the new ideas that they have. Schools are often controlled by inertia, because it can be very difficult to get a new idea rolling. Once that happens, ideas will be much easier to turn into action. The way to gain inertia is to recruit people to back up an idea. Ideas need support to gain inertia.
I do fear that in small towns that new ideas may not go over well with parents or even other teachers. However, we do have parents that want the best for their kids and that's great but we also have parents out there that do care but don't want to get involved or be informed of what's going on in the school that their child is attending they trust the teachers to teach the students their child and hope that everything works out for the best and then when things don't work out for the best you have those parents that go seek the administrator about their concerns and then they the parents take their kids out of school or they want something done differently. I tend to see when we start or try something new in the school I see some kids don't react very well to change as well and they may not do their best school work or give their best efforts to try something new. And that in turn reflect bad on teachers in the school district.
I wonder how schools can get the parents on board to try new ideas ? Part of the issue (in my opinion) is that parents have seen the pendulum swing one way...and then another and their kids are "caught". For instance my younger two children were "caught" in the D'nealian (sp?) handwriting wave. It didn't make cursive writing easier for them...and it made their printing sloppy. Also, about that time was the idea that spelling shouldn't be emphasized because it ruined the writing muse...
I agree with your statement about small towns and fear of changing what has always been. I think it comes down to changing in traditions that have been in that school. Change is hard for everyone!
I agree with your statement about small towns. It is hard to make the necessary changes when there is fear of what the community will say or feel about the change. When you want to change, it feels like you are rocking the boat...and that is a very uncomfortable place to be.
In almost the last 10 years of where I have been teaching we have seen a lot of things come and go that the staff has tried and then it didn't pan out and we forgot about it or moved on to something that we thought was better. Teachers are willing to try new things however the follow through is very inconsistent. The ideals will work for a while but then those ideals suddenly stopped and we don't use them anymore either we don't give them a chance which means long enough time to make them work, or we get busy with other objectives in the school and we seem to forget about it. Like I said before all the teachers are very willing to try new things would just need to have more follow through and stick with the plan because in some situations ideas will get worse before they get better.
I see your point, Tyce. Sometimes finishing and following through implementation is difficult. I've seen it with some strategies or interventions to help with difficult behavior. If teachers don't see results right away, they might give up; however following through can make a world of difference.
Fear hinders change....and growth....and makes teachers (and others) second guess themselves. Whether it is in a school setting or another place of employment leadership affects everyone. If the leaders "keep control" by making employees afraid of catching the eye of the administrators and receiving negative feedback it makes it hard for the organization to feel comfortable enough to try new and innovative ideas. Also, if there is a fear that finances are tight and some employees might lose their jobs, there is less incentive to try something "outside the box"
I agree ...hate that little voice in my head that makes me second guess myself! It takes support from the top down to squelch fear and make positive change happen.
Most people are going to feel fear when trying something new. I see my district trying new things all the time. Change will happen if the administration makes it mandatory and follows through with the strategies. Inertia is working in my district as the superintendent and curriculum director work closely at implementing new strategies in the classrooms, as well as, committees of teachers.
Fear is in most everything we do as humans. Whether we admit to the fear and to what extent we fear something and how we handle it is an entirely different ball game. We all had fear when we took our first teaching job and actually if truth be told we all have fear at the beginning of every school year when we take on a new round of students. As for making that change some of us hold our fear in and jump in both feet and some just stand back while others take the plunge. They may stick that big toe in to check the temp of the waters but jump right back out with a scream. I think with education and finances being under the gun everyone around us from Administration down has a fear, but what truly matters is what is best for students!
I think that you are absolutely right. We are all living in a constant fear of doing the "wrong" thing and getting in trouble (or losing our jobs.) We need to think of ourselves, but we ultimately need to remember that the students are our priority.
Fear and inertia (or lack thereof) are the greatest barrier to change. So many people (not just teachers) are afraid of the unknown. That's what scares us most about change. We let the "what ifs" scare us out of focusing on the possibility. And the fear of failure eats away any chance at viewing the change positively. In education, the lack of inertia keeps teachers stuck where they are: physically and mentally. It falls back to the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" But while it may work for the teacher, it may not work for the students. Too often we are blinded by our pride and our fear of being wrong or making a mistake, that while we notice are students are not succeeding we place blame on them instead of seeing what they could change to help them.
I think that fear inhibits all of us in most all aspects of our life..at some point or another so it's only plausible that it would affect our professional life. I agree that fear has a lot to do with it...just the fear of not knowing how to operate the new technology or fear of not understanding how to teach math (esp if it's NY Engage - yikes that's so complicated!). Inertia can be a barrier if it's paired with fear. It can be quite productive if paired with optimism. Unfortunately, it is much easier to hold on to the past and what we know to be true. I agree with the author in that we often see most willingness to change and innovation up to 8th gr as highschool is so driven to college readiness.
My home base school has been known for having high academics for as long as I’ve lived in the area. The idea that they have always been good academically has allowed the teachers to teach the same content in the same way multiple years. Many things are done in the way they always were, especially at the high school. However, the district has gone above and beyond with adopting technology initiatives. Many teachers have started using GoogleDocs and GoogleClassroom. Hopefully, as teachers are more aware of and comfortable with using these forms of technology, they will begin to incorporate more of the 21st century skills.
What I see in my school is inertia and skepticism, not necessarily fear, that hinders innovation. It is filled with veteran teachers, many who have been teaching more than 20 years. They feel that they have seen the pendulum swing too many times too put too much effort into yet another new change.
One thing I have been disappointed in, is the lack of usable, student-centered technology that encourages out of the box learning. Teachers have sited no training as a reason that they don't use these things, but it is my opinion that we need to seek this training for ourselves.
I agree that fear and inertia are definitely roadblocks to change. Fear is a hard thing to overcome...it's in all of us. Change is uncomfortable and many fear that uncomfortable feeling. Inertia seems like it is everywhere. It goes along with people's fear of change. In our building, I think I see more inertia than I do fear. There are quite a few teachers who have been doing things the same for many, many years. Last year was even worse! It is very hard for some veteran teachers to make the necessary changes to help students grow. I think it will continue to be a roadblock for years to come.
Having worked in several districts, I've seen fear as a roadblock more often than just inertia, although that plays a role when staff have been in the same classrooms for several years. Sometimes the fear is unfounded, and a turnover in staff can put things on hold for a year while teachers learn about their new administrator, and the administrator about their building. Fear of failure, fear of asking for help, fear of appearing "stupid", fear of acceptance in the staff social structure, fear of losing a job, all need to be addressed, either individually or organizationally to create a climate for growth.
Being new to teaching, I have felt many factors of fear myself. Fear in being the new, young, and inexperienced teacher may play a role in roadblocking innovative practices. However, teachers of all ranges of experience are capable of feeling fear. Much with negative comments, statements of fear can be re-stated to direct the fear from a different perspective. As far as inertia goes, I believe that many people become comfortable with things that work for the majority. Then, they are reluctant to try new things, for long-enough trials, because what they already know has shown some success. One part of inertia that I think affects the school system most is the resistance to change; I believe this resistance comes from a lack in clarity!
Like others have commented, I think I see more inertia in my buildings than fear. There are typically a couple teachers who are always up for something new, and once they try whatever it is and experience success, others aren’t quite so hesitant to join. However, inertia from veteran staff who will not, no matter what, switch up what they’re doing can definitely be a roadblock to change. I think it’s unfortunate, too, for students who might really excel with the changes, but then get drug down again when they go to an inertia-filled classroom.
I feel that inertia is something that I see more than fear itself. I feel that veteran teachers are stuck in how they have always done it and that is it rather than going out on a limb to try new curriculum or teach differently than the old way. It is because of change and changing to some people is hard to do why change when the old ways have worked. For me I am a go with the flow and change it up if it is not working for you or your students.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI think it depends on ‘fear of what’? If the teacher is worried about the administrator’s reaction to a failure, caution should be used. If Administrative support is provided, then even when a new strategy implementation does not work as we hoped, the ‘failure’ still can help a teacher to learn and improve. I do not see fear as a roadblock in my particular building.
ReplyDeleteInertia may be hindering change. A few of the teachers I work with are ‘old school’ and are not going to do things differently – unless forced to change. ‘An object at rest stays at rest’ describes one particular teacher; thankfully it is only one of a staff of more than 25 teachers. Others seem willing to try new and different approaches to teaching. Those willing to implement new and different strategies are exciting to be around. Their intellectual vitality is encouraging to every member of the staff.
I agree with you Jerrie and support you administratively:) As they say, 95% of it is jumping off the first step.
DeleteJerrie,
DeleteI agree with your statement about failure. In fact if you take it one step further we could assume that by being honest with our students about our own "trial and error" we can encourage them to do the same. Effectively creating a teachable moment.
It was nice in my previous building and position to know that what I tried and taught in my classroom would be supported, because that former principal knew that I was trying with all my heart to help my sped kids become productive citizens and get closer to their peers in their educational achievements. There were many times that if I tried something new, I would share with Mr. G and if it worked I got an "atta boy" out of him and if it was a complete failure, we got a laugh out of it(sometimes) and there was discussion of what not to do next time. I also had wonderful teaching peers whom I could go to to bounce ideas off of them.
DeleteHe also sometimes would refer to me as a bull in a china shop when I had something I wanted to try for a book unit or something else. Guess I didn't suffer from your definition of inertia LOL
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAs said in the post above mistakes is human nature and not something we should be ashamed of in any way. It is something that kids also need to understand that mistakes are a good thing as long as we can learn from it.
DeleteI think fear is easier to over come than inertia. When a new program or approach is introduced most everyone experiences fear. This can be fear of the unknown, fear of failure, or even fear of success (because then even more will be expected from you in the future)! When administrators break the program or approach down into small steps the fear eventually melts away and things seem suddenly more obtainable.
ReplyDeleteHowever inertia is more debilitating because it involves more of a resistance to change, almost like stubbornness and unwillingness to change. That is much more difficult to overcome. My 6th graders just finished a Polar Express unit and one quote from the movie that applies to this is, "The thing about trains... it doesn't matter where they're going. What matters is deciding to get on." With all the changes coming down the pike that schools are having to go through fear will merely slow down a train but inertia will cause teachers to not even get on the train!
I agree with you that resistance to change is much harder to overcome than fear. Fear can usually be deflected with logic; resistance and stubborn attitudes, however, tend to not listen to reason and logic.
DeleteI think that small towns are controlled by fear much more than large towns and cities. Small towns want to stick with traditions and the way "it's always been". Administration and even teachers fear upsetting town residents and parents so they do not suggest the new ideas that they have.
ReplyDeleteSchools are often controlled by inertia, because it can be very difficult to get a new idea rolling. Once that happens, ideas will be much easier to turn into action. The way to gain inertia is to recruit people to back up an idea. Ideas need support to gain inertia.
I do fear that in small towns that new ideas may not go over well with parents or even other teachers. However, we do have parents that want the best for their kids and that's great but we also have parents out there that do care but don't want to get involved or be informed of what's going on in the school that their child is attending they trust the teachers to teach the students their child and hope that everything works out for the best and then when things don't work out for the best you have those parents that go seek the administrator about their concerns and then they the parents take their kids out of school or they want something done differently. I tend to see when we start or try something new in the school I see some kids don't react very well to change as well and they may not do their best school work or give their best efforts to try something new. And that in turn reflect bad on teachers in the school district.
DeleteI wonder how schools can get the parents on board to try new ideas ? Part of the issue (in my opinion) is that parents have seen the pendulum swing one way...and then another and their kids are "caught". For instance my younger two children were "caught" in the D'nealian (sp?) handwriting wave. It didn't make cursive writing easier for them...and it made their printing sloppy. Also, about that time was the idea that spelling shouldn't be emphasized because it ruined the writing muse...
DeleteI agree with your statement about small towns and fear of changing what has always been. I think it comes down to changing in traditions that have been in that school. Change is hard for everyone!
DeleteI agree with your statement about small towns. It is hard to make the necessary changes when there is fear of what the community will say or feel about the change. When you want to change, it feels like you are rocking the boat...and that is a very uncomfortable place to be.
DeleteIn almost the last 10 years of where I have been teaching we have seen a lot of things come and go that the staff has tried and then it didn't pan out and we forgot about it or moved on to something that we thought was better. Teachers are willing to try new things however the follow through is very inconsistent. The ideals will work for a while but then those ideals suddenly stopped and we don't use them anymore either we don't give them a chance which means long enough time to make them work, or we get busy with other objectives in the school and we seem to forget about it. Like I said before all the teachers are very willing to try new things would just need to have more follow through and stick with the plan because in some situations ideas will get worse before they get better.
ReplyDeleteI see your point, Tyce. Sometimes finishing and following through implementation is difficult. I've seen it with some strategies or interventions to help with difficult behavior. If teachers don't see results right away, they might give up; however following through can make a world of difference.
DeleteI see your point too, some changes need more than a year to really judge effectiveness, a look at the data - not just the discomfort of a few.
DeleteFear hinders change....and growth....and makes teachers (and others) second guess themselves. Whether it is in a school setting or another place of employment leadership affects everyone. If the leaders "keep control" by making employees afraid of catching the eye of the administrators and receiving negative feedback it makes it hard for the organization to feel comfortable enough to try new and innovative ideas. Also, if there is a fear that finances are tight and some employees might lose their jobs, there is less incentive to try something "outside the box"
ReplyDeleteI agree ...hate that little voice in my head that makes me second guess myself! It takes support from the top down to squelch fear and make positive change happen.
DeleteMost people are going to feel fear when trying something new. I see my district trying new things all the time. Change will happen if the administration makes it mandatory and follows through with the strategies. Inertia is working in my district as the superintendent and curriculum director work closely at implementing new strategies in the classrooms, as well as, committees of teachers.
ReplyDeleteFear is in most everything we do as humans. Whether we admit to the fear and to what extent we fear something and how we handle it is an entirely different ball game. We all had fear when we took our first teaching job and actually if truth be told we all have fear at the beginning of every school year when we take on a new round of students. As for making that change some of us hold our fear in and jump in both feet and some just stand back while others take the plunge. They may stick that big toe in to check the temp of the waters but jump right back out with a scream. I think with education and finances being under the gun everyone around us from Administration down has a fear, but what truly matters is what is best for students!
ReplyDeleteI think that you are absolutely right. We are all living in a constant fear of doing the "wrong" thing and getting in trouble (or losing our jobs.) We need to think of ourselves, but we ultimately need to remember that the students are our priority.
DeleteFear and inertia (or lack thereof) are the greatest barrier to change. So many people (not just teachers) are afraid of the unknown. That's what scares us most about change. We let the "what ifs" scare us out of focusing on the possibility. And the fear of failure eats away any chance at viewing the change positively. In education, the lack of inertia keeps teachers stuck where they are: physically and mentally. It falls back to the old adage, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" But while it may work for the teacher, it may not work for the students. Too often we are blinded by our pride and our fear of being wrong or making a mistake, that while we notice are students are not succeeding we place blame on them instead of seeing what they could change to help them.
ReplyDeleteI think that fear inhibits all of us in most all aspects of our life..at some point or another so it's only plausible that it would affect our professional life. I agree that fear has a lot to do with it...just the fear of not knowing how to operate the new technology or fear of not understanding how to teach math (esp if it's NY Engage - yikes that's so complicated!).
ReplyDeleteInertia can be a barrier if it's paired with fear. It can be quite productive if paired with optimism. Unfortunately, it is much easier to hold on to the past and what we know to be true. I agree with the author in that we often see most willingness to change and innovation up to 8th gr as highschool is so driven to college readiness.
My home base school has been known for having high academics for as long as I’ve lived in the area. The idea that they have always been good academically has allowed the teachers to teach the same content in the same way multiple years. Many things are done in the way they always were, especially at the high school. However, the district has gone above and beyond with adopting technology initiatives. Many teachers have started using GoogleDocs and GoogleClassroom. Hopefully, as teachers are more aware of and comfortable with using these forms of technology, they will begin to incorporate more of the 21st century skills.
ReplyDeleteWhat I see in my school is inertia and skepticism, not necessarily fear, that hinders innovation. It is filled with veteran teachers, many who have been teaching more than 20 years. They feel that they have seen the pendulum swing too many times too put too much effort into yet another new change.
ReplyDeleteOne thing I have been disappointed in, is the lack of usable, student-centered technology that encourages out of the box learning. Teachers have sited no training as a reason that they don't use these things, but it is my opinion that we need to seek this training for ourselves.
I agree that fear and inertia are definitely roadblocks to change. Fear is a hard thing to overcome...it's in all of us. Change is uncomfortable and many fear that uncomfortable feeling. Inertia seems like it is everywhere. It goes along with people's fear of change. In our building, I think I see more inertia than I do fear. There are quite a few teachers who have been doing things the same for many, many years. Last year was even worse! It is very hard for some veteran teachers to make the necessary changes to help students grow. I think it will continue to be a roadblock for years to come.
ReplyDeleteHaving worked in several districts, I've seen fear as a roadblock more often than just inertia, although that plays a role when staff have been in the same classrooms for several years. Sometimes the fear is unfounded, and a turnover in staff can put things on hold for a year while teachers learn about their new administrator, and the administrator about their building. Fear of failure, fear of asking for help, fear of appearing "stupid", fear of acceptance in the staff social structure, fear of losing a job, all need to be addressed, either individually or organizationally to create a climate for growth.
ReplyDeleteBeing new to teaching, I have felt many factors of fear myself. Fear in being the new, young, and inexperienced teacher may play a role in roadblocking innovative practices. However, teachers of all ranges of experience are capable of feeling fear. Much with negative comments, statements of fear can be re-stated to direct the fear from a different perspective. As far as inertia goes, I believe that many people become comfortable with things that work for the majority. Then, they are reluctant to try new things, for long-enough trials, because what they already know has shown some success. One part of inertia that I think affects the school system most is the resistance to change; I believe this resistance comes from a lack in clarity!
ReplyDeleteLike others have commented, I think I see more inertia in my buildings than fear. There are typically a couple teachers who are always up for something new, and once they try whatever it is and experience success, others aren’t quite so hesitant to join. However, inertia from veteran staff who will not, no matter what, switch up what they’re doing can definitely be a roadblock to change. I think it’s unfortunate, too, for students who might really excel with the changes, but then get drug down again when they go to an inertia-filled classroom.
ReplyDeleteI feel that inertia is something that I see more than fear itself. I feel that veteran teachers are stuck in how they have always done it and that is it rather than going out on a limb to try new curriculum or teach differently than the old way. It is because of change and changing to some people is hard to do why change when the old ways have worked. For me I am a go with the flow and change it up if it is not working for you or your students.
ReplyDelete