There is a natural conservation of mass and energy, matter changes form, and energy dances from one state to another.
Some folks might argue that since nothing remains constant, change is "inevitable."
But, although changes occur, these changes are active processes.
Where advocates for "real change" go awry is by focusing upon "change" as though change were a noun (a thing), or as a "state of events" in the real world.
Sidebar
The "mantra" for "change" is apt to reach a fevered pitch this political circus season.
But, this article avoids focusing upon rhetoric that is calculated to resonate with a perceived level of economic discord and social suffering.
Instead, this article focuses upon an "impossible idea"…that advocates can convince people to "change (as the Advocate defines) for the better."
Advocates' Checklist for Change
Change Advocates, including the folks that want to "make our schools better," have a playbook that was acquired though the school of hard (really punishing, below-the-belt punches) knocks.
Here are the "prize-winning" strategies:
- Pick the Right Fight - Don't play when you can't possibly win
- Time your Tactics - Make the clock your friend, not your enemy
- Expect "Push Back" and Resistance - The status quo defense will redouble their efforts to resist
- Expect that Change will Take Time - Be patient, the typical education innovation cycle is 20 years
- Remain Optimistic - But be realistic. Evaluate milestones and setbacks for what they are, signposts…not summary judgments
- Focus upon Selective Change - Think strategy, tactics and advantage. Avoid forced submission and domination
- Trust Innovators, and give them Both Responsibility and Authority - Find action-takers, calculated risk-takers and put them in charge. Let them experiment and experience failure. Allow them to make mistakes
- Be prepared for the Long Haul - Plan to stick with the change process for a long time
So, although innovation and change are really (think disguised) rants against teachers; and cunning campaigns to force teachers to do more uncompensated work, schools are really complex cultures with stakeholders that are aligned to divergent wants, needs, motivations and self-interests.
Change advocates often view their job as a sales pitch, i.e., they must sell buyers (teachers) on the benefits of working harder, smarter and differently to "accommodate the change."
Of course, this is a "hard sell," (no pun intended), and few teachers are tricked into buying (in) by this strategy.
Sidebar
If the benefits of the proposed change were so rewarding, the "changes" ought to speak for themselves, and no sales pitch would be required.
For example, attaching a worm or minnow to a fish hook exchanges the "unappetizing morsel" for a pan-sized fish.
And people are motivated to perform this kind of exchange, day in, day out because the process is inherently rewarding.
Exchanging something you can't (or won't eat), the worm or minnow for a fish is a high payoff activity.
Another example: If people were able to step up to a counter and exchange a $10 bill for a $20 bill; they would stand in line, wait their turn, make the exchange, then return to the end of the line for another round.
Many people would repeat this process, day and night, until exhausted.
Sure, you have to overcome skepticism because people would hesitate, wondering, "What's the catch?" But, the promise of an exchange similar to this is what fuels gambling enterprises.
What's in it for Me?
Change advocates fail to realize that almost all of the "educational change equation" calculates out to the following benefits for the changer…
- More Work Required
- More Effort Required
- Decreased Free Time
- Additional Costs
- Previous Efforts and Investments become Denigrated and Devalued
- Supplies, Inventories and Resources for the old way are No Longer Needed
- New Supplies, Inventories and Resources have to be Acquired
- Old Habits that must be Extinguished and Unlearned
- New Habits that must be Developed, Learned and Perfected
- Old Skills that will Dissipate with Disuse
- New Skills that must be Won with Stress and Effort
- Self-Confidence that will Erode, replaced by a Temporary (we hope) Lack of Confidence because New Procedures are Stressful
Convoluted Advocacy
So, how do change advocates pitch an inherently undesirable product?
Answer: Rhetoric, psychological tricks, mind control and emotional appeals. These boil down to variations on two themes:
- Do the extra work that the change demands, feel the pain. Do it for the benefit of your students
- Do the extra work, feel the pain. Do its so that you can keep your job
Of course, neither of these "benefits" creates the intrinsic motivation inherent in activities such as fishing or gambling. And the lack of real benefits may be partially responsible for so many new teachers leaving the profession within three to five years. Reason: "Forced Change" delivers too few benefits and too much stress.
Don't Fight the Culture
Change Advocates are reformers who want everything to go their "ideal" way. Of course, most other folks fail to identify the same outcomes that the Change Advocate identifies as ideal.
But, there are sets of beliefs, behaviors, standards and methods of operation that everyone is comfortable with. These complex "sets of influences" can be considered to be the organization's "culture."
Change Advocates complain that the culture is difficult to change, and that fighting against the culture almost always results in a "loss." The Change Advocate's advice: "Don't go up against the culture."
Of course, this is a wrong-headed, self-centric view when it comes to changing teachers.
Changing teachers is easy. All the Change Advocate has to do is make the life of the teacher easier and more productive, provide less work, higher pay and more help.
And that is where the "culture wars" argument falls apart.
What Change Advocates see as a "resistant culture," the folks involved see as an inferior solution to a problem that they don't recognize…a solution that makes more problems than it solves.
Message to school or teacher Change Agents: "Figure out real solutions that provide real benefits to teachers, and they will come begging for your solution."
Anything less, expect resistance.
Summary
Change Advocates fail to realize that change is process, not a thing.
Secondly, these Change Advocates fail to focus upon real benefits that appeal to the self-interests of the folks who own the habits, behavior, routines and systems that the Change Advocates wish to "adjust."
Change Advocates focus upon one stakeholder group, generally the lowest rung on the "Chain of Command" ladder; and use blame, guilt and rhetoric as the tools of their persuasion arsenal.
The Change Advocates seldom think of lucrative additional pay, additional help, increased benefits and various other compensations that could motivate the change that they advocate.
So, advocated change cannot, doesn't, seldom ever happens because 1.) the Change Advocates either have not done their homework; or, 2.) the solution that they propose is more tears, toil and trouble than the payoffs that ensue.
Since advocated change won't happen, let the teacher "blame game" continue.
