Fatigue Makes Cowards Of Us All
November to February is the toughest slog. This period will test the resolve of the most experienced and resilient educators, many of whom know how to either knuckle down and focus on a few things that matter, or conversely, know to keep their heads down and only do what’s asked of them. It’s quite difficult to find willing collaborators during this period. Many initiatives will fade into obscurity, or, through force of will coupled with much resentment, remain omnipresent.
Fatigue can make you a coward in that it can diminish your ability to act in the face of a challenge. General George S. Patton Jr, despite being a hard ass, was an incredibly intuitive leader and knew that war fatigue diminished a soldier’s ability to act morally and courageously. Fatigue diminishes empathy and will power. It can cause you to question what once seemed unquestionable. Do you remember that big ambition or goal you started the school year with? How does it look now?
When we are tired, our mind and body struggle to summon the strength and resilience needed to confront difficulties with courage. This weariness can cloud our judgment, weaken our resolve, and justify avoiding situations that demand resilience. The presence of fatigue can turn the bravest of hearts into reluctant warriors, unable to rise to the occasion when it matters most.
Every year I work with over 100 middle and senior leaders in mentoring programs. Every year between November and February I see resentment surface and middle leader lead initiatives fade. BUT, I know, that if during this trying period the middle leaders are compassionately mentored by the senior leaders, helping them focus on what is most important, and within their capacity, that the fading initiative the middle leader launched will soon shine bright again.
For over 7 years I have witnessed this phenomena and structured my mentoring programs accordingly, to ensure that throughout the year the mentees and mentors are being given the right support, at the right time, largely with the intent of keeping them engaged. They always see through the initiatives, provided the touch points are timely and relevant.
Every year this approach has seen almost all mentoring pairs double their efforts in March and finish the year strong, completing initiatives that positively impact the teaching and learning in their schools. For those pairs that still struggle coming out of February, I refocus their attention on the obstacles they are facing and make those obstacles the focus of their learning and development.
May is without question my favourite month of the school year, because I get to bask in the glow of all the mentoring pairs when they report on their initiatives. Initiatives, mind you, that they were not paid to do and by no means required to see through. BUT, because they did see them through, they:
Improved Lower Elementary Literacy Professional Development
Supported articulation of complicated policy in ways that teachers could use
Influenced Home Room teachers, Advisors and Tutors to be more attentive to student wellbeing
Articulated Chinese National and English Language Curricula
Improved the social life of Boarding Students
Interrogated data, finding new perspectives and patterns that lead to timely interventions
Created and facilitated transdisciplinary learning communities
Championed student voice and choice through authentic inquiry projects
Identified gaps in training and developed robust development plans for marginalised faculty members
If fatigue has dampened or shelved an initiative you were passionate about, then do this with a peer:
Retrace your steps: What did you want to achieve and what have you experienced along the way?
Do a learning audit: What have you learned? Who are your supporters? What feedback have you received?
Identify Roadblocks: Time is obvious, as well as colleague buy-in. These obstacles are easily surmountable. Start small, one student or one colleague at a time.
Make a courageous pivot: Draft a professional inquiry that synthesizes steps 1-3. You might have started the year with the ambition to answer this question: “How will we identify and document instances of agency so we can establish a benchmark to evaluate student agency against?” but your journey, inventory and known roadblocks have given you pause for thought, and you are now asking, “What do our colleagues understand and know about student agency, and can they share any evidence of its practice with us?”.
Engage your champions: There are colleagues that want you to succeed. They will be more receptive now than before to your question. Ask your new question and set a strong foundation that you can build on next year.
Measure your expectations and hopefully your ambition doesn’t have a June expiration date on it. The initiatives that are most likely to fail, which colleagues always see through, are those that are just a means to an end. If your resolve is authentic and you are able to clearly communicate your vision, then buy-in is inevitable. You might not get it today, but along the way you will learn how to earn it tomorrow.
Michael Iannini is an education management consultant that is recognized by the Council of International Schools as an expert in Strategic Planning, Governance, Human Resource Management, and Leadership Development. He is the author of Hidden in Plain Sight: Realizing the Full Potential of Middle Leaders, and coordinates professional development for a network of over 500 private schools across Asia. You can learn more about Michael and his work by visiting www.pdacademia.com, www.peer-sphere.com and www.middleleader.com.
