Need a Shortcut for Creating Change?

Some weeks in schools feel heavy.

The same students.

The same behaviors.

The same conversations that don’t seem to move anything forward.

One of the simplest ways to see past the heaviness is to sit back, work less and find exceptions.

An exception is any moment when the problem you’re worried about is less intense, less frequent, or absent altogether.

The class period that went a little better.

The assignment that got turned in.

The student who didn’t explode, or, who briefly looked up and engaged.

Exceptions are not accidents. They are clues that we must train our minds to seek out.

I’ve heard teachers say, “He never does his work.”

So I say, “Tell me about a time when he did some work.”

Notice that was not a question.

Then, there is an answer, “Well… he finished something in art last week.”

When you ask teachers or students about exceptions, something powerful happens. Defensiveness drops. Students feel seen as capable. They become experts on what works for them.

This week when you are tempted to ask why there is a problem, instead, try questions like:

• “When is this a little better?”

• “What’s different on the days it goes more smoothly?”

• “How did you manage that?”

When you watch out for what’s working, even in small ways, you regain hope, too and that is contagious. You remember that your presence matters and you walk a little taller down the hallways.

This week, choose one student who’s been weighing on you.

Just one.

Instead of asking what’s wrong, ask, “When is it a little better?”

Then listen.

May this week bring you one small moment that reminds you...

Something is already working.

And you were part of it. 💙