So many times in education I think we gravitate toward one idea or teaching strategy and hold onto it like it’s the only way to do things, but I think there is always a balance between change and tradition. Change for the sake of change is just as dangerous as never having the desire to move forward because it causes people to become immune to the prospect of growth and the excitement of moving forward, and sometimes become disillusioned with the inherent uncertainty of constant change. However, whenever I’m in a new situation, whether it’s working with a district or in my own, and I ask why a process is being done (particularly if it doesn’t seem to be working or is inefficient), I never feel like “Because we’ve always done it that way” is a legitimate answer to why it’s being done. After all, there are many things we have spent years doing that we know don’t work: generally ignoring some of the social-emotional needs of students and staff, complete seclusion, treating the learning needs of all kids as being the same…there are consequences for never reviewing a process or practice to look for ways to improve. The use of “We have always done it that way” can feel like a blanket reason not to look for room for improvement.
Because I value balance, I understand that reviewing a process, policy or even a teaching strategy does not always mean that it’s going to change. If the reasons for keeping them the way they are is solid and understandable and the outcomes are always positive, there may not be a reason for a change but that doesn’t mean that reviewing that process or policy wasn’t valuable. But, if the dominant reason for maintaining the status quo is that it’s always been done that way, to me that’s a red flag that it’s time for a review and possibly some tweaks or change so we truly understand the why behind why we are doing things the way we are.
