What if?

Notice what is currently incentivized in the school system — and who has responsibility for rewarding it. Do those incentives produce complacency, or encourage continued progress? Look at what students are actually getting opportunities to practice in response to them. Do you want a compliant student, or a student who is leveling up? Does your current incentive structure need to be overhauled?

Have a conversation about discomfort. Share your intention that, going forward, the group will practice honoring one another by giving each other space to struggle — to melt down, disengage, become disrespectful, or simply get it wrong. Giving space is not removing accountability. It creates an opportunity to practice accountability. The objective is to create enough space for a student to course-correct, ask for a redo, and practice a different response.

Replace one adult-controlled decision with a meaningful choice carrying a real consequence. Give students an opportunity to practice choosing well and to experience what follows from their choice. If you don't have these opportunities to trust students with, create them.

Notice who carries social influence. Are they “with you,” supporting your efforts, or opposed to your efforts? Pay attention to how their reactions affect what others are willing to do. How can you win them over so that their influence begins to benefit the effort?

Slow one recurring moment down enough for something usually missed to become noticeable. Resist the pressure to immediately correct, explain, answer, or move on. Create enough space for you — and the students — to notice what is actually happening.

Recognize an occasion when something a student says matters. Practice witnessing what was said, and invite the other students to choose whether to affirm it. The adult doesn't decide that it deserves status; the community gets the opportunity to notice, discern, and give meaning to what happened.