Habit Re-Architecture

Hey 👋

Hope you’re having a top Thursday. Let’s pick back up where we left off (on habits)…

Big idea 🍉

Most of our life (and work) runs on habit: sequences of action which are triggered by a ‘cue’, all of which happens largely unconsciously and with minimal thought.

Without habits, there’s no way we’d be able to regularly engage in such complex activities (such as driving a car or checking understanding using mini-whiteboards), never mind responding to unforeseen events in the classroom.

However, the more we automate our practice, the harder it becomes for us to grow. But if our habits don’t change, our student learning outcomes won’t either*.

If we’re serious about improving, we must devote a serious proportion of our effort to habit re-architecture. Ways to do this include...

• WHEN-THEN planning: Getting clarity on exactly what we will do (THEN), and the cue that will this trigger this sequence of action (WHEN). When a student answers incorrectly, then I will acknowledge their contribution before...

• Cue disruption: If we remove the cue, we remove the habit. When I see my phone at break time, I end up doom-scrolling on Insta, so I will keep it in my staffroom locker instead...

• Habit replacement: Modifying an existing habit is easier than eliminating it. This entails swapping out the actions which follow the cue. After giving student instructions, I will circulate and check for understanding (instead of retreating to my desk).

Habit re-architecture takes time, or more accurately: repetition. For simple habit changes, 20 spaced out reps might do it, but for more complex changes, we might need 40 or 50. Maintaining this effort is hard. Increase your chances of success by getting an accountability buddy or coach (someone who wants to see you succeed and is willing to badger you for regular updates) and making the change part of our identity (I’m the kind of person who doesn’t get distracted by their phone).

Finally: start small. When we try to change too much at once, we end up changing nothing at all. What one tiny habit might you seek to tweak today?

🎓 For more, check out this review of habit formation in the real world.

*Other things, like increasing our curricular knowledge, can help too of course.

Summary

• If our habits don’t change, our impact won’t change (much).

• We can redesign our habits by WHEN-THEN planning, cue disruption, and sequence replacement.

• The process is effortful and ongoing: find an accountability partner, align our identity, and start small.

Little updates 🥕

• Study on teacher views of school leaders → finds better leadership ratings are linked to higher job satisfaction and lower staff turnover.

• Working paper testing rehearsal-based professional development → suggests it significantly improves teacher skill & adaptive expertise.

• Review of school structure vs student choice → finds that combining both boosts motivation, engagement, learning, and teacher effectiveness ✨

• Report on school mental health interventions → finds long-term negative effects, including increased distress (despite some short-term benefits).

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