In our work with you this Fall, it is clear that everyone is feeling the tension of the job. Without fail, you are saying that your teachers are overwhelmed. With that also comes the possibility that you may be feeling a little of that stress as well.

So, what can we do about it?

To support our understanding of what is really going on is an examination of how we think about the balance between the tension and support of our work.

Recently, a Principal came to our call with this dilemma. Her ILT (Instructional Leadership Team) composed of representatives from all grade levels brought the message that teachers are stressed! Add to that, there are twenty-one (21) new staff members. Got the Picture?

You can see that this Principal was seeing the struggle between the expectations of the work and the human potential to do the work which is exactly what you have been bringing to us.

So, let’s hit the “Pause Button” and look at this from a different mindset. Our question is, “How do we balance the tension and support that results in our best work?”

First, draw a fulcrum or a balance beam with Tension on one end and Support on the other. It looks like this:

Much like the teeter-totter we all loved as children, you can see that it moves up and down and that it can be hard to keep the balance. Now, let’s see how this works when we plug our work into the concept. There are aspects of our work that would be considered Tension producing and other aspects of our work that feel like Support.

When the Principal and I considered this from the perspective of what is happening at her school right now, this was the result.

 
Certainly, the list can go on . . . AND, it will. Notice that some things are on both lists as they can create tension and can also be a sign of support. Also, notice that the Support side has more.

So, what’s the lesson here? The Key is – as tension increases, we want to increase the support side of the work. How are we helping one another breathe? . . . catching our breath . . . and returning to “I can do this!”

The beauty of this tool is that it can be applied globally or for each component of our work as Coach Leaders. For example, in your job as coaches, you can think about your work from these two angles. What tension am I bringing to the work and how can I ensure that teachers feel supported by me as they accomplish the standards and expectations of the work?

Bottom Line: Both tension and support are required when we want the outcomes of our efforts to make a difference for our students!