Benefits of Starting the School Year in Learning Mode vs. Performance Mode

Aug 14

Sure, we have a growth mindset for kids—but what does it look like when we cultivate a growth mindset for ourselves, as teachers?

Read this if you support teachers who set professional growth goals, or if you’re a classroom educator yourself.

Eduardo Briceno discusses the difference between growth mode and performance mode in his fascinating TED talk, and I can’t stop thinking about the ways it relates to teachers’ professional growth, student learning outcomes, and educator job satisfaction.

Learning Mode

When we are in “learning mode,” Briceno notes these patterns:

We break the desired skill down into small concrete steps or actions
We use frequent checks for accuracy
We work with a coach who can provide expert feedback
We reflect on progress using qualitative and quantitative feedback

These behaviors lead to improvement rather than a constant focus on performance. Significant research supports that teacher improvement plateaus after the first three years in the profession (Rice, 2013). Overcoming that tendency to level off in our learning takes effort, but the payoffs are worthwhile.

Performance Mode

On the other hand, when we are in “performance” mode, we might exhibit these behaviors:

Goal is to execute
Focus on what we have already mastered
Minimize mistakes

Performance mode is important, in limited quantities.

Why the limits? Here’s what would be missing if teachers only operated in performance mode.

Teachers who were constantly aiming to impress wouldn’t ever have the chance to…

Try a new teaching technique
Explore creative activites with students
Be wrong
Seek feedback on their instruction
Experience the autonomy how they teach their curriculum

Readers may have dediced by how that I am a proponent of Learning Mode. True, but with a caveat: this blog post is not condoning loosey-goosey, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants instruction… nor does it suggest school leaders encourage teachers to “try anything and just see what happens!”

I’m suggesting a conscious balance between learning and performance modes. What allows for this is a school culture that embraces growth, collaboration, and creativity, not just for students, but for educators as well.

A Balance Between Learning and Performing

One example of the learning-performing balancing act is when schools have an agreed-upon set of “instructional guarantees.” These likely to be research-backed best practices the school subscribes to and provides professional learning experiences so faculty understand and can carry out these commitments. This is where collaborative learning teams or professional learning communities (PLCs) come in. When I was an instructional coach at Poe Middle School in Fairfax County, Va., we created these instruction guarantees with a group of teacher leaders. Here they are. In PLC teams, teachers supported each other in incorporating the “guarantees” into their teaching pratice.

And yet, within a context of best practices, there can also be room for teachers to try new things, express creativity in their work, and exercise professional autonomy. These are the elements that bring teachers excitement, motivation, and satisfaction with their work.

Cultivate an Atmosphere of Growth

Here are six ways school leaders might cultivate an atmosphere of growth with their teaching faculty:

Be clear as you communicate what is “tight” and what is “loose” to the faculty, i.e. Do you require teachers to post learning targets for each lesson? That’s where your school might have “tight” expectations. Do you allow teachers to get as creative as possible when it comes to assessing how and whether students met the learning target? That would be “loose.”
Offer a mix of required whole faculty PD and options for faculty to explore learning of their own choosing, perhaps as teams or individuals, perhaps beyond the walls of your school. Consider state-independent school organizations such as AIMS, PAIS, or VAIS in the mid-Atlantic.
Have goal-setting check-ins to see what each teacher wants to explore this year, where they feel their strengths lie, and where they are challenged—help them reframe their challenges into a growing edge and see what kinds of learning opportunities are possible.
Invite teachers into opportunities for collaborative learning. Teachers can experiment with peers and live the growth mindsets they espouse, as they work together to try new approaches. Here is where you can be loose or tight on areas of your choosing to ensure best practices alongside professional growth.
A focus on results can, in the right way, actually foster a growth mindset. Reviewing assessment data from a space of nonjudgmental curiosity can invite a teacher to reflect on the effectiveness of their teaching techniques. This is where we allow for the freedom to try something and help teachers learn from instructional experimentation.
Offer instructional coaching through either an in-house teaching expert (a coach or assistant principal, division head, department chair, or dean of faculty) or an outside consultant who can bring fresh eyes, confidentiality, and a clean slate to the partnership, which can inspire deeper reflection and greater advancement.

This balance of tight and loose, where research-backed common best practices are adhered to AND where curious experimentation for the sake of student (and teacher!) engagement can coexist… is the space in which teachers can thrive.

Thriving, learning, intellectually stimulated teachers bring their best selves to the classroom for your students, resulting in the learning outcomes all stakeholders desire.

A bonus challenge: How can we encourage professional learning while also supporting a balanced lifestyle for teachers? It is essential to create space for excellent, growth-oriented teaching, AND everything in the rest of our lives that brings us joy and wholeness. I believe we have a right to this.

There are no easy answers, and the joy is in the struggle. So, let’s keep exploring this together. Onward, educators!

Teach Learn Thrive is professional development that energizes educators, unites school communities, and inspires more teacher joy!

I’m Sarah Dugan, PD creator, instructional coach, and founder of Teach Learn Thrive.

Throughout my 10 years as a teacher, I adored my students, reveled in the content, and delighted in pushing students beyond their perceived limits. Now, I love helping teachers stay empowered with new skills and tools while reigniting their excitement for the important, necessary work we get to do.