How do I practice adaptability at work as a classroom educator?

Every teacher has their favorite class, the one that every student wants to take part in. There is no pushback from them when you ask them to do something, and they even laugh at your jokes. It's the class we all dream about teaching.

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Every teacher also has their most challenging class. This class doesn't want to answer your questions, they don't want to do what you say, and it feels like a constant battle to get them to do the simplest thing.

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How can you teach both classes successfully? The key is adaptability.

The same strategies won't work in both cases, but by having adaptability at work, you can create solutions that will work for both classes.

As an experienced teacher, I often rely on four strategies that help with adaptability in the classroom.

Many things can derail the best-planned lessons. In my first few years of teaching, this was true for me, but over time, I adapted my approach and made time in my lesson to respond to how the students were that day. My lessons became much more fun to teach.

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Example

I notice that sometimes, some of my students aren't looking at their books. It would be normal to feel frustrated and get mad, but this won't help anyone. Instead, I use an activity that changes the energy of the lesson. Here are a few ideas you can try.

• Have the students ask the person next to them for their opinion on the topic.

• Introduce a fun game into the class using the material taught. This can be anything from hangman to playing an online game. This website has some games you can try.

• Give a weird example, fun fact, or story about the topic.

When I changed my approach for adaptability at work, my lessons flowed better and I started to enjoy teaching much more.

A growth mindset is one where you believe that you can develop over time and get better. A fixed mindset is one where you believe you can't improve, and if you're not good at it, you never will be.

If you have a fixed mind, there are things you can do to change how you see the world and have adaptability at work.

• See challenges as opportunities. Tell yourself that everything hard is an opportunity to learn something new.

• Be patient with yourself. It takes time to learn and change so don't expect a quick result.

• Focus on your positive actions. Don't worry if you can't do it yet. Focus on what you're doing to improve.

• Change how you see failure. Wake up each morning and tell yourself that failure is just an opportunity to learn something new.

• Ask for feedback. Remember that feedback helps you improve and become the best version of yourself.

Once you've developed a growth mindset, it's much easier for you as a teacher to have adaptability at work rather than doing the same old thing over and over again.

Early in my teaching career, I used to find classroom management hard, as my classes weren't always well-behaved. Instead of giving up, I spoke to colleagues and did some research online. I made a few changes, such as having simple rules and a clear reward system. My classes became much better behaved.

Tina is a new teacher and is having trouble with her 6th-grade class. She is unable to engage them in her lessons, and is feeling defeated, like teaching is just too hard. Tina relies on the methods she was taught in her teacher training, even though they are clearly not working with these students.

Which of the following suggestions would help Tina develop a growth mindset and create more engaging lessons for her students? Select all that apply:

A. Ask for feedback from senior members of staff on how to make the lessons more engaging.

B. Keep teaching the same way, as eventually her students will get used to her way of doing things.

C. Be patient and keep trying new things to see what works with her students.

D. Only talk to other teachers who teach the same way she does.

One of the hardest things when I started teaching was learning that I hadn't been hired because I already knew everything. By showing adaptability at work and going out of my way to learn new things, my lessons became much better.

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Some of the things I learn regularly:

• Students' interests — for example, superheroes, K-pop idols such as Black Pink, and Pokémon.

• Talking with colleagues about the ideas they're using to make lessons fun and engaging.

• Finding interesting examples of what I'm teaching that are relevant to my students' lives.

  By learning regularly, you make time to discover new things, and your lessons become more enjoyable for both you and your students.

One of the biggest mistakes I made when I first started teaching was to assume that I knew better than my students and to dismiss what they wanted to include in the lesson. This meant my classes seemed to drag, and I had more challenges dealing with my students.

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Over time, I listened to students and tried to incorporate what they wanted into the lesson as well. This adaptability at work meant the lessons went more smoothly and were more engaging.

This article provides more information on the benefits of listening to students.

Example

One day, my student Ruby came up to me in the corridor and told me that she really liked my lessons, but she wanted to use iPads in class more often. I went away and thought about what she had said.

I realized that if I spent a little less time reviewing at the start of the lesson and got the students to write in their workbooks more quickly, it would free up about 10 minutes at the end of the lesson for the students to use iPads to play some review games.

Teaching isn't easy, and it's something you need to keep working on if you want to improve. Adaptability at work and constantly embracing change is the key to becoming the best teacher you can be. By being flexible, having a growth mindset, continually learning, and listening to students, I have become a much better teacher.

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