There is a lot of power in predictability. When things are predictable, they give a sense of familiarity and comfort that reduces anxiety. 

In the classroom, predictability contributes to a space where students feel safe to learn. They know the expectations and what is going to happen. As such, the guesswork is eliminated. They know what they are going to learn and how they will be evaluated. They also know what is acceptable from themselves and others.

Ways to increase predictability include an agenda for the day along with learning goals. While some educators may feel these are an extra step, letting students know what they are doing helps to alleviate anxiety. This is very similar to when educators attend professional learning and an agenda is provided. Knowing what’s happening next helps you to manage your own expectations (even if it is knowing when the snack break is!)

Posting expectations and routines also helps. When students don’t know what to do, they will fill in the gaps. An effective classroom has a routine for most things. How students enter the room, how they get ready for class, how they leave, etc. Some of these routines may seem obvious, but any time we are assuming that students know something, we are unconsciously absolving ourselves of the responsibility of teaching it. When we do this, we become frustrated because what may be obvious to us may not be to them.  

For school leaders, this can be a little tricky. As an example, it is difficult to have a posted agenda for the day. Some leaders share their schedule but that tells others what they are doing, not what the teachers should be doing. As professionals, you also want to give them the autonomy to make professional decisions themselves. Getting that ‘just right’ level of guidance and freedom is a difficult line to navigate.

Similarly, setting group norms can help to set expectations around how staff interact with one another and how you are trying to interact with them. However, while this helps to set the culture and climate, it does not specifically speak to the expectations that you may have for staff for a given situation. As an example, there may be an expectation around being to school on time. These are typically contractual expectations by an employer that aren’t necessarily those by the school leader. 

For these, speaking to a Vision and having your actions feed into that Vision will help others to know the expectations. The important thing here is to be sure that what you say and what you do match. When they don’t, this leads to confusion and uncertainty. Part of this work is also being visible and accessible. When your teachers know you as a person and what you are all about, it allows them to better assess what you will or won’t do in certain situations. This allows them to confidently make decisions that you are likely to be in agreement with. 

One way that can help is the creation of a weekly memo. At the beginning of each week my staff receive a memo outlining important messages, upcoming events, and calendar for the month. This provides a reliable weekly communication (staff can also contribute to it) that helps to keep everyone in the loop on what’s happening around the school. I finish each memo with a ‘Thought of the Week’ piece. This helps to show that I value instructional leadership, professional growth and reflection, so I am modelling what I am promoting. 

A final note that helps is having people who are carrying the banner. This is a term coined by Jimmy Casas in Culturize and essentially means: what are teachers saying to others about you. Depending on what they are saying, this will encourage or discourage teachers from doing certain things or coming to ask you. Word of mouth tends to spread fast, and a reputation is given or earned through the experiences they have with others. 

Administrators who are consistent are predictable. If you tend to handle the same types of issues in the same way, then it is a safe bet for teachers that you will handle the next one the same as well. This helps teachers to feel more confident, more secure and less anxious when making decisions in a school, deciding what they want to take on, or how they engage with you as a school leader. While it won’t remove the challenges in your school, it can go a long way towards improving the school culture and reducing overall anxiety. This makes your teachers feel more confident, secure and willing to take those learning risks that help a school to grow.