from Terry Hayek
I was talking (tweeting) with Mark Barnes tonight and he mentioned the idea of challenging existing forms and practices. And then someone tweeted the image above – quote attributed to Rear Admiral Grace Hopperaccording to image source globalnerdy.com–and I was happy and loved and saved and blogged.
“We’ve always done it this way” implies heritage and tradition, which can be good. But it’s also one of the most dangerous phrases we can use—and that danger extends to education.
I talk a lot about disruptive teaching and a paradigm shift in teaching and learning not because I’m an inherent rebel, or some kind of academic anarchist. I’ve just been teaching long enough – in a wide variety of places – to know that this idea of progressing – and slowly iterating – through data and sharing and “opening our classroom door” just isn’t enough.
it is not bad it simply does not reflect the priority and urgency of our collective challenge. At best, students come to school to play the game and be seen as smart and successful; at worst, they start cutting off and resisting and just getting through the year because they don’t see value in what they’re doing.
We have to make laws to force students to come to school, and often the students who need school the most are not “made” for it; that means the school is designed for students who are strong readers and writers who can manage their work while learning to play well with others.
Life change usually comes from relationships with teachers, not the power of curriculum. But talking about mobile learning, self-directed learning, new content areas, adaptive learning, or valuing questions over answers can kill school conversations and elicit polite smiles from teachers, mainly because these aren’t the rules of the game they know.
The problem with the safe approach to teaching is that it won’t deliver anything other than what we’ve always had. Without doing things radically differentthe most we can hope for is some increase. This is not a plea for chaos, but rather the courage to make mistakes.
The phrase “We’ve always done it this way” symbolizes stagnant thinking and resistance to innovation, reflecting an unwillingness to question established methods or consider new ideas. This mindset often stifles creativity, limits progress, and prevents growth by clinging to outdated practices simply because they are familiar.
It can also create an environment where change is seen as a threat rather than an opportunity for improvement, discouraging people from challenging the status quo or exploring alternative solutions. Over time, this rigid adherence to tradition can lead to missed opportunities, reduced efficiency, and a lack of adaptability in a fast-paced world. To foster innovation and continuous improvement, it is critical to replace this mindset with one that values flexibility, embraces change, and encourages forward-thinking approaches.
To “experiment” on students (because that’s already happening anyway). Dream, try and collect data.
Do something different this year.
Not necessarily – and pointlessly –do as you are told.
Light a new path.
Creatively, professionally, and persistently lobby your department, grade level, school, or district not just to become the best version of your existing self, but to become something else they didn’t think possible.
The same hope you have for your students.
The most dangerous phrase in education
