For generations educators have asked the question, “Is flawless teaching a dream or possible reality?” We’ve used various words and phrases to ask, such as educational leadership, teacher as master learner, criterion based instruction, engineered classrooms, total quality schools and management, programmed instruction, direct instruction, and direct learning.
Jim Murphy explains what Flawless Execution is, how fighter pilots use it and how business executives adapt it to their hostile and fast changing environments. It seems reasonable for educators to consider flawless execution of our teaching and administration of schools.
Flawless Execution is the process used by Fighter Pilots around the world to execute missions when the stakes are high and failure is not an option (bold added).
Educators use some of the same generic procedures in conducting our duties as fighter pilots use. Some of our common descriptors have different meanings for educators in schools than for fighter pilots using Flawless Execution.
Teachers prepare lesson plans. Administrators prepare strategic plans. Fighter pilots use a mission plan.
Teachers schedule our teaching. Administrators schedule meetings. Fighter pilots execute their plan.
Generally, there is one thing that gets in your way of flawlessly executing your mission. It is called Task Saturation, which, simply put, is task overload. You and your team have so many competing priorities that you have a melt-down. In the cockpit, this could look like an engine fire during a landing. Alarms go off. Lights flash. But the pilot still must focus on his primary job of landing the plane.
Teachers and school administrators may also have Task Saturation. We describe how we have so much to do, and how we let students and funding regulations divert us from our primary job of increasing student learning.
Teachers meet to discuss ways to improve instruction, classroom management, etc. Administrators address back stories in support of teachers. Fighter pilots debrief. They take the key Lessons Learned from the Debrief and apply them to the next plan. The Debrief speeds up learning. It lets us fine-tune the processes that ensure your success.
Teachers have a successful lesson when students learn. Administrators receive commendations when students meet achievement objectives within school budgets.
Fighter pilots’ goal is to win by implementing a disciplined management process. We only really win if we have planned carefully, briefed our plan thoroughly, executed our plan with discipline, and debriefed the mission. Luck can lead to these results some of the time, but it can’t be easily duplicated every time without a disciplined process. A disciplined process can.
It’s interesting how seldom educators use the term “failure is not an option” when discussing student learning, and the words “luck” and “discipline” to describe our behavior.
Would we think of educator-student interactions differently, if we used the term “failure is not an option” more and the words “luck” and “discipline” to describe our behavior?
Would trying to accomplish flawless teaching be more powerful than accepting flawed teaching as a permanent reality?
Do educators want flawless teaching? Some openly argue for it. Most of us seem uncommitted to flawlessness as well as to flaws.
What do you think about flawless execution of educators’ duties?