Today my colleague and PLN member, Kevin Jarrett, shared this infographic. It was too good not to share.
This particular metaphor references the willingness of individuals to embrace technology in the classroom, which makes the idea of the pencil even more ironic. Yet, the more I read each of the descriptions, the more I was able to picture individuals and groups of people that I’ve encountered who fit these characteristics. Very few of the situations that I can think of have anything to do with technology. I identify with this metaphor so much because of how it is applicable to any kind of change.
It reminds me of the PBS behavior support triangle. In most cases, 80% of people are willing to go along with changes and roll with them. 15% will resist them, but they will comply – just not always with the best attitude or consistency. The remaining 5% are those who use every fiber of their being to resist changes.
What astounds me when reviewing both of these is how loud of a voice the erasers and “red zone” seem to have. They don’t just seek to resist changes in their own lives, but they seek to undo the work that others around them are doing. What could possibly motivate this behavior? I really don’t know. I am constantly in awe of those who so vehemently act in this manner. The effort that they place into resisting any changes in their lives and blocking those who stand behind the changes could be redirected positively with only a fraction of the spent energy. The erasers in this scenario are not like those in my classroom, who seem to wear down in a day. Where do schools (and any other facet of life) go from here? Will there be a point where the anti-change agents voices are overshadowed by those working to move our schools forward? We have to hope so. That’s the only thing that keeps the pencils lead sharpened.
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