3 Reasons I Don’t Talk About ‘Best Practices’

When we take a certain set of practices and call them the ‘best’ we narrow the scope of our reflection, muffle innovation, and marginalize the unique skills and insights of the most capable members of our team. Language has consequences. Especially in education, the way that the term ‘best practices’ is being used has started to limit our idea of what excellence can look like. Even worse, it is often invoked with a kind of zealous righteousness meant only to get teachers and students to fall into line and do as they are told. 

I don’t talk about ‘best practices’ anymore. Here are 3 reasons why: 

1. No One Wants To Be A Cookie Cutter Teacher 

If a teacher or administrator implements a series of ‘best practices’ and they are still unsuccessful, then the problem must be with that person. The practice, after all, is the best. If a teacher is not enthusiastic about a ‘best practice’, whether it be for planning or instruction, then they must have a mindset issue that needs to be rooted out through some deep guilt-based questioning. After all, who would have a problem with doing what we know is the very best thing to do?

Yes, teachers will struggle, and yes, teachers need coaching. But a ‘best practices’ approach limits the teacher’s agency in this process and reduces the likelihood that they will grow in a meaningful way. Instead of prescribing certain practices, we should be more inquisitive and collaborative. We should be aware of the library of practices often called ‘best’, but we should be open to customization and original ideas. In this way we can help teachers develop practices that are best for them. 

2. Marginal Adjustment v. Continuous Improvement 

I often hear people who talk about ‘best practices’ say things like, ‘We know what works, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.” Fair enough. But we should recognize that codifying certain practices as the ‘best’ will limit our ability to innovate in meaningful ways. One of the most rewarding aspects of working in education is the ability to engage in cycles of action, reflection and adjustment. Innate to education is the joy of a creative act. When we narrow our reflection to a set of codified practices, we narrow the ability to find fulfillment in the act of discovery and creation. Instead of rigorous reflection, creative problem-solving, and perpetual evolution, we are stuck with marginal adjustments to our implementation. We may get better, but we will not fulfill our full potential. 

I have been lucky enough to visit some of the best schools in the world. They do not prescribe certain practices. The best schools in the world organize teams around their unique values and priorities and then create systems for continuous improvement. Each classroom evolves into its own best version of itself. 

3. Trust is the Foundation of High Expectations

We often confuse high expectations with compliance. We do this for both teachers and students alike. We say, ‘I believe in you so much that, I believe that you can do all of the things that I tell you to do.’ When this type of approach is coupled with genuine personal warmth it can be effective in creating pretty good schools where students do very well on standardized tests. But this is a rather paternal conception of what high expectations can mean. 

As I mentioned earlier, language around ‘best practices’ is often used by authority figures who value their own control. Many times this is well intentioned, but it is still ultimately about narrowing the agency and creativity of others. If we want to truly liberate the full potential of teachers and students, then we need to create opportunities for them to expand their agency and think creatively. There is no way to tell what the results of this approach will be and that can be scary, but if we truly believe in people and we believe in our ability to create a supportive environment, then we should trust that what they are capable of on their own will surpass what we could ever have prescribed for them. Rigorous compliance does not define high expectations. Trust is the foundation of high expectations. 

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At their most useful, ‘best practices’ are a lifeline for teachers who are overwhelmed and don’t know what to do. The most common feedback I give to new teachers is a practice for giving directions. At their worst, they enable the increasing bureaucratization of the teaching profession and demoralize our most effective teachers by forcing them into boxes they have long outgrown. 

If you have acquiesced to the idea that your most veteran teachers will always have less than four years of experience, and your organizing priority is to outperform nearby schools on standardized tests then sure, train everyone according to some predetermined set of practices. But if you want a rewarding and enriching school culture where people feel free to think creatively, develop a love for lifelong learning and value opportunities for unscripted student and teacher leadership, then I suggest you start thinking more about systems for continuous improvement. What does it look like to build a system based on trust?