Three Kinds of Normal

Don’t be fooled: the “new normal” that everyone is talking about is not here to stay.

In fact, we should be thinking about three kinds of normal.

  • New Normal = our COVID-19 world, in which…

    • The #1 Question: How do deliver on our most basic promise to educate the children in our care while stopping the financial bleeding?

    • Meanwhile…

      • We are on videoconferences all day.

      • Kids do digital worksheets and other busy work because activity and time are often the only two ways we have of knowing moment-to-moment whether “learning” is happening.

      • The illusion of content-as-king has been shattered.

  • Next Normal = September 2020 - December 2020

    • The #1 Question: Are we willing to bet against a COVID-19 recurrence or some similar disruption?

      • If yes, are we also willing to bet against families demanding that some things change based on their experiences during the “New Normal”? (For example, less worksheet-based learning and more project-based learning).

      • If no, what is our vision for the Next Normal starting in September, and how are we designing a plan to take advantage of the remainder of May, June, July, and August?

  • Future Normal = 2021 through 2023.

    • The #1 Question: Are we willing to bet against Darwinism? Are we willing to bet that other schools won’t use this New Normal and the Next Normal to adapt rapidly and regularly?

      • If yes, good luck.

      • If no, remember that culture = strategy. If your strategy demands rapid and regular adaptation, what is your plan for designing and nurturing that kind of culture?

It’s natural to want things to be normal again. And it’s painful when our expectations of—or hopes for—normal don’t match reality.

Wouldn’t it be better to create the Next Normal and Future Normal than react to them?

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Christian Talbot