In my last blog, I wrote about ego-depletion. Another related phenomenon is decision-fatigue. Think of all the decisions that have to be made in a day: Should I get up when the alarm rings or press snooze, what will I wear, what do I eat for breakfast, what time do I need to leave to get to school on time, how will I get there, what do I do first, how do I restrain my frustrations and make the effort to contain normal impulses, etc.

As the day progresses, each decision we make depletes us of a little more mental energy. Have you ever gone home at the end of the day and can’t even think what to eat for supper? Let alone have the mental energy to make important financial decisions, think about what needs or does not need to be purchased, or even plan your next holiday. This is called decision-fatigue.

How do we support ourselves with this? We create structure and routine so that we don’t need to make so many decisions. The alarm rings, we get up. We eat similar things for breakfast every morning, we leave at the same time to get to school, we have a routine for the day, we know when we will eat lunch and where because we do the same thing every day, etc. And we know that the best time to make important decisions is when we are feeling fully-fueled.

The Third Teacher tells us about how our environment influences us. Mostly we think about our physical space, however, we are also highly influenced by the environment of our daily routine and the people with whom we spend the day.

How do we support our children with decision-fatigue? All parents and teachers know the importance of structure in a child’s life. By taking away the routine choices, we leave energy for the more important and deeper learning choices. The more structure we have, the less we have to worry about.

Helping our students know what is expected of them by modeling the expected behaviour, creating a structure to the day and keeping it, always responding in the same way to a certain type of behaviour, and being consistent. It is not about militaristic, unforgiving daily routines, it is about persistent kindness. It is about respectfully teaching our children how they might interact successfully with others, and how to follow social pragmatics so that they use their energy to think creatively, be empathetic, and innovate their world.

I wonder, if we give our children and ourselves the gift of externally generated discipline vs internally generated discipline what might we do differently?

Degas shocked the art world in Paris when he showed his sculpture “la petite danseuse, 14 ans” in Paris at the Sixth Impressionist Exhibition of 1881. While some singled out its “extraordinary reality” many described the sculpture as follows:  “Ugly.” “Ape-like.”  “…she is an example of depravity, of criminality, of the ills of society.” … with a “face marked by the hateful promise of every vice” and “bearing the signs of a profoundly heinous character.” (see here)

Today “la petite danseuse, 14 ans” is a symbol of classic beauty, self-discipline, and possibility. We see her through different eyes. Today, a 14-year-old ballerina most likely comes from a family who can afford dance lessons with parents who have the ability and the inclination to support her dreams. However, back in the late 1800’s, the ballerinas were often young girls who came from very poor families. They danced at the opera because of the opportunity it provided to find a wealthy benefactor.  Many of the girls became prostitutes to survive.

In 1891, when the statue was first displayed, the harsh reality of the ills of society was exposed. Therefore, certain features of the statue were highlighted which ‘confirmed’ the opinion that the young girl was ‘criminal-like’ and should not be celebrated. It was easier to blame the girls rather than question the values of society.

Today when we see the statue, the societal context has changed. We now highlight features that ‘confirm’ our opinion that she is composed, graceful and full of potential. Someone to celebrate. Someone to emulate. A symbol of good in society.

Daniel Kahneman, psychologist (Thinking Fast and Slow),  tells us that by changing the context, we change how we compare and view situations and people. We do this subconsciously. We look for features that confirm our opinion. It is called confirmation bias.

When I saw the exhibit of Degas’ ‘Little Dancer’ and learned about her story, I wondered what characteristics in people we will be highlighting and celebrating in ten years, fifty years. Our students’ future.

We all have a confirmation bias. Daniel Kahneman said that, when faced with a possible biased situation, he asks himself, “In what situation might this be true?” Adapting that question for teachers, I wonder if we can challenge our biases by asking, “In what context might this characteristic be considered something to celebrate?”