The Inertia of Mediocrity

Tom Butler, Ph.D. / August 23, 2024

My elementary understanding of inertia is that it is a force that is either standing still or moving in a certain direction. Inertia explains why the force will either stay still, or keep going in the direction it has started. 

So, why am I talking about inertia?

Great question!  This song is why.

“Young Man” by Jamestown Revival

Here are the lyrics:

I walked back down
The river bend road
Gathered up a couple good stones

Down to the water
Went looking for a load
Wasn’t very far from home

Well I saw my face at the water’s edge
The man with the heavy heart
But every now and then he feels so close
But every now and then so far
Tell me

Where did the young man go
The one in the water that I used to know
Where did he lose that fire?
Did he just grow old
Did he just grow tired

The face I saw was a younger man
A little more sure of his ways
Blissful fool didn’t understand
Hadn’t seen enough in his day

Ten years time and a wiser mind
It’s seems his world has changed
Knowing somehow what I didn’t know then
Would I still done it the same?

Tell me where did the young man go
The one in the water that I used to know
Where did he lose that fire?
Did he just grow old
Did he just grow tired

There was a time that it came easy for awhile
Though it couldn’t have been that long ago

Where did the young man go
The one in the water that I used to know
Where did he lose that fire?
Did he just grow old
Did he just grow tired
Where did the young man go
The one in the water that I used to know
Where did he lose that fire?
Did he just grow old
Did he just grow tired

I walked back down
The river bend road
Gathered up a couple good stones

Down to the water
Went looking for a load
I wasn’t very far from home

Ok, I acknowledge that the song hits home because of the stage of life that I am in (a 55-year-old man staring at the end of his career), and here is the stream of consciousness that has really helped me “get my head right” this week.

The chorus is a real kick in the pants. “Where did the young man go? The one in the water that I used to know. Where did he lose that fire? Did he just grow old,  did he just grow tired.”

I don’t know about you, but I am tired. I am tired of the constant work it takes to try to do something that is good for kids. Why is that? Why should it be so hard to do what is right for kids?

The Inertia of Mediocrity
The school system has an inertia, and that inertia leans into mediocrity. Let me be clear, I do not place any blame anywhere for this inertia. I especially want to be clear that I do not think it’s the “people” in the school system who want the inertia of mediocrity.  Rather, the Frankenstein system of education that we have created over the years has created a blob of inertia that just wants to be mediocre. 

Some of us are complicit in perpetuating the mediocrity.

If you are a leader that is driven by compliance to State and Federal regulations, then you are a contributor to the inertia.

If you believe that test scores and the curriculum are an end in and of themselves and not a means to a greater end, then you are contributing to the inertia of mediocrity.

If you are a policy-maker and you have your favorite lists of people to blame for the system, and you have no plan for helping those people, then you are a contributor to the inertia of mediocrity.

If you over-rely on attorneys to tell you what to do, then you are contributing to the inertia of mediocrity.

I am simply tired of waking up every day and fighting with this inertia. You see, the diabolical thing about inertia is that it is always pushing and striving to stay the same. For those who want to attempt to change the course of inertia, you must fight every day…no exceptions. This constant battle gets tiring.

But the song also offers hope.

Here is where the song helps.

From the song:
Ten years time and a wiser mind
It’s seems his world has changed
Knowing somehow what I didn’t know then
Would I still done it the same?

When I ask myself the question of whether I would have done it the same way, the answer is a resounding YES! 

I am glad that I have recognized and fought the inertia of mediocrity.

As a matter of fact, I want to fight it more now! I think I am more skilled, and just enough wiser that I can better do battle with the nasty ol’ inertia.

Here are some things I am going to remember to help me be a better leader to fight the inertia of mediocrity.

1. Help people understand the inertia of mediocrity and help them build the skills to do battle with it every day.

2. Stay radically focused on the learner. The New Learning Ecosystem is our guiding light.

3. Stay positive by interacting with kids every day. They are the sole reason we have a profession and a job…don’t forget it!

4. Identify skills and knowledge that I still need to learn to better understand systems and how they change.

5. Be a learner-centered leader!

What will you do to push back against the inertia of mediocrity?

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About Tom Butler, Ph.D.

I believe that public education is for the public good and that education should be uncompromisingly learner-centered. The New Learning Ecosystem points us away from the old model of education that does not serve kids well. All educators regardless of where they work can help lead and contribute to the New Learning Ecosystem.
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