READ TO LEAD

Applying Atomic Habits to K-12 Public School Administration

Dr. Jeanene Barnett, CCOSA Director of Policy, Research, and TLE

James Clear opens his book Atomic Habits: Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results (2018) with an example that emphasizes the importance of making small changes or improvements in our daily habits. He writes: …the impact created by a change in your habits is similar to the effect of shifting the route of an airplane by just a few degrees. Imagine you are flying from Los Angeles to New York City. If a pilot leaving from LAX adjusts the heading just 3.5 degrees south, you will land in Washington D.C. instead of New York. Such a small change is barely noticeable at takeoff – the nose of the airplane moves just a few feet – but when magnified across the entire United States, you end up hundreds of miles apart. Similarly, a slight change in your daily habits can guide your life to a very different destination. Making a choice that is 1 percent better or 1 percent worse seems insignificant in the moment, but over the span of moments that make up a lifetime these choices determine the difference between who you are and who you could be (p. 17-18).

In Atomic Habits, Clear provides a powerful framework for school administrators to create positive, lasting changes in their schools. By focusing on small, strategic improvements, administrators can enhance school culture, improve staff and student performance, and drive long-term success.

Key Concepts and Applications for School Administrators

1 The Power of Small Habits in School Leadership

■ Small, consistent changes in school policies, practices, and routines can lead to significant improvements over time in school culture and, ultimately, in student achievement.

■ Application: Instead of attempting large-scale reforms all at once, administrators can focus on small, sustainable initiatives, such as implementing brief weekly teacher check-ins, streamlining communication, or gradually improving schoolwide routines and procedures.

2.The Four Laws of Behavior Change for School Improvement

■ Make it obvious: Clearly define expectations and routines for teachers, staff, and students. Use signage, newsletters, and schoolwide communication to reinforce key priorities.

■ Make it attractive: Highlight the benefits of new initiatives, recognize excellence publicly, and use positive reinforcement to encourage participation.

■ Make it easy: Reduce bureaucratic barriers that slow progress. For example, simplify paperwork, digitize processes, or provide ready-to-use lesson plan templates for teachers.

■ Make it satisfying: Celebrate small wins, such as tracking progress toward schoolwide goals, showcasing student achievements, and recognizing staff efforts.

3.Identity-Based Habits for a Stronger School Culture

As an English teacher, I always have believed that words and their origins matter. Clear tells us, “the word identity was originally derived from the Latin words essentitas, which means being, and identidem, which means repeatedly. Your identity is literally your ‘repeated beingness’” (p. 37). Identitybased habits start with an intentional articulation of your school identity or school brand.

■ Encourage the development of a positive school identity (e.g., “We are a school that prioritizes student success and teacher support”).

■ Application: Shape school culture by reinforcing shared values in meetings, professional development, and public messaging. Encourage staff and students to identify as lifelong learners, leaders, and problem-solvers.

4.Habit Stacking for Organizational Efficiency

Link new practices to existing routines to make them easier to adopt.

Application: Embed check-ins and follow-ups into existing meetings (e.g., after reviewing attendance data, discuss intervention strategies). For teachers, tie professional development directly to classroom application with follow-up discussions and coaching.

5.The Role of Environment in School Success

Recognize that the environment impacts behavior. For example, Clear writes, “the most powerful of all human sensory abilities…is vision. The human body has about eleven million sensory receptors. Approximately ten million of those are dedicated to sight. Some experts estimate that half of the brain’s resources are used on vision… A small shift in what you see can lead to a big shift in what you do” (p. 84).

Application: Administrators can design school environments that foster engagement and learning by organizing classrooms for optimal student focus, creating welcoming spaces for staff collaboration, and ensuring schoolwide routines are structured and supportive.

6.Breaking Bad Habits in Schools

Identify and remove obstacles to success, such as ineffective policies, unnecessary administrative burdens, or negative staff culture.

Application: Analyze discipline issues to determine if some may be mitigated by adjusting environmental triggers (e.g., improve hallway supervision, redesign lunch schedules, or implement restorative practices). If teacher burnout is high, examine workload distribution and prioritize staff well-being.

By applying Atomic Habits at an administrative level, school leaders can create a culture of continuous improvement, where small, strategic changes drive meaningful results. Incremental progress – when consistently reinforced – leads to lasting positive change for students, teachers, and the broader school community. We all want to make sure that we make it to the right destination. ■