There are days in teaching when nothing actually goes wrong — and yet everything feels unsettled.
The lesson plan is solid. The materials are ready. The students are there.
And still, something shifts.
A schedule changes. A policy is announced. A class dynamic feels different than you expected. A decision is made above your head that alters the plan you thought was settled.
This post isn’t about fixing those moments or trying to avoid them.
It’s about how we lead ourselves through them.
Because teaching when plans change isn’t a rare event — it’s part of the work.
This month on the podcast, we’re talking about adaptability — not as a buzzword or a survival skill, but as a seed we can grow so that when circumstances shift like the wind, our roots are deep enough to keep us standing tall.
Because adaptability isn’t about being endlessly flexible.
It’s about staying grounded when things don’t go the way we expected.
And today, we’re starting with the first movement of our L.E.A.D. rhythm:
Let Go & Lead Yourself.
When Change Shows Up Uninvited
For me, adaptability became very real this year — just this past month.
If you’ve been listening regularly, you know I’ve been consistent with this podcast since August. But I dropped off in December.
Mid-November, the Pennsylvania state legislature voted on a bill that reformed cyber charter school funding and required a reduction in force. After waiting nearly 30 days for clarity, 170 of my colleagues were laid off over two days the week before winter break.
I’m still employed due to seniority, but the impact of those layoffs reshaped what instruction will look like in my school — and we still don’t have all the details.
Then, just 24 hours before I’m recording this, I learned that I’d been assigned to teach a different course.
By the time you listen, I’ll be introducing myself to two sections of biology students and welcoming back one section of chemistry.
I’ve never taught biology before.
It was the last course I imagined they’d assign to me.
And for those of you who know my work — chemistry is my baby. It’s my wheelhouse. It lights me up.
I’ve invested years of time, energy, and identity into that course.
I know the pacing.
I know the rhythm of the year.
I know who I am in that space.
And suddenly, that certainty is gone.
There was grief in that — even if it didn’t look dramatic.
I didn’t cry.
But it showed up quietly: opening my planner and not knowing where to begin, teaching from someone else’s plans, feeling the discomfort of unfamiliar ground.
And I know some of you are thinking, That won’t happen to me.
But you’ve felt this too:
- any time your role shifted . . .
- any time your plans were disrupted . . .
- any time you’ve had to pivot without warning . . .
That’s what we’re talking about today.
Why Change Feels So Personal When Teaching Plans Change
Before I talk about how this landed for me, I want to pause — because people experience change very differently.
Change often feels threatening, not because we’re inflexible, but because our brains are wired for familiarity. Psychologists describe this as status quo bias — our natural resistance to sudden shifts in what feels stable.
So if change has ever shaken your confidence, your sense of competence, or your identity as a teacher — this is good news: you’re human!
Adaptability isn’t something you either have or don’t have.
It forms over time.
It grows through endurance, flexibility, and the meaning we make when plans fall apart.
Only a few hours after I learned about my reassignment, a verse surfaced in my spirit — Romans 5:3–5
Struggle produces perseverance.
Perseverance forms character.
And character gives rise to hope.
Be glad for what’s bad?
The longer I walk with God, the more I see that growth often comes through burdens, not blessings alone.
Because, what surprised me most?!
Not even 24 hours later, some small part of me felt excited.
Not because the change didn’t hurt — but because, I think, faithfulness had taken deeper root.
Faithfulness Is Our Fruit In Teaching When Plans Change
Endurance, just holding on and dealing with whatever it is as long as we can, isn’t named as a fruit of the Spirit.
Faithfulness is.
It’s not rigid like endurance.
It’s rooted.
And it allows adaptability to grow without eroding who we are.
Because, teaching isn’t just something we do.
It’s something we are.
Our confidence as teachers can often be tied to:
- what we teach
- how prepared we feel
- how familiar the terrain is
- whether the plan is working
So when plans change — especially without our choosing — it can quietly challenge our sense of competence and identity.
But, when we’re faithful, we remain steady in any circumstances.
We show up even when the plan dissolves.
Adaptability Isn’t About Reacting Faster Or More Easily
When you read the word, “adaptability”, earlier, you might have thought this post would be about being flexible.
Smiling, nodding, and adding another hat to your balance on your head!
Because, after all, what doesn’t change in a classroom?!
But, true adaptability isn’t about constantly adjusting, scrambling, or reinventing yourself.
It’s not about pretending change doesn’t affect you.
It’s about how we remain grounded while things are shifting around us.
That kind of adaptability is formed over time — through faithfulness, not force.
In other words, the goal isn’t simply to survive change.
It’s to be formed by it.
That formation doesn’t always feel dramatic. Sometimes it does!
Often, it looks like quiet steadiness.
We can BE steady when we choose not to unravel when the plan no longer holds.
Staying Grounded In Teaching When Plans Change
Staying grounded in faithfulness as a teacher doesn’t mean having all the answers, either.
It looks more like:
- pausing before reacting
- naming what’s actually being asked of you
- letting go of what no longer fits
- trusting that leadership isn’t dependent on certainty
And, students notice how we behave in these moments!
They notice:
- when plans shift and we stay steady — or we spiral . . .
- when something goes wrong and we recover — or we react . . .
- when frustration rises and we choose humility instead of fury
Our response is part of their learning environment.
A Reflection On Teaching When Plans Change
If plans have changed for you recently — in big ways or small ones — consider this question:
What am I being asked to release so I can lead myself well in this season?
No fixing.
No rushing.
Just honest noticing.
A Closing Prayer
God, when plans change and certainty slips away,
help us stay rooted in what matters most.
Teach us to lead ourselves with steadiness,
respond with faithfulness,
and trust that growth is happening even when clarity is not.
May the way we walk through change
quietly shape the students who are watching.
Amen.
And, Remember This!
You don’t have to know what comes next to lead well today.
Adaptability doesn’t begin with action — it begins with release.
Stay rooted . . even when the plan changes!
Are you New here?
Roots L.E.A.D. to Results is a weekly podcast for teachers who want to stay rooted in faith and grounded in student-centered teaching.
Each month, we grow through the L.E.A.D. rhythm:
- L — Let Go & Lead Yourself
- E — Establish Rhythms that Sustain You
- A — Align with What Actually Matters
- D — Disciple through Your Daily Work
This January series explores Adaptability, with episodes that blend Scripture, story, and reflection to help you teach from peace, not pressure.
Listen on your favorite podcast player or click here to explore the full Roots L.E.A.D. to Results episode library.
