Leadership / First Year of Teaching / Best Practice
The big “mo”.
Momentum
The Oxford Dictionary of Sports Science defines psychological momentum as “the positive or negative change in cognition, affect, physiology, and behavior caused by an event or series of events that affects the perceptions of the competitors or perhaps, the quality of performance and the outcome of the competition”.
I did not plan on writing about momentum this week, but after watching the Super Bowl this past Sunday, I felt it was an important time to write about this topic. Some will argue that there is no such thing as momentum. I strongly disagree. If you watched the game, I am sure that you will agree with me. If not, go ask the Atlanta Falcons because in part, I believe that they were the victims of negative momentum.
Momentum exists on the athletic field, in your school, in your classroom, and in your personal life. I also believe that you are responsible for your own momentum. I can recall coaching, playing, and watching athletic events, and the momentum was palpable. Likewise, I can remember feeling the same type of momentum when speaking before 350 teachers on the opening day of school. I am sure you can tell me about the many momentum shifts in your classroom on a daily basis.
Let’s probe a little deeper.
A soccer friend of mine tried to explain the game to me as a series of “ebbs and flows”. Not being that knowledgeable in soccer, these terms I understood, and it helped me understand the game. I think we can think of momentum as a series of ebbs and flows. Positive momentum is when everything seems to go right, and negative momentum is when everything seems to go wrong. I wish we could package the positive, but experience tells me momentum is always “ebbing and flowing.”
I think you have all felt momentum in your class. When that lesson is going well, nothing can derail it. You are in a groove, and everyone is on the same page. You are articulating your ideas well, and the class is responsive. When momentum is going your way, it is important to build upon every little success. I assume that you can recognize the changes in your class momentum, and therefore it is critical that you stay in the present and in the moment (Stevens, 2017).
Listed below are some tips to consider when momentum begins to change.
- Keep your effort continuous and hard. Never coast when you are going strong or when you feel that you are behind.
- Stay present and keep in the moment. Win each point. The match will take care of itself. One pitch, one at bat, one play at a time. You cannot hit a five-run homerun.
- Maintain positive body language. Make the physical mental and the mental physical. Look and act like a winner.
- If you are caught in negative momentum, regroup and start again. Do not stick with your initial game plan too long. Do not wait until halftime. Make your adjustments and changes on the run (Stevens, 2017).
If you are trying to build some momentum in your school or classroom, think about the following:
- Be confident. Be composed and energized. Act like a winner.
- Focus on the positive. Do not dwell on the negative. Forget the broken play. Forget the penalty that just changed field position. Forget the student that just disrupted the class. All of these things are much easier said than done. I have been there.
- Celebrate victories. Take the time to recognize and celebrate little successes. It might be something as simple as the high five you give a student or merely making eye contact with someone.
- Show excitement. When you are enthused, others are apt to follow. Show your excitement every day, on every play.
- Never give up. The sheer determination of your effort many times will help build that momentum you seek. Keep at it ( Myers, 2015).
When you get caught in a wave of negative momentum, take a timeout and regroup. The time out is a best friend of the coach who needs to break a negative cycle. Once the time out is over, act as if it is a new beginning. Each at bat is new and different. Those that dwell on the negative have that extended batting slump reinforced and that losing streak extended.
One of the key concepts that Jim Collins discusses in Good to Great (2001) is the “Flywheel Effect”. I hope you have read this book. If not, it is a must read. In essence the “Flywheel Effect” describes how pushing a giant heavy flywheel at the beginning is quite difficult. After many pushes the work gets easier and the distance covered by the flywheel is greater. It wasn’t one specific push that got this flywheel going. However, it was the cumulative result of the continual effort applied in a consistent direction. This sustained effort and yes, the momentum of the flywheel will build and yield tremendous results (Collins, 2001).
Today’s article should help you recognize the powerful force of psychological momentum. The article should also point out several things you can do to build on positive momentum and several things to do to try to stall negative momentum. Please remember that you are in control. Many times, it is all about getting up off of the ground after you have been knocked down. That in and of itself is a powerful statement.
Good Luck.
References
Collins, Jim. (2001). The Flywheel Effect. Retrieved from http://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/the-flywheel-effect_html#articleop.
Myers, Chris. (2015). Psychological Momentum Doesn’t Just Help Sports Team, It Works for Entrepreneurs, Too. Retrieved from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/243462
Stevens, Eric. Momentum-recognizing and Dealing With It. Retrieved from https://www.breakingmuscle.com/learn/momentum/recognizing-and-dealing-with-it.
