Over the past few months, we’ve had the chance to interview both school leaders and teachers –  sometimes from the very same school –  without them knowing it.

Different conversations.
Different roles.
The same building.

What’s been fascinating, and honestly, urgent, is how often we hear two very different stories describing the same reality… and that’s two sides of the same coin. 

The Leader’s Side of the Coin

In one conversation, a principal shares their frustration.

They talk about teachers no longer going above and beyond. About staff sticking tightly to the contract day. About a growing sense that people are doing only what’s required — and nothing more.

What is desired isn’t perfection or martyrdom.

Rather, a school where:

• Adults are kind and collaborative
• Problems are solved together, not passed along
• Staff feel collective responsibility for kids
• The culture feels proactive, not reactive

Leaders have shared that they feel that they’re carrying the weight of the whole system — the emails, the parent concerns, the staffing gaps, the behavior crises, the pressure from central office. From their seat, it feels like they are constantly plugging leaks while wishing more people would pick up a bucket.

And underneath it all is a very real fear: If we don’t pull together, this isn’t sustainable — for anyone.

The Teacher’s Side of the Coin

Then we interviewed a teacher from that same building.

That story sounds different.

They share that leadership feels absent and unresponsive. That when issues come up — student behavior, family communication, team conflict — they’re often redirected back to handle themselves.

“Handle it at your level.”
“Use your professional judgment.”
“Try a few strategies and let me know how it goes.”

Over time, those responses begin to land differently.

Teachers doesn’t feel trusted — they feel alone.

They’re carrying the daily volume:

• Constant changes
• New initiatives layered on top of old ones
• Multiple roles beyond teaching
• Emotional labor for students, families, and colleagues

And when support feels out of reach, even small challenges start to feel heavy.

Not because they don’t care.
Not because they aren’t capable.
But because there’s no margin left.

Here’s the Part That Matters Most

Neither person is wrong.

Both care deeply about students.
Both want a school where adults and kids feel safe, seen, and valued.
Both are overwhelmed — just by different kinds of volume.

Teachers are carrying the volume of demands, changes, and roles.
Leaders are carrying the volume of constant issues – many of them small, relentless, and often adult-centered.

And somewhere in the middle, the system cracks.

When Words Land Differently Than Intended

Leaders say, “Handle it yourself,” meaning: I trust you. I believe in your professionalism.

Teachers hear, “You’re on your own.”

Autonomy is offered… but without clear structures, it can feel like abandonment.

Expectations exist… but without shared language and real-time communication, they land inconsistently.

Good intentions collide with limited capacity, and both sides quietly start to protect themselves.

What I Wish They Could Hear Each Other Say

I wish teachers could hear how deeply leaders want collaboration — not silos — and how much pressure they feel to hold the whole system together for kids.

And I wish leaders could hear how, when bandwidth is thin, “figure it out” can feel less like trust and more like being left alone in the deep end.

This isn’t about effort.
It’s not about commitment.
It’s not about who’s failing whom.

You can’t ask people to go above and beyond if they’re barely holding steady.

And culture isn’t built by expectations alone — it’s built by capacity, communication, and trust.

Getting on the Same Side of the Coin

If we want to change this pattern, leaders and teachers have to get on the same side of the coin.

That means:

• Shared language around responsibility and support
• Clear structures that remove guesswork
• Regular pauses to check assumptions
• Space to actually see one another as humans, not roles

Alignment doesn’t come from pushing harder.

It comes from slowing down just enough to ask: What does this feel like from the other side?

That’s where trust is rebuilt.
That’s where capacity grows.
And that’s where real alignment begins.

Why This Is the Exact Gap the 60-Day Reset Was Built to Address

This pattern — two caring groups, standing on opposite sides of the same coin — is exactly why we created the 60-Day Reset.

Because most schools don’t have a people problem.
They have a capacity and alignment problem.

When those two things are off, even the most dedicated teams start to feel disconnected.

The 60-Day Reset was designed to meet schools right here — when the energy dips, the patterns are set, and small tensions start turning into bigger divides.

Not by adding one more initiative.
Not by asking people to push harder.

But by creating small, consistent shifts that:

• Strengthen adult capacity, so people aren’t running on empty
• Clarify shared expectations and language, so support doesn’t feel like guesswork
• Rebuild connection between leaders and staff, through intentional, ongoing touchpoints

It’s not a complete overhaul. It’s a stabilization point. A way to interrupt the cycle before it becomes the culture.

When schools commit to even a short, focused reset:

• Teachers feel supported instead of isolated
• Leaders feel less like they’re carrying everything alone
• Communication becomes clearer, faster, and more human
• Collaboration starts to return — not because it’s required, but because it feels possible again

The Work Beneath the Work

At its core, the 60-Day Reset isn’t about fixing teachers or correcting leaders.

It’s about repairing the space between them.

The misunderstandings.
The assumptions.
The moments where “I trust you” quietly turned into “I’m on my own.”

Through small daily practices, consistent leadership moves, and shared experiences across staff, that space begins to shift.

Not overnight.
But noticeably.

And when that happens, the coin stops flipping back and forth.

Everyone starts to move — steadily — onto the same side.

Looking for more ways to transform your school’s culture? Discover how Holistic PD helps you create a school community where every student, family, and staff member feels welcomed and valued.

Written by Sarah Fillion 2026