The Psychology of Change: Why People Resist and How to Overcome It
Jul 23, 2026
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The Day Leading Change Broke My Team
I’ll never forget the staff meeting that almost made me question everything.
We were rolling out a new instructional coaching model—one I believed in, one that had proven results from other schools. I had spent weeks preparing the rollout, gathering data, and ensuring that this initiative would actually benefit teachers and students.
But as I stood in front of my staff, breaking it down step by step, I saw the arms cross. I saw the side-eyes exchanged between veteran teachers. And then, like a tidal wave, the resistance came crashing in:
❌ “We don’t have time for this.”
❌ “This is just another thing we’re being forced to do.”
❌ “I’ve been teaching for 20 years—I don’t need someone telling me how to do my job.”
I could feel my heart sink. I had expected some hesitation, but I wasn’t prepared for outright rejection. And in that moment, I realized something…
There is a certain relief that comes when the first few days of school go well.
Staff are back, students are moving through the building, transportation is running, classrooms are settled, and the systems you spent the summer planning seem to be doing exactly what you hoped they would do.
After months of preparation, it is tempting to look around and think, We did it.
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