Firefighting Mindset

Guest post by Kaylah Holland, Ed.D

Think of a problem you are currently experiencing. If you are like me, you have plenty of options to choose from. We are often stuck in a cycle of response when it comes to resolving challenges we regularly face resulting in the same problems cropping up again and again. In the book titled Upstream: the quest to solve problems before they happen, Chip and Dan Heath liken problem solving to a river – more solutions exist the farther upstream you are from the problem. What a great reminder that numerous solutions exist for every single challenge faced. However, if there are all of these solutions, how do I select the right one for my specific problem? Hence, the firefighting mindset!

Why firefighting?

The firefighting mindset is steeped in design thinking and comes from my work in the juvenile justice system. I have the privilege to work with educators and students in the juvenile justice system across the US. When traveling to secure schools, often located in detention centers and jails, I ask teachers how they are doing and typically get the same response, Oh you know, just putting out fires. This response led to the question, why are we always putting out the same fire or in other words, why are we always solving the same challenge? If we are stuck in a cycle of response, always putting out the same fire, then we are not actually solving the problem. If the Heath brothers are right and there are many solutions to each problem, how do we find them? We find them by changing our mindset toward the problems themselves. Firefighting becomes a metaphor for a way to see problems and challenges as opportunities for new ways of thinking and new solutions designed.

Putting Out Fires

Putting Out Fires as a mindset helps us to begin to understand problems at its core in order to truly end the problem with the most effective solution. Do you need a solution right now because you cannot take this problem for one more minute or this problem is harming students and must be stopped immediately? Or, do you have time to track data about the problem in order to effectively implement a solution? Not all problems are created equal and each deserves its own unique solution. We are often so busy that we try a one size fits all approach to problem solving. Instead, the firefighting mindset helps us to understand problems at their core and implement a solution designed specifically for the problem itself allowing us to truly end the cycle of response for that particular problem.

An example of the putting out fires mindset can be found in the use of metro turnstiles in Paris to create clean energy. Climate change is a rising issue across the globe. As each year brings more one-of-a-kind storms, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, rising sea temperatures, and more, Paris began a groundbreaking project to harness green energy in an attempt to build a new energy source stopping the need for depleting the Earth of its natural resources. The solution is incredibly simple, “as commuters pass through the turnstiles, their movements spin the turbines, generating kinetic energy. Though each rotation produces a small amount of energy, the cumulative effect is significant due to the millions of daily commuters using the metro system” (TSUI, 2023). The use of turnstiles in Paris is the launching point of an innovative solution to creating clean energy. Imagine how much energy can be created from similar public transportation hotspots like airports, railway stations, office buildings, and more. “Initiatives that empower individuals to participate in the energy transition, even through daily activities, are vital in shaping a greener world” (TSUI, 2023).

This example embodies the firefighting mindset because the creators of this solution understood their specific problem, its root causes and symptoms, and designed a creative solution in a different area using a mundane action, going through the metro turnstiles, to create clean energy and help lessen the effects of climate change.

You can learn more about the firefighting approach to problem-solving by grabbing a copy of “Putting Out Fires: A Framework for Solving Problems in Your Classroom or School”. Releasing this summer, this book delves into the intricacies of the firefighting mindset, provides practical strategies for implementing creative solutions to problems you’re facing, and offers inspirational examples of problem solving at its finest just like the Paris metro turnstiles mentioned above. If this approach works for some of the most restrictive classrooms in the US, it can work for you too!

We all have challenges we face every single day. We can either allow the challenges to take over causing us to live in a consistent cycle of response. Or, you can take ownership of the problem, adjust your mentality, and design a unique solution to end the problem for good.

The fire alarm is ringing….let’s get started putting out those fires!

Kaylah Holland, Ed.D. Bio:

Dr. Kaylah Holland is passionate about empowering educators through professional development, one-on-one coaching, and innovative lesson design. She holds a Doctorate of Education in Instructional Design and Technology with extensive research in active learning environments. Driven by a passion for education, Dr. Holland consistently explores innovative methods to empower educators and champion student-centered classrooms. She is a Google Certified Innovator, Trainer, and Coach, a college professor, and an ISTE Community Leader. She was presented the “20 to Watch” award by ISTE in 2022 and was recognized by EdTech K-12 Magazine as a top 30 influencer in 2023. She was named a Featured Voice for ISTE in 2024. Dr. Holland is the author of Putting Out Fires: a Framework for Solving Problems in Your Classroom or School published in 2024. As the Director of Instructional Technology and Blended Learning for BreakFree Education, Kaylah empowers educators to foster innovative, sustainable, and active educational experiences inside juvenile justice facilities across the United States offering students held in confinement a path to success in school and life. She also works to empower educators across the globe as the founder of Go Teach Be Love, a nonprofit providing professional development to educators in developing countries, and the co-founder of Global Good Edu, a program recognizing the incredible impact educators are making around the world.

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