Teaching the Triangle — Using the Practices of the Zen Master in the Classroom
Reviewing the leadership methods of NBA legend Phil Jackson shows relevance from the court to the classroom.
Jordan Fever is sweeping the nation once again with the ascension of The Last Dance, a new series on Netflix. Growing up in Chicago in the 90s provides me with a certain affinity for the Bulls and specifically, Phil Jackson.
Reminded of the leadership of Jackson, I went back and reviewed his philosophy as he regales in his autobiography, Eleven Rings. Within the first two chapters, I had a major realization: the classroom I work to construct is the famed Triangle Offense.
Coach Jackson describes the Triangle as a way to “stimulate creativity and teamwork” and explains that what attracted him to the Triangle was “the way it empowers the players, offering each one a vital role to play as well as a high level of creativity, within a clear well-defined structure.”
Jackson continues to state that the Triangle “stimulates an ongoing process of group problem-solving in real-time.”
Triangle Pedagogy
Taking the principles of the Triangle and applying them to teaching, I have come up with the following points.
- The overarching goal is class cohesion.
- Students must be allowed to realize their roles and abilities within the classroom.
- The process must be shared with the whole class.
- You must maintain the “alpha.”
So why run the Triangle in the classroom?
Well, for a few reasons.
- It seeks to create a tight-knit learning community for each class.
- Within this community, growth is fostered by shared interests. The whole class wants to be successful and contributes to overall growth by holding each other accountable. As Jackson would say, there is unity in the goal.
- Relevant out-of-the-classroom qualities are being strengthened while maintaining content relevancy.
1. The overarching goal is class cohesion.
The sum of this work is to create a cohesive classroom environment. This may take a few forms but often looks like a classroom where students assist each other and ask their peers for help. They comment on each other’s work and push them on ideas, forming the ultimate collaborative learning space. Each class has its own personality, as Jackson shows with coaching the Bulls vs. coaching the Lakers. In some classes, you will have natural leaders like Derek Fisher but you may also have the unpredictable Dennis Rodman.
2. Students must be allowed to realize their roles and abilities within the classroom.
Coach Jackson describes this during his tenure with the Bulls by saying “They didn’t have to pretend to be like Mike” and that “the system gave players a clear purpose in the group and established a high standard of performance for everyone.”
Jackson stated that “the system gave players a clear purpose in the group and established a high standard of performance for everyone.” This sounds like a highly accountable classroom.
Some players are lockdown on D and know to get others the ball on offense. Some students are academic superstars but are natural introverts who don’t feel comfortable sharing vocally.
There are many traits you might observe: the enforcer (keeping the rules observed), the floor general (bringing others into the mix), the rival (challenging other's ideas), and so on. The caveat is that the role of the teacher is to help the students identify their strengths and talents in education.
Similar to a classroom, we cannot expect all our students to be Kobe or MJ. Each class will have their Scottie Pippen or Steve Kerr. It is vital to this process to allow students to find their roles based on their abilities. Of equal importance is the steps to be taken to ensure an equitable classroom that promotes opportunities for success for all students. When each individual experiences winning, the whole team is elevated.
This is not to say that students shouldn’t push to try to work on leading the discussion even though they are quiet and reserved, or students striving towards hitting all-star grades. I am advocating that students must feel comfortable and find their way to individually contribute to the class learning process.
3. The process must be shared with the whole class.
With a classroom of 25+ students(easily), it is important to establish buy-in. The most effective way of doing this is to strive to share the educational process with the whole class.
In such a way, I do not retain sole leadership authority, much like Phil delegated to assistants and each player on the team. Instead, students are responsible to help create and produce alongside their peers.
However, not every student buys in on the whole “if I do this I’ll become smarter.” Creating student buy-in requires creativity and understanding of the class as an individual unit. When you can identify the goal that the unit will unite under, it allows all of the other pieces to fall in place. This is when the aforementioned “ultimate collaborative learning space” can start to form.
Jackson states in his book when talking about the system, “It helped turn players into leaders, as they began teaching others how to master the system.” You first need the students to buy into the system. Trust the process, if you will.
4. You must maintain the alpha.
While not retaining sole leadership, I claim final leadership. The class is not descending into chaos, it is guided from the outside to foster independence in a structured environment that promotes partnership. When all is said and done, I am the one responsible for the work and construction of knowledge.
There is no “we just didn’t come out and execute the game plan” in teaching. Phil often told his teams that the 82 game season was a marathon and not a sprint. With double that amount spent in a classroom, the analogy holds true with education.
So when your class Dennis Rodman loses focus one day and creates a series of distractions, can you blame them? Similar to how Phil handled situations, you need to be flexible — not rigid. Showing understanding and compassion will garner better results and a stronger team bond in the classroom than resorting to a crushing dismissal.
When the Triangle Teaching system is clicking, “an ongoing process of group problem-solving in real-time” takes place in the classroom. This becomes a classroom that is filled with respect and a student-led work ethic.
Just as in the NBA, the Triangle isn’t the panacea for classroom instruction. These ideas present another of the countless methods to elevate the level of teaching. What matters most is the effort and passion that teaching requires.
This is the connecting thread that serves as the foundation for every classroom around the world. As Jackson said, “as long as we share in this mentality, the rings will follow.”
