The phrase ‘Trust the Process’ was made famous by the Philadelphia 76ers NBA team. It wasn’t just about basketball. It became a mantra for rebuilding through setbacks, staying committed to long-term growth, and believing in the gritty work of transformation.
Last term, standing in front of a group of Year 5 and 6 students, I realised it’s exactly the mindset we need in schools.
I asked what I thought was a straightforward question:
“If there’s a problem on the playground, there’s been a disagreement or someone’s left out, whose responsibility is it to fix it?”
The replies came confidently:
“The teacher.”
“The principal.”
“My mum.”
About 65% of the room handed the responsibility off to someone else. Only a few students identified themselves as the problem solvers.
That moment was telling. Not because they were wrong, but because somewhere along the way, they’d learnt that someone else steps in to fix things. They were not trusted with the process. Adults do the hard stuff for them.
And when we consistently solve problems for young people, we unintentionally send the message – you’re not capable. Not yet. Not without us.
But what if we flipped the script?
What if, like the mantra says, we chose to trust the process?
What if we leaned into the long game of building skills, not just managing behaviour?
What if, instead of doing things to them or for them, we chose to do it with them?
That’s exactly what the teachers at Werrington County did.
They didn’t hand out a behaviour chart or run another assembly. Instead, they tapped into their experience of managing playground politics. The dramas. The “He said/she said.”
And instead of lecturing, the teachers performed.
They leaned hard into characters.
They hammed it up.
They made it fun because conflict doesn’t always have to be heavy.
Using the Past–Present–Future model, they showed what healthy conflict resolution actually looks like.
And the key? They invited their students to be part of the solution.
They solved the dramas, together.
They came up with simple strategies, together.
They learned, together.
They trusted the process.
And it worked.
During classroom walkthroughs and student interviews this week, we asked the same students how they handle conflict.
90% said they talk it out.
Not in vague, hopeful terms. These kids had clarity and confidence:
“We listen to each other’s ideas and try to have an open mind.”
“If we can’t decide, we vote or do paper-scissors-rock.”
“If it’s too big, we ask a teacher to help us work through it, not fix it for us.”
That’s what happens when you trust the process.
You don’t just get compliance. You get ownership.
You get leadership.
The fantastic Assistant Principal, Cath Willis, shared a story that really brought that home.
After a playground scuffle, a student told her he wanted to talk things through, but his friend had gone home. The next day, when Cath checked in, both boys shrugged and said, “Oh. We worked it out already,” then calmly explained the Past–Present–Future process like seasoned mediators.
Cath was happily stunned.
Trust the process.
Trust them.
They’ve got this.
