This site is a class blog space for new Career and Technical Specializations and Heathcare Science teachers enrolled in the New Teacher Institute (NTI) at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Most IMportant
The most important thing I have learned about myself as a teacher this past year is that I make mistakes and it is OK. I tend to be hard on myself and feel that if I do not do everything perfectly that I am a failure. I have found that it is OK to tell a student that I have made a mistake and that I am sorry. I have also found that people don't put the same importance on my mistakes as I do. There have been so many changes in my life this year and I had to sit back and prioritize my life. This helped me to come to the realization that sometimes "good enough" is just that "good enough". Not every single thing I do for my students has to be perfect nor can it be. My students seem to appreciate when I admit to making a mistake, maybe they see my human side. Or, maybe it helps them to see that it is OK to admit your faults and own up to them. As a teacher I know that we are some of the biggest influences on our students, so if they learn this lesson from me, I will feel successful.
Hi, Jayna - what an insightful post. And you know that attitude frees you up to try new things and be creative without fear of failure getting in the way. Students are flexible and forgiving, especially when they see you have their best interests in mind. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteJayna,
ReplyDeleteLike you I have also talked to my students about making mistakes and saying I am sorry if I forget to do something as promised. I often discuss humanistic values with my students and try to help them understand that we are all human and we all make mistakes but also we all learned from our mistakes. We have all discussed that we are not perfect and therefore will make some but using good judgement we should not make the same mistakes twice.
Like you again, I am my worst critic but teaching has made me realize that I must uphold those values and qualities that are important in my life that keeps me sane. Upholding those values and qualities while working within certain parameters and environments is all that I can do. And to me that is good enough, that is within my living comfort zone.