I once heard of a young teacher who had yet to learn the skill of reflective teaching. The teacher was overcome with pure frustration when a lesson did not go as planned. When asked reflective questions afterwards, they couldn't express what could have been better or even what went well. It was rather difficult to find ways to improve when they couldn't identify the source of the problem let alone name the strategies worth repeating.
I've had plenty of experiences with errors. In fact, I've had twenty-one years of them. Some have been easier to handle than others. Thankfully none have been catastrophic, but a few still bother me or even haunt me for that matter. Regardless, they've instigated growth and continue to do so.
Although some of the best changes in my practice have resulted from an innocent desire for betterment, others are a product of errors that I refused to repeat. I recognized and analyzed a mistake and searched out a better way. Errors are simply unavoidable and part of the process of becoming a better teacher, so as Routman advises, we'd best take credit and pleasure in them. Our students will be better off if we do.
Your posts are always very timely for me. We are interviewing for a new teammate and one question my admin always asks is "tell us about a time you failed-when something didn't go as planned, how did you deal with that?" And the candidate we were interviewing said she couldn't think of a time when that happened. Really?! Because I could name about 20 just off the top of my head. We all fail sometimes-we are human. The sign of a good teacher is that reflection you talk about and learning from those experiences.
ReplyDeleteMiss Trayers, Oh yeah. I could make a list from this last year alone. Great question for a new hire, by the way.
DeleteReflection is a huge part of my practice, too, but honestly, sometimes I feel like I still make the same dumb mistakes over and over again. :)
ReplyDeleteBarb, I hear ya! :)
DeleteTaking credit and pleasure in our mistakes is hard to do. :) I try for the best I can give my students, but I also know it's in the mistakes that I grow and learn. But I sure don't like making them! :)
ReplyDeleteLori
Conversations in Literacy
Lori, no I don't either especially the ones that continue to haunt me. Those make me shake my head in fact.
DeleteGreat thought, but as others have said, it is sometimes hard to do! I do think it is important to reflect, analyze, and improve. I'm getting better at that as I get more experienced. And yes, I have those mistakes I wish I could just forget too!
ReplyDeleteCrystal
Teaching Little Miracles
Crystal, the hardest part for me is the word "pleasure." I haven't quite gotten the hang of taking pleasure in my mistakes yet. :)
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