Hey friends, here is another guest blog written by my friend Dr. Chad Dumas. Chad is a Solution Tree PLC at Work®, RTI at Work®, Assessment, and Priority Schools consultant, international presenter and award-winning researcher whose primary focus is collaborating to develop capacity for continuous improvement. Having been a successful teacher, principal, central office administrator, professional developer and consultant in a variety of school districts, he brings his passion, knowledge, and skills to his writing and speaking as he engages participants in meaningful and practical learning.
Chad was recently a guest on the #ELB Podcast that you can view, listen to it below. Thanks Chad, for your work & for sharing this great blog. We all need grace!
Educators are the most amazing people.
They are not only conveyors of content, but they are also couriers of kindness. Not only professionals with high levels of expertise and training, but also down-and-dirty skillful workers who navigate the joys (and muck) of interpersonal relationships. They make a class run smoothly while also ensuring the timely completion of administrative, compliance-based paperwork. They have complex home lives while navigating the complexities of dozens (and even hundreds!) of other young people’s lives.
Remarkable
The challenges are incredible, and they get up every day, arising to meet their challenges with fresh resolve and commitment.
Pressures
And with these demands come pressure.
Pressure from within, and pressure from without.
The pressures from within are self-evident: Educators are responsible for the shaping of future generations. No small task, indeed.
And the pressures from without seem to have only intensified. Whether social or political, society has its eyes on teachers. And the expectations to fix all of the world’s problems have seemed to only increase.
Which Leads To…
So what’s a teacher to do?
They have passion coupled with pressure. Purpose balanced with resolve. A clear mission tethered to the reality of the challenges before them.
For far too many during the last few years, it’s been too much. According to data released not long ago, only 18% of educators are very satisfied with their jobs (b.link/l3a5wv0q). That’s less than 1 in 5.
Grace
Which leads me to this thinking: I’ve been reflecting on grace lately. Giving grace to oneself and others. And receiving grace from oneself and others.
Educators put a lot of pressure on themselves.
And maybe, just maybe, we need to start giving ourselves grace, too.
There is no “right way” to do the vast majority of our work. It’s too complex. There isn’t any way to just tell people what to do. We’re dealing with human beings, and there just simply isn’t one right way that works for every student or every situation. Wouldn’t it be nice if it did? That’s just not reality.
In schools and classrooms we have posters that say, “Mistakes are a part of learning.” “Fail forward.” “No meaningful growth happens without mistakes.”
These ideas are not just for students. They are for us as adults, too. And mistakes and failures are a natural part of that learning and growth.
Give yourself and others the (realistic) freedom and grace to make mistakes.
As a colleague (Mike Mattos) said recently on twitter, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing it right.”
Give yourself that grace. You deserve it.
Questions for Reflection
- What passions drive you to do the great work you do?
- What pressures do you feel, internally or externally?
- What’s holding you back from giving yourself grace to make mistakes?
- How might you overcome those challenges?
