“A
person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.” ~Albert Einstein
The
month of May is always bittersweet for teachers. Over the last eight
months, we built lasting bonds with students, developed engaging activities in
the classroom, and collaborated with our peers. By May, we are sprinting
to the finish line (and waiting to hear that final bell). As I near the
end of my own race, May is the month I fear due to SOL and IB exams. I
know my students are prepared, but that doesn’t stop the second-guessing in my
head on what I can improve for next year. In moments of stress, I
gravitate towards podcasts. After listening to the TED Radio Hour episode,
“Comfort Zone,” I realized part of this end-of-the-year fear is beneficial
because reflection leads to growth. This podcast spoke about how we tend
to linger in a “constant practice” zone, which is especially true for
teachers. Constant practice refers to the idea people find comfort in
repeating the same routines (or in terms of teaching, the same learning
strategies or assessments). Our lives as teachers are busy and when we
find something that works, why should we keep changing? Our teacher’s
toolbox might be differentiated, but is it evolving? As we reflect these
final few weeks before summer break, think about where you are today and where
you want to be in a year. How do we avoid the epidemic of plateau
teaching, where we get comfortable with our “constant practice” and end up in a
repeat/rinse cycle for years on end?
In 2013, I fell into this trap. I finished my tenth year of teaching and
felt stuck, both personally and professionally. I taught the same
subjects for a few years and my days became routine. Then one day I received
an email about an opportunity to study in South Korea with a group of history
teachers. I immediately ran across the hall to a colleague and proceeded
to go through all of the reasons why I shouldn’t apply. Her response: “Do
it.” Every little alarm bell went off in my brain. I was scared
that my introvert self would have a hard time making new friends. I was
nervous about traveling to a country where I didn’t know their language or
culture. This fear made me realize how my students must feel sometimes.
What are they going through each year walking into eight brand new classes?
After putting myself in my students’ shoes, I remembered how I’ve taken
other leaps of faith in my life and ended up surviving. I was such a
risk-taker when I was younger, but as I’ve fallen into habits and routines as
an adult, I forgot what it felt like to take a leap into the unknown. The two
weeks I spent in Korea changed my life. I discovered that even though you
might feel uncomfortable from time to time, stepping out of your comfort zone
is necessary and provides opportunities for growth. On our only
free day, I tackled the Seoul subway on my own (Google the map, it makes the
NYC metro look like a breeze). I was nervous but eventually made it outside
of the city to witness life in a suburb, similar to where I live. When I
returned that night to the hotel and told the teachers what I did, I felt more
confident to take leaps despite the risks. Even in the midst of all this
newness, I found myself drawn to my familiar haunts like Starbucks and Subway
while in Seoul. Sometimes all we need to do is set one new, challenging
goal. As we begin to reflect on our past school year (and daydream about
not setting any more alarms for a few months), it’s time to explore opportunities
to step out of our comfort zone. Start small. Kelly Pace said it
best in her convocation speech with: “Try to do 1% better each day.”
Use the summer to try something new or explore a personal passion.
If you get a day to yourself, maybe even try and conquer a fear or
weakness. Think about a subject you struggled with during the school year
and find a way to learn more through listening to a podcast, enrolling in a
free online course, taking a road trip, or visiting a local museum. Another
opportunity for us to jump out of our comfort zone is through various
professional development sessions centered around Hanover’s instructional goals
for 2017-2018. For the first time, innovation in teaching will be on
display in our county’s #HCPSInspire Conference on August 14 with workshops led
by creative and inspiring teachers. If you are looking for more ways to
support equity in the classroom, Allison Sampson-Jackson will be presenting
“Trauma and Resilience Basics” on August 9. We can all do more to provide
more relevant experiences for our students. This summer build your
teaching toolkit with sessions on YouTube video curation, Infographics,
Flipgrid, and many more. Want to make connections with your colleagues
while learning? Take a field trip to the National Portrait Gallery,
International Spy Museum, VMFA, or James River.
Most importantly, enjoy these last few weeks of school! Sometimes we are
so eager to reach the finish line that we fail to acknowledge the process of
reaching that point. We might have stumbled out of the starting gate,
worried about how to juggle new preps or different personalities. Mid-way
through the race we might’ve hoped for a pause (or a small snow storm).
As we are rounding that corner towards the finish line, be proud of what
you’ve accomplished. Remember though, another race lurks around the
corner. Who will you be when that starting gun sounds?
