Teachers can fail too, and still learn.

“It is ok to fail!”.  I have wrote before about how students need to know that success can be achieved through failure here, but this can also apply to teachers.  As a teacher, it is also ok to make a mistake as long as we are open minded that disaster is always an option.  Recently, I had a fellow educator, Fran, tell me the following:

I have realized that my current teaching style is not engaging to children.  As a result, I decided to create a new assignment which allowed for students to become more responsible and accountable for their learning.  After implementing, the students were confused what to do and nothing was accomplished in the class.  Worst lesson ever and never doing that again!

This comment brought me back to a lesson where the exact same outcome occurred.  Through my experience I have realized that sometimes the best thing a teacher can give their class is an honest apology.  We have to remember we are humans, and as such are going to make mistakes.  Students will understand as long as we are honest and upfront with them.  I know that, eventually, an upcoming lesson will “flop”, as I am always trying new activities, lessons, and tasks.  This is the reality of an innovator and creator.

My concern does not stop there with Fran as she said “I am never doing that again!”.  If you notice something not right and try a new inventive lesson, which fails, it should not justify continuing on the same unsuitable path.  Ideas and corrections can be made from lessons that went amiss, but what has to be kept in mind is “why am I changing in the first place?”

The first step to change is recognizing the problem, and realizing that change is not always easy and without mess.  When disappointment does occur, I say reflect, apologize, and try again.  Humans are known for oversights, inaccuracies and errors, but also for innovation, advances and revolutions.  When our flaws come into the classroom, we need to recognize that there is an opportunity to change this “flaw” into a “strength”.

Always keep in mind: It is not your failures that define you, but actually what you have given yourself a chance to fail at.

Failure first, shame second.

We crawl before we walk, and usually our first attempt to walk is not when our first step occurs.  I recently watched a child try to take their first step.  She tried and fell.  The parents congratulated her and started to cheer.  This made me question my own values when it comes to failure in my class.

Many times I have heard “Failure is not an option”.  We need to, as a society, realize that failure is not a derogatory word.  The English thesaurus claims that synonyms to failure are, “Breakdown”, “Disappointment”, and “closure”, while “success” is the antonym. 

This disappointments me greatly.  If you are scared of failure then you will NEVER try anything new.  We need to embrace failure and realize that if you are unsuccessful at something true learning can occur.  To believe that everyone will succeed at every game, task, or job they try is ludicrous.

Most conventional teaching methods empower failure by deducting marks, lower grades, and teaching students that when success is not met you will be judged accordingly.  In my classes, I empower students by allowing them take chances, to fail, and then reason as to why their method was not correct. 

So why does society treat failure with such disgust?  I believe the root is “shame”.  In my career, I have seen students who are scared to take chances, due to the possibility of embarrassment.  If you administer exams in you class, watch the face of the student when you hand back an exam that is a failing grade.  Almost every time this student will lower his/her head and either crumple the exam up or hide it immediately.  Is learning from failure really occurring? I think not.  This perpetuation must stop!

Classes should be a safe environment where students are allowed to be vulnerable, where shame is left at the door and failure is a learning word not a derogatory one.