One of the greatest things that teachers can do for their students is providing a safe environment to be themselves. It is in that kind of environment where the student becomes the best "self" they can be. I have witnessed many classrooms succeed, and it was because the students felt comfortable enough to realize that it was okay to not be perfect.
I took to Twitter to see how other people felt about this often unspoken of aspect of education, and I was not surprised. To give you a glimpse into the "Twitter-sphere", here is one tweet to show you:
While doing more research, it came to my attention that some educators were adopting policies similar to this. I think this is progress, and I plan to adopt a policy in my classroom that allows students to be human, make mistakes, but most importantly, learn from those mistakes.
Deep down, it is my belief that all students can succeed in something. It just might not be the way in which we expect them to. Could that pose an question of other issues? I don't know. But is it worth it to give students that kind of experience? That kind of love, support, and nourishment to help them succeed in their own personal goals. I want my students to come to me when they need someone to talk to or seek advice from.
Furthermore, students should be able to see that you, as a teacher, strive to achieve personal goals as well. Enforcing a classroom-wide policy of accepting flaws and imperfections to build upon those would be a wise route to take. This could be a an opportunity to lead in the classroom, as is required by NCTCS.
I agree with you Olivia, our future students need us to be their advocate. If teachers think they are strictly employees of the school system, they are not going to enjoy their career. Finding the balance between confidant and educator will be the tricky part. There will be times when we need to encourage and love on the students and other times when we will need to push them to work harder. You have a great point that teaching them it is ok to make mistakes, it is important to encourage them to learn from mistakes and to take risks to find their true potential.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with you Olivia, our future students need us to be their number one supporters. Some of our students will come from homes where they are not loved and shown attention. It is our jobs as educators to make them feel they are important to us and to society. We do have to be careful that we do not show favoritism and that all our students are as equally important. We are there for support but also to push them to be the best that they can possibly be. Making mistakes and learning from them is what makes us human. I think it is essential to learning that we show our students their mistakes and allow them the opportunity to change and grow from them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving second chances as long as we let our students know that we expect them to try and get it the first time around. It is necessary that we push our students to take risks in order for them to mature and learn their capabilities.
ReplyDeleteOlivia,
ReplyDeleteGreat points here! We often forget how much has changed in education and how much the pressure has been increased on students. We must realize how much is now expected of students. We must remember students are humans...just like teachers. In my opinion, classroom management systems must prepare students for life long skills - not just compliance in the classroom.
Seriously, when was the last time you had to pull a card for talking out loud?
As teachers, we are role models to our students. There are some children that we will meet that may not have the best home life away from school and they see things that are unimaginable at home. School should be a place where children are allowed to express themselves and feel comfortable. It is great for students to see others make mistakes and learn from them. If we as educators can teach our students to understand that we all will make mistakes but what we learn from them and how we handle them are what builds our character and makes us successful, then we will be on the right track to help our students be future leaders.
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