Do you ever feel, as a teacher, the pressure (self-imposed or otherwise) to be smart, to know everything, or to have all the answers? We should know what we're talking about each day. We are the guides, the shapers of young minds, the key to the future. No pressure. The challenge with this ideal is: where is the space to learn more? If we are to be the "experts," how do we grow? How do we get "smarter?"
We have an expectation for our students to learn more, but what about us? Recently, a teacher shared her trepidation when approaching a new unit this year. (I can totally relate. The first time I looked at this particular unit, I physically shuddered.) However, after persevering through the unit, she reflected on her experience. "I didn't think this would be easy. I feel so smart (I know [we're supposed to have a] growth mindset, but I think this unit actually made me smarter.: :-)"
What a great feeling! That excitement, that "Aha!" moment we wish for all of our students, is possible for us too. It doesn't mean we weren't smart to begin with, it just means we gained more than we had before. (A lot + a little = A LOT). Part of having a growth mindset is recognizing when we learn something and that learning something makes us smarter. So, if we take the position that we are both teachers and learners, then "getting smarter" is inevitable! :-)
