Teaching to me is not a career… It is a gateway to opportunities. Opportunities to inspire children and guardians that learning can happen anywhere and at any age. All you need is a deep self-love and a desire to learn from mistakes. True knowledge comes from the acceptance of failure, the self- compassion to hug yourself, and the confidence to try again. The feeling of being safe in an inclusive classroom. Opportunities to humble myself, and share my story with children. So that the child at the back of the class will feel heard and seen. So that the child who does not have many friends, will know they are not alone. So the one who has trouble in math, with know they are smart, and just need to approach the problem from a different angle. Opportunities to work with like minded, passionate individuals who have devoted their lives to listening, crafting, reading, analyzing, reflecting, caring, and respecting. Opportunities for growth in myself, as I learn from my students, their guardians, and my colleagues. Learning is never completed, and that is one of my most favourite things in this “curiouser and curiouser” (Lewis Caroll, Alice in Wonderland, 1865) world.
I strive to live by these words everyday; “have courage and be kind” (Cinderella, 2015), not only must you step out of your box, you must be kind for when you do step out, you are likely to fail. The beauty of this is that within every supposed failure, there is a lesson. By allowing my students to see me practicing self-compassion when I have made a mistake, or revealed my human side, I hope they will recognize that we are all human, and it is okay to make a mistake. Instilling the belief you have all the power to stand back up and try again, because a failure is not an ending, it is an opportunity to reflect and try again. #growthmindset
