Battling Self Doubt

We have reached Christmas break! It is a wonderful time. There are many things that this two week block is good for. One of those things is reflecting. So, as I take this opportunity to write some new posts, the first thing I want to touch on is being unsure about yourself. Quick history lesson: I have failed before. Like, in a job, fallen flat on my face and needed to change/find a new job. It was rough. It hurt. It impacted me a lot. This has created, at times, doubt in myself. That same self doubt will then push me to seek the approval of peers. Calling it what it is, this is pride, and frankly, it usually makes me feel stupid.

Students using Fruit Loops to identify ratios...that's a good idea, right?

I am not the only person out there who struggles with this. There are a lot of people that we affect in and through our classrooms. I think that because of this we want to do our absolute best, and for varying reasons, some of us don’t know that our best is good enough. Whether we are new, trying something different, struggling to find a way to communicate a concept, or feeling the weight of data, there are a lot of reasons to feel unsure of oneself. 

Here is the thing, we don’t need to feel this way. We need to understand that we are gifted at this. There is something in you that made you want to do this job, that is an area of strength for you. It may be the content and how well you know it and LOVE it (I am looking at you English buffs and History nuts). You might just be really good at communicating with the age group you work with. Like the Kindergarten whispers out there who get five year olds to go from no knowledge of the concept of words to stringing them together to create sentences with meaning. You might know how to harness creativity; your own or those around you. You can turn something mundane into a frenzy that pushes your kids into the halls to sing the wonders of snowmen dying as matter changes from one form to the next. Whatever it is, in these three, you have a foundation. Trust that about yourself and build from there. 

Next, we, the unsure, must trust the response of our target. This can through assessment, student reflection, or just plain seeming enjoyment of an activity or class period. On my best weeks, I use any combination of the 2. Enjoyment is easy with most kids. Smiles, intensity, or just flat out engaged in what we are doing. It is anecdotal. Conclusions lend themselves to reflection. With new concepts I usually give a…

3 things you learned

2 questions you have

1 thing you think I should know

Something that simple can be the difference maker.

That leaves assessment, which can be a question sample at closure, morning/bell work the next day, or waiting for the test depending on your time frame. Look at the data, folks. Don’t obsess over what it says about you, but use it as a tool for what your kids need. Last I checked, education is still over testing kids. There are signs of improvement, but that is where we are. So take the cracked eggs and make a delicious omelet, where you know what the class needs and you adjust to meet those needs.

Finally, trust or adjust. If the response you elicit is good, you can trust that you did well. If not, then make the adjustment that is best for your room based on the need of your students. Unsurity is a tricky beast, but you got this. I’ve got this. We’ve got this. And trusting that will make ourselves, our rooms, and schools better.