There was an incident during Observation Week where I had made a mistake pronouncing the DECE’s name. Two of the children immediately corrected me, and one said to my face that “I shouldn’t be making mistakes, because I’m a teacher!” I gently replied to him, saying that as a student teacher I was also here to learn, and that even teachers can make mistakes. Thankfully the lesson began before the student could begin arguing with me, but that did not stop me from reflecting on the KEY Workshop we had the week before and what we had learned there.
While the workshop focused mostly on the student’s own perception of failure, it only went a little bit into the teacher’s perception of the term (mostly saying that one should lead by example and reward students’ efforts). I can’t speak for every TC in the class, but for myself one of my biggest fears regarding the profession is that I will fail to become a “good teacher”. How was I supposed to cope with the idea of failure in this context when it means that the students I am responsible for will be the ones paying for it?
This train of thought led me to reflect on the educational figures in my life – in fact, I began with my professors in Teacher’s College. A handful of them (including John) had mentioned how awful the first few years of their teaching careers had been. Similarly, I began thinking about how I flubbed through the beginning of my many jobs and careers over the years before I had finally gotten the hang of it. Failure was inevitable, I just had to accept it as part of the procedure and do my best nonetheless.
If there was one solace, it was that I wasn’t alone. My AT had told me point-blank that practicum was my opportunity to make mistakes, since her and the DECE were there to support me if I stumbled. OTU was available for support whenever it was needed, and I could lean on my peers who were in the same boat that I was. If there is one failure I still need to be wary of, it is the failure to take advantage of this opportunity because of fear on my end.
I don’t believe disliking failure is necessarily a bad thing – fully embracing it can actually lead one to become unmotivated and unwilling to improve. Love of failure cannot stand on its own, as it must be paired with the desire to succeed, to change, to grow. Even as failure discourages you, you must feel encouraged by that feeling of disappointment, because it means you aren’t satisfied with where you are at the moment. Failure is part of the process called life… and pursuing success is what makes life worth living!
Hyeji Yoon - HyejiY@OTU (Tuesday Class)
While the workshop focused mostly on the student’s own perception of failure, it only went a little bit into the teacher’s perception of the term (mostly saying that one should lead by example and reward students’ efforts). I can’t speak for every TC in the class, but for myself one of my biggest fears regarding the profession is that I will fail to become a “good teacher”. How was I supposed to cope with the idea of failure in this context when it means that the students I am responsible for will be the ones paying for it?
This train of thought led me to reflect on the educational figures in my life – in fact, I began with my professors in Teacher’s College. A handful of them (including John) had mentioned how awful the first few years of their teaching careers had been. Similarly, I began thinking about how I flubbed through the beginning of my many jobs and careers over the years before I had finally gotten the hang of it. Failure was inevitable, I just had to accept it as part of the procedure and do my best nonetheless.
If there was one solace, it was that I wasn’t alone. My AT had told me point-blank that practicum was my opportunity to make mistakes, since her and the DECE were there to support me if I stumbled. OTU was available for support whenever it was needed, and I could lean on my peers who were in the same boat that I was. If there is one failure I still need to be wary of, it is the failure to take advantage of this opportunity because of fear on my end.
I don’t believe disliking failure is necessarily a bad thing – fully embracing it can actually lead one to become unmotivated and unwilling to improve. Love of failure cannot stand on its own, as it must be paired with the desire to succeed, to change, to grow. Even as failure discourages you, you must feel encouraged by that feeling of disappointment, because it means you aren’t satisfied with where you are at the moment. Failure is part of the process called life… and pursuing success is what makes life worth living!
Hyeji Yoon - HyejiY@OTU (Tuesday Class)
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