Practice what you preach

    I believe educators today need to keep a growth mindset not only to set a good model for their students but also because we need to allow ourselves room to make mistakes and learn from them. It can be easy to forget that students are not the only ones learning at school, and this further supports the idea of social-emotional learning. We too are human and will eventually make mistakes or have something go less than adequate, and we need to grant ourselves the same kindness we will show our students when they make mistakes. I believe the times when teachers make mistakes are some of the most crucial moments in the classroom because it sets the expectation for students to follow. If a teacher makes a mistake and tries to hide it or react to it in a negative manner, that subconsciously tells the students that making mistakes is a negative thing that they must avoid doing to whatever extent they decide to take it. If the teacher takes the time to address the mistake and displays a collected and logical approach to fixing it, they are destigmatizing making mistakes and giving normalcy to seeing mistakes as opportunities for learning and improvement. 

    We may only have students for one calendar year, but the habits they pick up in school regarding their study habits, self-esteem, problem-solving, and bravery to take risks stays with them until they have to actively work at unlearning those habits. It is in their best interest as future functional members of society, and for us as educators serving hundreds of them to keep in mind just how mouldable their minds are as children, and we need to take caution of the hidden curriculums and unspoken rules that might be communicated. Transparency, a collective group effort to identify problems as they arise and solve them as a team, and open and respectful communication can go a long way for students, especially those that may not have healthy relationships in their personal lives.