Covid-19 for many, has provided chances for personal and professional reflection. This is especially true for me. Here I will share with you the key message I learnt about being an educator of eight years from my reflections…. “ Live outside your comfort zone; be comfortable being uncomfortable”.
During my first year of teacher training I was placed at a school where all lessons were provided. Of course, as a young person who was naïve, I thought it was great and very supportive to be given such materials. After all, I could walk into a lesson fully planned and continue to do so for the remainder of my placement. Sounds perfect right? Although this might sound idyllic to some teachers, I rapidly outgrew this style of ‘support’ and felt my enthusiasm for teaching at such an early stage stifled. I no longer felt excited about the next school day.
It was this placement that taught me that taking the easy road and remaining in ones comfort zone, can have damaging effects. That was the year I almost quit teaching. A thought so long in the past it now seems very surreal.
From here I was fortunate enough, (during my third year of teacher training) to be placed at a school a stones throw from MidKent College and this experience was a breath of fresh air. I was encouraged to research/plan my own lessons, try new things and most importantly take risks without fear.
I have had ample opportunities in my eights years as an educator to produce activities and projects that have pushed me so far out of my comfort zone, and for those opportunities I am grateful. Of course, there were times during those opportunities that I worried I would fail, students would know I was taking a risk and rebel or I would have an unexpected visitor to my classroom. Just as those moments of failure occurred I tried to see them as opportunities that have helped me to grow.
Every opportunity is a chance to grow as an educator!
Did everything go to plan during those opportunities? Of course not. However, it is in those moments, that we grow the most. It’s ok for things not to go to plan, its ok to fail but it is not ok to give up. We must reflect on those moments, alter, adjust and try again.
Many people of whom I have shared my reflections with and perhaps even you as you read this have thought:
- “I can’t do that, I must not fail”
- “My comfort zone is a safe space, I cannot leave it”
- “I am not sure I want to leave my comfort zone”
Then let me leave you with this final statement; I can say, without any doubt, that the years that I have grown the most as an educator are the years in which I stepped out of my comfort zone. Remaining in your comfort zone could leave you running the risk of losing the passion and innovation that makes you an effective educator.
- Kirsty Woods
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