I Don't Have All the Answers AND That's OK

I have had this post from Tiny Buddha in my draft folder for sometime. I love reading Lori's posts daily, but this one in particular I could relate to in many ways. As a teacher, it's easy to get caught up with what's happening inside our four walls...my struggles, my students difficulties, my parent challenges, etc. However, in reality ALL teachers have difficulties and challenges. I think if we step outside these walls, we would realize that we are all in this together, and together we may be able to grow and improve our practice and face the challenges that we have in education today.

One of the greatest lessons in my teaching career came to me just 3 years ago when I stepped outside "my walls" and realized that I DO NOT have all the answers and THAT'S OK. I stopped being a "teacher" and started to be more of a facilitator of learning. Instead of feeling like I had to have all the answers, I would work with my students to find solutions to problems and answers to questions...I let them take control of their learning. Through this shift in thinking/teaching I felt that I had a better understanding of my students; a very humbling experience for me...I was learning from my students and they from me.

In a culture that values independence and success, oftentimes above all else, it’s easy to forget we’re not alone. We’re not. And we’re not all that different. We all have struggles and challenges, and we always will.That’s actually a beautiful thing. Through problems we learn, grow and improve the world around us. Problems give us opportunities to be both bold and humble; they allow us to be both student and teacher. Don’t worry about having all the answers. No one does. It’s the questions that tie us together.

“We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.” -Unknown