Inspire Others - Have the Courage to Show your Weaknesses

Nobody is perfect; in fact, I find it difficult to admire and follow someone that seems perfect. I wonder if they have experienced difficult times, worked hard, make sacrifices, invested their life savings, only to end up back where they started? I am inspired by people who have overcome obstacles and removed barriers, for themselves and others. The classroom can be a microcosm of the real world - where taking risks can reap rewards or end in failure. Failure is a great way to learn; it is only a failure if we fail to learn the lessons from our efforts. Classrooms should be safe places to explore, ask bold questions, experiment and make mistakes, and we, as teachers should be creating opportunities for students to gain experience and confidence in these areas. We should share our mistakes, our lessons learned and changes and adaptations with our students, showing them that we are not perfect, nor do we expect them to be. We should share our flaws and gifts and celebrate the gifts and tolerate the flaws in others. We should model resilience, in order to encourage it in our students. These are some of the thoughts that come to my mind when I read this quote.