“Success
is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and
persistence.”
--
Colin Powell
By
Tommie Saylor
Kennedy
High School Principal
Failure
is part of the process. Often we fear trying something new, stepping out
of our comfort zone and giving a new idea it’s proper due. We withdraw because
of our anxiety for failure, when we should advance forward.
Because
we hate to be wrong, we often fail to even try. We have grown too comfortable. Even
if our “normal” is ineffective and counter to our goals, we would rather stick
with that which we know, than do that which is hard or unfamiliar. Because
we fear failure, we fail to try, and thus fail to grow.
Imagine
if Edison would have given up after the first few filaments failed in his
incandescent light bulb. Failure doesn’t mean disaster. In fact we can
learn more from our failures than from our successes; failure is a lesson, a
learning opportunity.
Good
teachers know that their lessons can’t be static. One can’t create a lesson
plan and teach the same lesson year after year after year. The good
teacher constantly tweaks, adjusts and refines lessons. A good teacher is not afraid
to try new approaches, new methods and new techniques.
If
the changes are successful, that’s great. Keep and incorporate the changes into
your teaching. If unsuccessful, try, try, try again.
Finally,
the good teacher is not afraid to ask their students how they can improve a
lesson, or if a change worked for them. Students, who have witnessed many
lessons and many presentations by the time they get to high school, can be
brutally honest – and often rather insightful.
Though
you can’t always give the students what they want, they are often fairly good
at letting you know what works, what does not work, and how they learn.
How
and where will you lead them. Making Kennedy the school of choice. Excellence
by design.
