Modelling Vulnerability in our Schools

As teachers, the path to end up at your present school is not the same for some as it is for others. Some staff members may have been at the school for years, some are in their beginning years at the school, and others are on contract for one year (or less). As a new teacher I'm not naive to think that integrating new staff members into a building is always seamless, as with new teachers comes new attitudes, philosophies, and outlooks. You don't pick your family members, and you don't pick your colleagues. However, as I reflect on the months I've spent at my current school, being a supportive and reflective teammate who listens to those around you will not only build a culture among staff, but improve student learning outcomes. In my University days, admittingly I always compared myself to those around me. Some of my colleagues would have enough information on Jean Piaget to write a biography, while others were left wondering who he was and why he was relevant to our learning experience. I often found myself in the middle, but in a competitive environment nonetheless. I'd keep my opinions to myself, and just focus on my own work and understanding. To no fault of my peers or my own, the comparing wouldn't stop at knowledge, but even grades or placement feedback. One could argue that in a competitive field with a variety of educators, all of whom want to have an impact (and get a job), it makes for a competitive landscape for which we were supposed to learn and grow. As educators, we leave a competitive arena and enter a new domain; the school. For years, we work towards showcasing our abilities and talents. How are you going to make your learning experiences for your students unique? What can I do to stand out? How can I put myself in a good position to get a good recommendation? As a contract worker, new teachers are always looking toward the future, as it is often uncertain. And so, new teachers that I've talked to often feel like they can't be vulnerable in the present. Will it look like I'm incapable of handling a classroom? What will the other teachers think about this? I don't want to involve other adults to support issues in my classroom, it'll look like I can't handle my own problems All of these thoughts are not foreign for a new teacher. It's something that's been developed in the way we've competed to get into University, then teachers college, and now for jobs. However, these thoughts do not need to be at the forefront of every nervous new teachers mind. As with a caring and supportive team that welcomes and supports different teachers, you will be able to grow more as a professional, and in turn, create more positive student learning outcomes. In my present school, this culture of being open and welcoming feedback is at the forefront of our relationship. In our hallway, no two teachers are remotely similar. We all have different ways of teaching, a variety of different ways we develop relationships with our students, and even differences in philosophies for discipline. However, what I've come to learn is that our team works together side by side to SUPPORT each other every day. Amonst our peers, we will often share lesson plans, assessment task ideas, and other learning opportunities with each other. Oftentimes, feedback is positive. However, during times where we give each other feedback and help make a learning opportunity more relevant, I don't feel the empty feelings that I described earlier. Genuinely, I know that my peers want to support me and my students with these various opportunities, and they know that I'm focused on supporting my students. I don't believe this type of support can just come naturally, as I've mentioned how I feel about the competitive nature of our post secondary and early years of teaching. However, I do believe that by opening yourself up to feedback and showing your vulnerabilities, even to educators who maybe aren't yet vulnerable to you, you will develop the type of culture where others are invested in wanting to help you learn and grow as an educator. For many, this step towards accepting the feeling of being vulnerable is hard to do. So, experienced teachers that are open to showing their vulnerabilities and demonstrating to new teachers that it's okay to not have every day go perfect, will set the standard in our schools. No teacher is perfect, we all have room to grow. So, as a third year teacher with a whole lot to learn, I encourage any experienced teacher out there to put themselves out there to new teachers. Recognize the feelings that you may have had coming out of University, or even still have to this day. As teachers, we can develop the sense of community and support each other without feeling like being vulnerable is an uncomfortable feeling. In turn, we can create a community where vulnerability is modeled and celebrated to promote personal and professional growth.