The Positive Benefits of Taking a Risk- Even If You Fail!

As teachers, we all know that we teach more than content, even if this hidden curriculum is never assessed by a bubble sheet test.  We teach work ethic, self-control, organization skills, communication, compassion, tolerance, and a whole host of other life skills.  And then sometimes, our kids teach us.

As I was reading one girl's journal last year, I noticed a trend in many of her entries.  "Makayla, I think your theme for this year could be taking risks," I told her.  She beamed and agreed. 

"Yeah, I've really been thinking about this in your class a lot," Makayla told me.  "I think it's time for me to get out there and do some new things." And she did!  She auditioned for a chance to sing the national anthem before a basketball game, and I had tears in my eyes as I listened to her sing in the gym weeks later.  Afterwards, Makayla told me that she had been so nervous, but was so glad she took the risk.  Bolstered by this success, she entered poetry contests, spoke up more in class, and made a list of other things she wanted to try.  I was so proud of her for taking risks!  

I got to thinking about my own life and chances I had taken.  I'd been at the same school for 15 years, teaching science, and sometimes a social studies class, and for a couple of years ELA.  Even though every year was different, teaching had also become safe for me.  It wasn't really a risky job.  I had my favorite activities, my tried-and-true experiments, and file cabinets of lessons that I knew would work.  Gone were the days of trying new things and failing miserably.  (The Great Ice Cream Baggy Calamity of 2005 came to mind, as did the Cheetos-Burning-Calorimeter.)  Sure things were safe, but had I also become boring?  Stale?  I needed to take a page out of Makayla's journal and take some risks.  

For that school year, I decided that while I wasn't ready to completely throw out my stand-by lessons, I was ready to try some new things. 

• I changed rooms, giving me the perfect opportunity to throw out some old lessons and start from scratch.
• I got trained on some new science lab equipment, which led to a last-minute observation by a consultant who trained teachers in our district.
• I applied for a job in a different district. (I didn't get it, but that's ok.)
• I applied to go to the Go Green Summer Bootcamp by Honeywell.
• I led a community service group and started the school's community service club.

As the school year drew to a close, I was been able to see how taking risks benefited me professionally as well as personally.

1.  Taking risks keeps you fresh and breaks up routine.

2.  Taking risks gives you more tools to use.
  
3.  Taking risks forces you to grow.

4.  Taking risks keeps you connected to how it feels to struggle.

5.  Taking risks and failing does not make you a failure.

As you get ready to embark on a new school year, why not plan to take some risks?  Whether or not you succeed, you might be surprised at the results you get.

Cliff jumping photo credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/california-sea-ocean-waves-man-1813238/