Sometimes I have to remind myself that the purpose of education is to teach lessons that will help young people. Sometimes the lessons are hard and painful, sometimes not. The idea I've found helpful is to remember that we all learn from our mistakes. We adults didn't acquire our wisdom in the womb; we tried and failed along the way. If we survived, we did it another way the next time. Even as we age, we still make mistakes and learn.
I am the longest running continuous coach at the school. I have made many mistakes, but I think I have helped many young men and women as a coach and teacher. I do not have the best win percentage or test scores. The teams I have coached have lost more games in the history of the school than any other coach, but the students/athletes seem to move on with mostly pleasant memories and thoughts. They have moved on to be fathers, mothers, husbands, wives, military, medical professionals, scientists and others making positive contributions to their communities. I could not have these impacts if I were starting today as a teacher/coach at my school. I would be fired or set aside.
The school has become a place that gives students many chances to learn from their mistakes and improve. That is a good thing to a certain degree. If you are an adult though, you get one chance, maybe two, and you're gone. No chance to learn, no chance to improve, no chance to help others here....regardless of what you have done in the past.
Shame.
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2 comments:
Yes. "Careful" should maybe not be the first concept of a well-created career (or life)!
Miles Davis and Sean Payton did not get where they are by being careful. But they got to play mostly by their rules, and unfortunately we don't always get to.
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