Welcome to Episode 7 of Imperfect and Unfinished: Stories for Reflection and Teacher Renewal
Where we’ve been…
In Episode 6, I shared the entire Rudy Story—a story about a time in my career when I was most divided, most troubled as a high school math teacher. I shared this story because the moments that divide us are moments to lean in to the discomfort so we can learn how to be more whole.
Where we’re going…
I started this video series as a way for us to take a moment this summer to pause, reflect, and find ways that we can renew and rejuvenate the passion, the optimism we need to thrive as imperfect and unfinished teachers.
Now that the start of the school year is upon us, I’d like to bring some closure to these first 7 episodes of Imperfect and Unfinished, by sharing with you something that I wished I had learned much earlier in my career. Advice that I wish I could have told my younger teaching self. And it’s this:
Measure your success less by the quantity of math content students learn in your math class and measure your success more by the quality of math stories students are authoring in your math class.
I’m inviting all of us to make a this shift this year, each in our own way, because I think it’s the pathway to becoming a happier teachers, a way to boost our efficacy and overcome burnout. Watch the video above to find out how you can make this shift and what you’ll get out of it.
See you down the road!
Share your story with us. Here’s how!
I hope the stories and activities in these videos help us create communities of belonging and grace—the type of relationships we need as imperfect and unfinished teachers. And I’m inviting you to share your story with us and the people you work with.
- Reach out to a colleague. Send them a link to Episode 1. Tell them what your experience has been like and invite them on the journey with us.
- Share your experience with us in the comments section of this blog post. And perhaps take a moment to reply to a comment that’s been written.
- Join us in our Facebook Group: The Imperfect and Unfinished Math Teacher. It’s not just for math teachers. If you’re enjoying these videos, come on over and find us there.
- Follow me on Twitter (@mathgeek76) and let’s start a conversation. We’re using #ImperfectUnfinished.
- Send me an email at chase@undercovercalculus.com. You’re not alone. I’ll geek out with you.
I have passed many struggling students like Rudy because I wanted to help them change their life story….failure vs. hard working human who is imperfect like us all. (I constantly run into these former students who are doing amazing things for the planet….some using math, others not using math.)
I love your three questions for weekly reflection from our students.
Thanks for creating and sharing this video series. Strong work!