Great Teachers Are NOT Superheroes.

I’ve been working with my entrepreneurship classes over the past two weeks. They have been challenged with learning about Channels and Customer Relationships through a proposal from the district to help them figure out better communication methods to stakeholders. 

School and district administrators will be here tomorrow to view the pitches for improvement… and I’m very nervous.  Even though each team has practiced their pitches several times, I still see a lot of students sleeping on this project.  Well it looks like they are. Time will tell.

I have to get out of their way and help them understand their teams will have to experience this tomorrow no matter what.  I have seen greatness and awfulness in their pitches. I want to help every step of the way.  My bosses will be in the room tomorrow. I am afraid of looking like a “bad teacher.”  I am afraid for the kids to look bad in front of professionals.

Unlike a superhero… I won’t swoop in to save them.

You see, great teachers will help our students fail.  That’s right… fail.  There is learning through failure.  So after tomorrow, we will review and assess what happened. Students will have a chance to evaluate their efforts and results. They will be in a safe place to learn entrepreneurship. Because we all know the world is a harsh place. 

Even though I want to help them like a superhero… I have to let them learn through experience. I have given them guidance and help along the way, and ultimately they will need to take that and build on their own.

It’s terrifying as a teacher sometimes… In order for our students to learn something, they will need to be tested by doing… without bubbling in answers.  

And that’s how we all learn best.

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