Expectations vs. reality

Before we began learning about everything that an SOP week entailed, I had lots of ideas floating around about what I would do, how the days would run, and everything I would be able to accomplish in the time I had with kids. As we have gone through training, I’ve realized how little time we have to accomplish all of those things!  Training has turned the idealistic ambitions I had about teaching here into more concrete goals, and I think I feel more laid back about the teaching process in general now.

In learning what a small amount of time we really have with the students along with all of the required points to hit, I realized that I needed to drop the idealized version of the way I wanted things to go, and focus on taking a more flexible mindset. I am trying to remind myself that it’s okay to not get everything done that I want to get done in a week. It’s okay to not get to go to all the “coolest” places on campus with a group of kids. It’s okay to feel like something fell flat. I have so many chances to get things right that it’s okay if things don’t go right every single time.

I think this has allowed my planning over the last several days to be much lower stress.  I am planning to approach the coming days with flexible optimism, and not allow myself to worry about everything going perfectly.  Being a perfectionist with teaching just means that nothing will ever get taught – it’s vital to accept imperfection and be okay with having done your best, even if it’s hard to make yourself feel like that’s good enough.  And understanding that every single week is a brand new experience, and I can try out as many new approaches, lessons, and locations as I want over the course of the next 9 months is a really freeing realization.