As educators, we know how much our encouragement can mean to students. Whether they’re puzzling through a word problem, or striving to turn their latest “aha” moment into a fully formed essay – a vote of confidence can go a long way to boost their self-belief and perseverance. 

Seeing how students flourish in this way reminds me to nourish my own self-belief. The benefits of sincere encouragement in challenging moments don’t diminish when we become adults! Today I want to share a few words of encouragement with you to help fill your cup and feed your teacher joy whenever you need it.

Perfect is not the point

It’s easy to forget that as educators – and as humans! – we’re all works in progress. We get to be works in progress. As someone who has a perfectionist streak, I find this reminder deeply encouraging in challenging moments.  As a lifelong learner, I can take some pressure off myself to get every lesson, every interaction, “right” every day. Instead, I can stay curious and committed to the process of learning and growth. 

Stay curious

To inspire students to stay curious and persevere through challenging moments, we need to stay in touch with our own sense of curiosity. Whether it’s tapping into that spirit in our daily routines, in lesson planning or problem solving we can take a beat to wonder, “What might happen if _____________?”, and see what inspiration fills the space.  

Learn from students 

Students bring a wealth of their own knowledge into the classroom every day. As we strive to activate that knowledge and inspire connections, we can let our students’ experiences show us glimmers of new ways to think, problem-solve or connect with our practice.

Approach uncertainty with patience

We often remind students that it’s OK to not have the right answer right away – and that there can be multiple right answers for them to discover. What’s more,  after wrestling with today’s questions there will surely be more tomorrow. As the education environment continues to shift, we can remind ourselves that there are multiple right ways for us to approach the challenges ahead. As we show up daily, we can still allow ourselves the grace and patience to uncover the approaches that are right for us and that align with our strengths. 

Celebrate yourself

As works in progress, we don’t have to wait until a final finish line to celebrate our wins. When there’s a lot on your plate, it can be tricky to pause problem-solving mode. But I’ve found that celebrating YOU and your everyday wins is crucial to pour energy back into yourself. For me, taking a few minutes in my car to journal – at the end of the work day but before I set foot in the house – helps the gems in my daily experience shine even brighter. What’s one small thing that reflects your brilliance right now?