Failure in the Kitchen and in the Classroom
Anyone who has ever attempted to cook has burned something. It happens. And when it does happen, it is very tangible. You can see the burn, taste the burn, smell the burn. It’s immediate and signals us to make changes. Do we throw it out? Do we fix it? Can we make an adjustment and make do?
Wouldn’t it be great if learning was just like this? If learning was as tangible as cooking, we would know in real time what worked and what didn’t. We would never have to ask about confusion or give tests or wonder how about comprehension of subject matters. It would be as obvious as the smoke or the smell or the black layer on top of the casserole. Instead, the learning process is invisible and we often won’t know until much later if it was burned. Or raw.
However, if we approach learning with more of a growth mindset, then we can give ourselves permission to try things, tweak things, and then try it again. This could be a new way to group students, a new piece of text, a new instructional method, or even a new lesson on an old topic. By not quitting after the first burn, we can learn how to refine what we do. This refinement leads to confidence. And we know at ERG that increased confidence and capacity of the teacher is the number one factor in student achievement. In fact, John Hattie’s research says the very same thing.
Kaitlyn recently tried a new recipe and it did not work out exactly like she wanted. The chocolate did not bind together the way she wanted. The taste was good, it still looked fine, but she just wanted a different consistency. As soon as this happened, she kicked into what she could do differently next time and realized she may have let the first layer cool too long. She didn’t abandon cooking and eating, she just made a mental note of how to do it differently next time.
As educators, we need to get comfy with knowing there will be fails. Instead of trying to avoid these fails and missing out on key learning opportunities for students AND professional growth, we can start to give ourselves permission to try and see what happens. By shifting our approach, we can strengthen our resilience muscles, learn from the fails, and know instructional perfection is not a reality, but just a fantasy.
The best teacher often shows up in the form of failure. Just like the best cooks, take time to reflect and remind yourself that the more you do it, the more likely you are to get better.
And most importantly, don’t quit.
Questions for Reflection & Discussion:
- How would you be different if you approached failure as an opportunity to grow?
- Are you more flexible or more rigid when you approach planning?
- What is your natural response when the lesson does not go as planned?
- How can you apply a growth mindset to your own professional development?
The following is a recipe we love and hope you will, too.
Peppermint Bark
From the kitchen of: Kaitlyn Hamby by way of her mom. Growing up, Kaitlyn and her siblings would make peppermint bark during Christmas time. Because it is a simple treat that she has made since she was young, she doesn’t have a “recipe” so much as a general memory of how to do it.
Why is this recipe significant? This treat reminds Kaitlyn of the fun memories of making Christmas treats with her mom and siblings. It is super simple and is perfect to share with work colleagues, at home, or to give as gifts!
Recipe:
- Equal parts white and dark or milk melting chocolate
- Peppermint candy canes
Line a baking dish with parchment paper, leaving excess around the sides. Place candy canes in a baggie and use a rolling pin to crush into small pieces. Melt down dark or milk chocolate either on the stovetop or in the microwave. Pour the melted chocolate into a smooth layer covering the whole bottom of the dish. Place in freezer until just solid (about 5 minutes). Melt down white chocolate, then pour over top of the bottom layer. Immediately sprinkle crushed candy canes and gently press into the white chocolate layer. Place back in freezer until completely solid (approximately one hour). Bring to room temperature (about 10 minutes), lift the bark out of the dish using the parchment paper, break into pieces, and enjoy!