“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
In the book Daring Greatly, Brene Brown uses this quote by Theodore Roosevelt as the basis for her argument on why we need to cultivate vulnerability in our lives. In this fast-paced world of “get more done in less time” and in school cultures where the guise of professionalism trumps forming any sort of meaningful relationships with students and colleagues, vulnerability can often be seen as a liability.
But in reality, vulnerability is showing up. It’s accepting accountability. And it’s stepping up to the plate after striking out (paraphrased from Daring Greatly). Aren’t those qualities we all want to see in our students, colleagues, and administrators?
Join us on Sunday at 8 PM ET for #nctechat on Twitter where we will discuss The Power of Vulnerability in Our Schools and Classrooms. Here is a preview of the questions we will discuss:
- Let’s talk about what we think vulnerability is and what it isn’t.
- Why does vulnerability so often feel like a liability in work and in life?
- What impact can avoiding vulnerability have on students, colleagues, and school culture?
- How do you or have you shown vulnerability in front of your students or colleagues
- How have you encouraged or seen vulnerability in your students?
- What are the ways kids avoid vulnerability and how can we help them see its benefits?
- What are the ways colleagues avoid vulnerability and how can we help them see its benefits?
- How can we cultivate discomfort and help our students dig out of perfectionism as a form of shielding?