The Good Enough Teacher?
Like a parent, there is always more a teacher could do and always the worry that you are not doing enough. For that reason, although the idea of adapting the ideas of the Good Enough Parent to teaching was something that came to me slowly, a quick bit of googling reveals that I am by no means the first to try. I’ve only read the back of the book (usually more than enough with self-help books), but the idea that gave me of setting realistic targets for yourself and so finding satisfaction as much as worry in falling short of perfection was very appealing in these days of low energy and many competing demands on what there is of it. However…
Actually, I find the continual quest to keep improving and aiming for perfection is the only thing that keeps me motivated, and setting myself more realistic targets just drains me of the last few drops of adrenaline that were keeping me going. To put it another way, dissatisfaction is the same as motivation. So, I found that the answer is…
Yoyoing between the two. Less than perfect I know, but just about gets me through the weeks, months and years
July 28th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
Know the feeling, Alex…
Not sure how similar or different this is to your own perspective, but for me, (teaching) life has become much more satisfying through a combination of continuing to set very high goals and keeping the adrenaline going with less looking back and dwelling on mistakes or ‘what coulda beens’.
So in a way, it’s not (for me) so much about setting easier or apparently more feasible goals as it is continuing to try for (hopefully) great things and not beating myself up much when things don’t quite go the way I’d hoped for. It’s not about caring less, it’s about the direction I keep looking in.
Hah! Knew fatherhood would bring out the more reflective master/grasshopper side of you!
July 29th, 2010 at 8:31 pm
That’s what I’m talking about, but really caring about your goals and then not caring when it doesn’t happen ain’t easy!
TEFLtastic has never been short of navel gazing, but the lack of sleep might indeed be increasing the amount…
July 30th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
I loved Stephen Fry’s take on this in a recent video that went slightly viral.
He basically said that the worst thing you can do is continually set high goals for yourself. Because what happens?
(A) You fall short of them, and when that happens enough times you start to get really down on yourself
or
(B) You achieve these lofty goals and then find yourself sitting there saying to yourself “right, okay then… that was nice. What the hell am I going to do now?”
Just an added thought…