Educational F-Word

A couple of weeks ago, at a meeting for student teaching, my supervisor noted that “flexible is the new f-word.” I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself, mostly because of the truth behind the corky statement. Time and time again, lesson plans change; schedules constantly move around throughout the day. Flexible truly is the name of the game in education.

I was reminded of this again as I attended two more meetings this past week. There is no static way to reach students. There is no golden ticket to ensure learning for each individual. The truth is, we all operate differently. Not only do our methods of teaching need to be flexible, but also, our communication with colleagues and administration. Just like our students, these people are different as well. Instead of discounting others’ ideas, we should be flexible and embrace them.

Easier said than done, right? It’s difficult to set aside past conversations; we don’t want to admit that someone else may have a better approach or method. Because teachers are such passionate people, they have a hard time embracing new ideas. They want to be the ones that find the educational diamond in the rough.

I’ve got news for y’all. It’s never going to get figured out. There are always going to be students that don’t get “reached” and never work to their full potential. I’m not trying to be a downer, just a realist. Therefore, as teachers, we need to be flexible as we work to communicate with one another. Always, always remember the educational f-word.