The Old Dunning Kruger Strikes Again!
I am embarrassed to admit, but within my first 5 years of teaching, this was me. My students were achieving, I felt confident-nobody could tell me anything. My mind was closed, and I hate to say it, but my students were the ones who suffered.
Enter new instructional coach...she pushed me, challenged me and ultimately broke through my hard shell of hubris. (Bless her for putting up with me during that time!) That was the start of my journey to becoming (still becoming...) a culturally responsive, equity driven educator. My eyes were opened to the fact that my students were achieving, but *I* was the one doing the work. It was through sheer determination, not deep, authentic understanding that we were pushing through to achievement. My students were anxious, bored, exhausted and uninspired.
As I started to make shifts to student-centered instruction, I was terrified. Can they handle this? What if they don't succeed? I'm not doing my job well! AGH!
It took time for me to realize the message I was conveying to them in every lesson, every day was-you can't be trusted with your learning. I'll have to show you how to do it. Don't worry, we will practice until you get it perfect.
After I took the leap and changed my way of being in the classroom, I was amazed by what I found! Engagement increased as students were owning their learning. The classroom culture shifted from competitive to collaborative. As I started to position students as capable agents, their identity shifted-they saw themselves that way too!
I won't lie, making this shift wasn't easy-it required skilled coaching, reflection, self-honesty, and courage, but I can not overstate how much those challenges were worth the results. It sounds dramatic, but it changed my life. Once my mind opened to seeing my students, my role, and myself in a new way, I began to question what other assumptions I might be making about the world and others etc. It was like shining a light of awareness on everything!
Challenging cognitive bias isn't easy. Spotting the Dunning Kruger effect in yourself is a humbling and embarrassing experience BUT it is a path to growth and true learning. Trust me when I say, it's worth it-not only for your students, but also for yourself.
Enter new instructional coach...she pushed me, challenged me and ultimately broke through my hard shell of hubris. (Bless her for putting up with me during that time!) That was the start of my journey to becoming (still becoming...) a culturally responsive, equity driven educator. My eyes were opened to the fact that my students were achieving, but *I* was the one doing the work. It was through sheer determination, not deep, authentic understanding that we were pushing through to achievement. My students were anxious, bored, exhausted and uninspired.
As I started to make shifts to student-centered instruction, I was terrified. Can they handle this? What if they don't succeed? I'm not doing my job well! AGH!
It took time for me to realize the message I was conveying to them in every lesson, every day was-you can't be trusted with your learning. I'll have to show you how to do it. Don't worry, we will practice until you get it perfect.
After I took the leap and changed my way of being in the classroom, I was amazed by what I found! Engagement increased as students were owning their learning. The classroom culture shifted from competitive to collaborative. As I started to position students as capable agents, their identity shifted-they saw themselves that way too!
I won't lie, making this shift wasn't easy-it required skilled coaching, reflection, self-honesty, and courage, but I can not overstate how much those challenges were worth the results. It sounds dramatic, but it changed my life. Once my mind opened to seeing my students, my role, and myself in a new way, I began to question what other assumptions I might be making about the world and others etc. It was like shining a light of awareness on everything!
Challenging cognitive bias isn't easy. Spotting the Dunning Kruger effect in yourself is a humbling and embarrassing experience BUT it is a path to growth and true learning. Trust me when I say, it's worth it-not only for your students, but also for yourself.