Challenges make you discover things about yourself that you never really knew.
—Cicely Tyson, actress
Do you challenge yourself daily to be an observer of children and a responsive teacher? Or, are you a complacent teacher happily engaged in the same old tried-and-true curriculum you planned and experienced years ago? Creating challenges for yourself is hard! It may be easier to pull out the familiar lesson plan, but does this group of children have the interests, abilities, and background that make this lesson a good fit for them? Are you the same teacher you were a year ago? I hope not. Only you can open yourself up to new challenges and thinking. Seek a mentor or colleague who is willing to reflect with you and challenge your thinking. Challenging yourself means taking risks and leaning into the discomfort of the unknown. Challenge isn’t easy, but if it were easy, then it wouldn’t be a challenge.
In loving memory of Gryphon House author Leanne Grace, MEd, we are sharing pieces of her inspirational writing every Wednesday. Leanne was the director of professional development at Hildebrandt Learning Centers and a lifelong advocate for early childhood education. She inspired the early childhood community to prepare children as lifelong learners with her ability to find the extraordinary in the ordinary. One person can make a difference, and Leanne did just that. She will be sorely missed.
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