When I think back to when I first became a teacher, I feel so guilty about what I did, what I didn’t do, and what I should have done. Even now, I feel such remorse for those children who didn’t to get experience what I now know would have been richer curriculum. I wish I had been a more observant and responsive teacher. I know now, through the writings of Lilian Katz, that all teachers go through stages of survival, consolidation, renewal, and maturity. As a teacher, guilt is a wasted emotion and an energy sapper. Today, shed your guilt and the wasted energy of self-reproach, and move forward. You cannot blame yourself not knowing and barely surviving. See yourself as a growing professional who is constantly seeking renewal and reflection as you mature.
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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