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Monday, March 23, 2015

day 23: to be vulnerable

WRITE your story.
SHARE your link.
GIVE some love via comments.


If you follow my blog, you know that yesterday I wrote about all the things I did for myself. I began drafting today's blog in my mind after I clicked the publish button yesterday...

After I finished posting my blog, I went and took a bath and was reading a little bit from Daring Greatly by Brené Brown. I'm just in the very beginning where she's talking about what vulnerability really means. Many people see it as a weakness - how being vulnerable is putting yourself in a place where others can judge and criticize. But to be vulnerable takes courage. We expect vulnerability from those around us, but how much vulnerability are we putting out there?

I was reflecting on that post I wrote yesterday - and thought maybe people would interpret it as me bragging. I thought maybe people wouldn't like it. I thought that it wasn't my best writing, and even after I published it, I considered taking it down. I definitely don't want to come off like I'm better than anyone - the truth is that I didn't have a great slice yesterday so I just thought telling about my day would be the easiest way to proceed. But it wasn't a piece of writing that I was particularly proud of.

Then I got to thinking about how we ask our students to write - to pour their hearts and minds out onto paper. Maybe they don't want to share! Maybe they think it's not their best work, and they don't even want their teachers to read it. The post I wrote yesterday gave me a lot of new perspective about teaching writing.

If we as teachers are not willing to be vulnerable in what we do, how can we ask that of our students? How is that fair? Had I not been doing this challenge, I would have never come to this realization  - I taught writing for 10 years before I began blogging. I'm so much better of a writing teacher now that I'm a writer. I put pieces out that I am so proud of, and then some that I'm not proud of. I share my ideas, my passions, things that frustrate me, and random fluff that probably no one cares about. That takes so much vulnerability! Even teaching the grad school class I'm in the midst of - it's not easy, but I know it will help me grow professionally. I know I have tons to learn from others, my grad school students included.

Is this understanding the norm for teachers? I'm in year 12 and I'm just coming to this conclusion! What do you think?

5 comments:

  1. I agree! The first time I started slicing (2 years ago) I came to the same realization. Slicing gave me a real appreciation for what we ask of our students. My aha moment was realizing that my students needed time to think and process when writing, just as adults do. I think we are all becoming better writers and writing teachers as a result of this challenge.

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  2. Slicing really helped me with my teaching too.

    I liked your post yesterday! We need to find time to take care of ourselves!

    I love Brene Brown!

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  3. Interesting thinking...I love how slicing gives us new perspectives on the work we ask of our students!

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  4. I know exactly what you mean. Some days I don't want to hit the publish button, because I know it isn't great. However, other days I am excited to share my writing. I think that you are very right...we have to share all, the good, the bad and the ugly...just like we ask the kids to do. I would have never thought about this either if you hadn't bullied me into blogging. Thank you!

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  5. Vulnerability is a strength in my eyes. You go, girl! :)
    Literacy Loving Gals

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