How long is your stride as you start down the new road ahead of you? (Photo by J.A.C.K. - CC License)
A new term has begun for me. For many of my teacher friends around the world it is about to begin. A new term means a new beginning. I like new beginnings.The excitement and the fear of the new, tangled up. I always get very nervous before my first classes of a new term. What will it be like? What will the students be like? What will be the challenges?
New terms can make us especially anxious if we have taken up new projects, new paths, a new job. If this is the case we worry about whether we’ve taken too long a stride. Will I be able to do it? Will I be successful? Will I get where I want to? So many doubts…
Yes… I believe new beginnings usually come with challenges. But challenges are motivating. They make you try harder, they draw you out of your comfort zone, make you look for new ways of doing something… They may also be scary. We are afraid of failing, of not knowing what to do. What’s wrong with failing anyway? Everybody fails eventually. The key is not letting yourself be taken down by it. Don’t ignore it. Feel bad about it, acknowledge it. Learn from it. And then move on.
Change is usually scary for most people – and a new term means change, as small as it may seem sometimes. But change can be very, very positive too. They open new horizons, bring new victories, new connections.
So, embrace your new term and any challenges that may come with it. Think of them as steps up. If the stride feels too long, grab a friend’s hand to help you cover it. There’s nothing wrong with that. It actually makes the journey more fun when we’re not alone.
Wishing a great new beginning. To all of us. Teaching-wise or otherwise 😉
Box of Chocolates 