Failing Forward

Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently- Henry Ford

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm- Winston Churchill


These two statements have always resonated with me. I have never claimed to be successful. I make mistakes all the time. I doubt myself, lose confidence, shy away from naysayers, but I always always get back up and keep going. When I wake up every day, before I stir and climb out of bed, I always remind myself that the day will be a balance between successes and failures, I will learn from both. 

I seek new opportunities all the time especially in my classroom. I am mid-sentence and I say, "No, I no longer want to try it this way let's change it up and...." My students always smile because they know something cool is going to happen. This makes my classroom a very fluid environment, where students are collaborating to reach their weekly goals more often than I am teaching. I like to take-risks in my lessons and this is why as a class we try new things and they turn sideways or are unsuccessful at times and together we talk it through and retry in a different way.

Failure to me is not winning or losing. It is not trying or giving up. It is certainly not making an attempt unsuccessfully for that is learning. As babies we stumble and fall on our bottoms thousands of times before our legs can balance our big heads and heavy torso's. We do not call this failure we call this determination. When we begin to speak the words are babble and nonsensical but slowly with practice and comprehension they become words then sentences then conversations. These conversations are in turn our communication within ourselves and with others.

Failure is never a negative thing when it comes to growth and improvement. It is a cobble on the bumpy surface of the road of education. They can be smooth and unnoticeable or they can be dislodged and cause a change of direction. In the end though, they make us human. they make us humble and cautious when needed, and even better risk-takers. Failure is necessary in order for us to progress, innovate and ultimately change the world for the better.